NOA AND MORROW

“I don’t care what he does,” she said to Morrow. “Do you?”
Morrow looked back at Antonio, then at Noa, then said to himself, “No, I don’t.”

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“Why do I feel like I’m cheating on you?”



Thursday, July 02, 2015

“You’re not.”

Noa watched Morrow zip up his navy blue carry-on bag. “You’re not lying to me, and you’re going to tell me about what you did on your trip after you come back. Speaking of which…” Noa opened their bedroom closet, reached into a dresser drawer, and retrieved a new box of prophylactics.

Morrow considered protesting, but then he accepted the gift. “To be clear,” Morrow unzipped his bag to pull out an identical box, “I was prepared. I’m not a monster.”

“Great minds?”

Morrow sighed. He glanced toward the corner of the room, where their two one-year-olds were using interlocking blocks to build a shaky tower. “How are you so calm?” he asked Noa.

She replied by giving him a hug. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”


**********


Inside the front door of the apartment, Noa turned the knob to find two adults standing in the hallway. 

“Good morning.” Sasha lifted her black wraparound sunglasses.

“Hi Sasha,” Noa replied. “Antonio.”

He nodded, eyes cast down.

Sasha lowered her shades back down on her nose.

None of the three knew what else to say.

Morrow rolled his compact suitcase through the living room to complete the quartet.

“Any last words?” Noa asked her husband.

“Take care of the kids. I’ll see you on Monday.” Morrow hugged Noa with all the strength he could muster. He tugged a dark baseball cap onto his head and motioned to exit. “Oh, right.”

He slid a white envelope out of a pocket and handed it to Sasha, who held out a similar envelope for him in return.

Noa looked at them each read the single sheets of paper inside. 

Antonio grimaced off to the side.

“All right.” Sasha shoved it inside her dark goldenrod valise.

“All right then.” Morrow carried his bag out the door.

Sasha walked alongside him back down the hallway.

Antonio quivered with inner turmoil. He twisted his Elvish-engraved gold ring around his finger. “What should I do?” he yelled at the new couple.

Sasha paused her stride. She fiddled with her own gold band, skittish. The she straightened her back. “I don’t care what he does,” she said to Morrow. “Do you?”

Morrow looked back at Antonio, then at Noa, then said to himself, “No, I don’t.”

He and Sasha departed, leaving their spouses at the open apartment.’

“Where are they going?” Antonio demanded of Noa.

“Since Sasha picked the location, and they have to stay inside the Homestead network, I would guess somewhere similar to the spa you and I stayed at without them last year. Maybe the Madagascar community? Or a hotel on the beach in Hale Kapua.”

They remained on either side of the doorway, each gazing at the other.

A cry broke the silence.

Behind Noa, both toddlers waddled out of the bedroom, one holding his nose and pointing at his wailing sister’s leaky diaper.

“I need to take a walk.” Antonio shook his head. “I’ll call you later.”

Noa stepped back. She shut the door.

FIN

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