40 Days: Oasis

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Lorna and Zala part amicably. The new question is what's next? For Lorna, the answer is home.



The cafe was old, a relic of long ago times gone by. Zala loved it primarily for the fact that nobody ever really remembered it, and they did a fabulous apple tart with fresh whipped cream. She squinted in the dim lights of the cafe, removing her sunglasses and sticking them in her purse before doing a quick sweep. Just the regulars, and a flash of green hair in the corner. Instantly, her face relaxed into a warm smile.

"Lorna, there you are."

"Zala!" Lorna's face lit up. Whatever else Zala was, she was family. "You made it. I'm glad. Paolo sounded uncertain when we talked, he said something about a groundbreaking?" she asked as Zala seated herself. "I hope I'm not getting the way of something important. You do so many things that are just...amazing really. I don't know anyone who can say they've done so much for a community."

Zala waved a hand dismissively. "It's not for another hour, so much of my life is so tightly scheduled that any sort of break is welcome really." She nodded to the waitress behind the counter, who began to pour a coffee for her. Zala turned back to her sister. "So, did you enjoy the opera? I would have gone myself but I had an early meeting this morning."

Lorna managed to keep a straight face as she thought about how she'd spent the entire death aria texting Haller. "Yeah, it was great. That was my first opera experience actually." She sipped her own coffee--black, as always. "You had a meeting on Saturday? Don't you ever stop working?"

"It takes some getting used to, thank you, Dhalia," she accepted her own coffee, black just like Lorna's. She gave her a wry smile and saluted her with the cup before taking a sip. "The opera and the schedule I mean. My first opera I feel asleep, and I had to pretend I knew what I was talking about when Josiah asked me about it later so I wouldn't feel like an idiot. As for my schedule, I'm a single woman with no children, this business is my baby and sometimes I must make sacrifices for it. With my line of work, you are on call all day every day." And on guard.

"So, have you given my offer anymore thought?"

Very carefully, she set the coffee cup back down, fingers braced around the rim. "I did. Quite a lot. And I looked over everything you gave me but when it comes down to it, New York is my home. That's where my responsibilities are, where my friends are...I can't just leave all that." Lorna flattened her hand against the table like she could draw its strength. "I'm not saying no because I don't want to help."

Zala took a careful swallow of coffee, before looking back at Lorna. "I understand. I can't say that I'm exactly happy, but I understand. If someone were to ask me to leave my business, I'm not sure what I would do. Even if it was a better offer." The smile she gave Lornabetrayed nothing more than polite resignation.

"How's this? I'll keep it in mind. You never know, things change, positions change...hell, people change. I might graduate and discover that I'm dying to get back to a proper coast." She meant it but not really. She couldn't see taking those steps again, walking back to the dark. "In the meantime, if you need me, well, you know where I am. You know the ways I can help. I don't want to lose my sister just after finding her again. There's twenty years between us that we could have had." Why did you leave? she didn't ask.

"Of course, you are always welcome to visit." Well, it wasn't a flat out no, that was something. "That school seems to inspire frightening loyalty. I have a Mexican associate who gets very twitchy when you mention it."

It was Lorna's turn to smile blandly as though she had no idea what the woman could possibly be getting at. "We tend to stay out of Mexico. It's not been a huge bed of activity for us. Mostly our kids come to us when their parents want them to get a handle on their special skills. International students always present trickier situations." She finished her coffee quickly and checked her watch. "Wow, time flies. It was good to see you again, Zala. You should come down for Easter tomorrow. I'll be making a ham and a few other little treats." Like killing the fatted calf.

Something in Zala's mind clicked. International students. That was something for later. "I would love to, but Mom and Dad and I have unfortunately parted ways, some bridges cannot be rebuilt." Zala smiled ruefully and took another sip of coffee. "But you should run along, and have fun tomorrow. Also I would appreciate it if you kept this meeting between the sisters to yourself. I don't want to ruin anyone's holiday."

"No problem." Lorna lifted her purse as she stood, slinging it onto her shoulder then held out her hand, "I hope to see you again, Zala."

"You too, Lorna," Zala said sincerely, gripping Lorna's hand in her own. "Drive safe and be careful."

Lorna shivered despite the warmth of the day and tugged her hand away. It wasn't worth it. She gave the older woman a brief nod and hurried away, trying not to feel like she was going to take a knife or a bullet to the back. She firmed up her shields nevertheless.

Zala drummed her fingers on the table for a few seconds after Lorna left. Well, things didn't always go as you planned. Still that was an avenue that was still open, in several different ways. There was always the future. She frowned at the man near the door, who had done nothing but keep up a steady stream of chatter on his bluetooth headset the whole time she had been there. She left a few crisp bills on the table for Dhalia, and then stood up to leave, smoothing down her skirt in an unhurried way. When she passed by the man with the headset, she stuck out a finger and discreetly shocked him. He jerked violently and smoke fizzed from his headset in an almost comical way. Allowing herself a triumphant smirk, Zala left the cafe.