"Love is really nothing,
But a dream that keeps waking me.
For all of my trying, we still end up dying.
How can it be?"

— Edge of Desire// Battle Studies
John Mayer

I love John Mayer with all my heart.

*******

There was no trace of Michael Adams for the next couple of days. Brittney did not push it like the last times though. This time she thought of acting maturely and leave him on his own for some time, which was reasonable. She had called him once, but his phone came as 'switched off'. She did not try again.

With no more Michael and the constant texts, banters and calls, her life returned to the same old mundane routine and tasks.

She would sit at the reception of their restaurant all day, but her mind would be somewhere else. In fact she started becoming so preoccupied by his thoughts that once a customer even had to clap his hands in front of her to catch her attention, which was quite embarrassing.

When two more days passed and he showed no interest in contacting her whatsoever, she decided to leave it at that. With only four days left at Erthington, Brittney was already getting busy with meeting neighbours and bidding them her final goodbyes. She and her family knew each of their neighbors and were in very good terms with all of them; even with Dr. Moyer, who hardly talked to anyone in the community.

During all these events however, Brittney's visit to Katherine's Confectionery had become much infrequent. But now that she had no time at hand, she decided to pay a visit, maybe the last one before she left; and fill her bags with tons of candies to survive at least a month with, in Seattle.

When she neared the shop, Katherine's eyes fell upon her, and it seemed the lady was greatly surprised to see her.

"Oh dear. You came after so many days!" Katherine squealed like a young girl. Brittney felt rather guilty for not having come here more often in the past few weeks. Katherine was always so alone, it must be terrifying.

"Katherine, today I'll buy all your candies."

The woman laughed out loud and nodded her head from side to side as she went back inside to grab the best candies for Brittney.

"Look dear," Katherine came back and handed her a large, colorful box full of candies. "I've made these candies especially for you. It has your favorite strawberry flavor, then chocolate,  almond and chocolate, vanilla, caramel, banana flavor...."

She went on as Brittney wandered through the aisles, looking through various boxes and comparing the costs, though she knew the prices of most of them.

"And I'd take these boxes too," she placed two boxes of truffles on the counter. "You know, I need a large stock so I don't have to miss your candies while I'm at Seattle."

"Oh, so you are leaving," Katherine sounded hurt, though she did not let the emotion cloud her face. Having two sons who barely ever contacted their mother must have influenced her to practice how to hide the emotions.

"Yeah," she answered uncomfortably. "In four days."

"That's too soon," Katherine frowned. "Ah, I must pack a large, very large box for my Brittney. You might be the last customer I'd have."

"Hey, don't say that. You sell the best candies in the town."

"Maybe, but no one likes them," she added remorsefully, but then changed the topic quickly. "How about this box? It's the grandest family pack of Kit-Kat I have."

"Uh," Brittney muttered, "I can't buy that, it'd not fit in my budget."

Katherine took Brittney's hands, and looked into her eyes with her own warm, faded blue eyes. "I do not want my daughter to pay me any bills. You are leaving for college," she whispered, "Take this as my gift. And if I ever become worth missing or remembering, look at those boxes."

Hesitantly she took the boxes of Kit-Kat. It felt overwhelming to hear Katherine address her as her 'daughter'. She knew it was difficult for Katherine to accept that her sons had almost rejected their mother. But if Katherine thought of her as a daughter, she was determined to treat and respect her like her own mother.

"I'd always remember you, Katherine." She gave a warm smile.

Half an hour later she had bought almost every type of candy available in the store—  marshmallows, milk chocolates, caramels, peanut butter candies, lollipops, wax candies, dark chocolates, mints, bubble gums, toffees, even cotton candies and gold coin candies.

She was trying to settle all the loads of candies inside her bag when loud clattering and clanking of glass jars hitting against each other pierced through her ears, which was followed by shrill and sharp splash of a jar falling.

Brittney turned around in horror to find Katherine trying to clasp the jars in a failed attempt to keep balance, her one hand tightly gripping the left side of her chest. She was inhaling and exhaling erratically and was trying hard to breathe through her mouth. The broken glass from the jar had scattered everywhere.

Brittney ran to her as quickly as she could. But Katherine was already collapsing to the ground fast. The hand that tightly gripped her chest until now was drifting downwards, her face was drooping. Brittney knelt beside her on the floor.

"Katherine, Katherine, can you hear me?" She cried out.

Katherine looked up at her with difficulty, her face contorted with pain. "Bwi—Bweitney, I am gunna f..fainnnd—" She slurred through her words.

Sick with fear, Brittney pressed her fingers against her carotid artery, as her pulse fluttered with crazy irregularity.

Without wasting another second, she called 911 as she watched Katherine's face grow paler and paler with time.

Confusion, unconsciousness, and panic. Not a nice thing to be placed in the same sentence.

*******

Please do vote, comment, and share if you think the book deserves so. I love my readers with all my heart. Don't be a silent reader. Tap the star button. It looks cuter while golden & blinking.

The chapter might have started in a boring way, but the ending was, well, more interesting than the start. We're approaching the climax. Woohoo!

On another note, I'll be accepting one-shot contest entries till 12th June, 2016.

I realize it was unfair of me to give so little time for conjuring up a new story altogether. Take your time.

Much love.

Awesome cover by: CoraTramento