「 For Morgan Romenesko, thank you for the lovely character name 」

f i v e

She stayed for nearly a week, her taking the bed and I taking the couch. There were nights that she would toss and turn, unable to sleep although showing signs of being tired with significant bags under her eyes. There were two nights she woke up hysterically screaming, myself having to repeatedly tell her that she would be okay in order for her to calm down.

On the sixth night, she was even more vulnerable than the rest of the nights, she stayed awake with heavy breaths, every hour causing more restlessness.

By two in the morning I too was restless and tired, however, I couldn't possibly sleep so I spoke, bidding farewell to the silent treatment where I would pretend I didn't notice her restlessness.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked out in the air, blackness shrouding us.

Her rustling ceased and her breaths lingered in the air, she sat herself up and faced me, the moonlight peeking through cheap blinds lighting her up.

"Ezra, what's wrong with me?" she asked, adding, "I feel an insane amount of guilt because of how everything transpired. I can't sleep, I don't want to eat, and I'm constantly crying."

I reached over to the room's desk with a lamp, flickering the yellow light on to see her eyes puffy and the purple bruise along her cheekbone courtesy of her abusive ex.

"I haven't been to work in a week," she finished with, the worst part to me.

Herself being the owner's daughter meant she was able to work around her work schedule, herself calling her dad after the Vince situation and requesting an indefinite amount of time off.

Work the past week had been treacherous, absolutely horrible and boring. The week's forecast of cloudy skies made the days long, Seattle's sun, Francesca, not present to enlighten the café.

"There's nothing wrong with you, you're just being human. Now, what can I do for you so that you will finally sleep?" I said simply, afraid to say more and have her feel hesitant and trapped.

She hesitated before replying, "My dad used to fetch me a bowl of my favorite cereal, Froot Loops, whenever I had a bad dream, it's ridiculous really but it would make me so very content and put a smile on my face."

I nodded and grabbed my jacket from the desk chair and the room card.

"Ezra, you really don't have to."

"But, I want to," I replied.

She gave me a small smile and mouthed a 'thank you.'

I headed out the door and made sure she locked it behind me. I walked away from the motel, on a quest to find the closest open grocery store or gas station store.

After roughly five minutes of walking, I came across a gas station with a convenient store. I walked in, an assortment of people also making a late night run into the store. I found my way to the cereal and milk area, running into a girl with a large blush colored faux fur coat and sunglasses with the lightest pink tinting on my way to the cash register.

Her assortment of candy and popcorn fell from her hands at the contact, I hurried to pick up what she dropped.

"Ezra?" she questioned on my way back up, my eyes meeting her covered ones.

I took a closer look at her, she moved her sunglasses from eye level to on top of her hair, her green eyes recognizable anywhere.

"Rebecca?" I questioned back, knowing very well that it was, in fact, Rebecca Madsen.

She laughed and set her stuff on the check out counter.

"You're never going to call me Becca are you?" she asked, the store's cashier ringing her up quickly, myself next.

"I met you as Rebecca, of course not," I answered with a smile, remembering my times with Rebecca back when I was in Los Angeles.

I had been in Los Angeles for nearly three months, the city my almost home. My stay in Los Angeles was now nearly five months ago, my time there was one to not be forgotten. The city had an effect on me, I had become a club hopping player until I met Rebecca one night. She was completely sober in a red body-con, rejecting every man's advances, every man with the exception of myself. That night in April she took me to her place and the next morning I was in awe at the fact that I had spent the evening with an up and coming model. Our casual relationship went on for a month until she told me she wanted more than just the frequent midnight rendezvous. I was scared and told her I couldn't be more than just a casual partner for I hadn't anything to offer. She gave me a small smile and said, "I should have known."

Following the end of our brief relations, I made my move, knowing California wasn't the place for me and knowing that I had hurt someone like I had been hurt before.

The past few months had proven to be good news for her though, my ventures couldn't get me away from her. Everywhere I went I saw a picture of her in tabloids and magazines, whether it be a bus stop or a gas station like the one we were situated in at the moment of our reconnection.

"How are you?" she asked me, "Are you still womanizing?"

I shook my head, "No, you were my last. And I'm doing well."

She gave a small content smile.

"Have you found a home?" she asked me, myself slipping the fact that I was searching for one to her.

"I think so," I replied, taking my bag from the cashier.

"I'm happy for you," she replied, still as smiley as she had been months previous.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired, knowing she mainly went west coast to east coast for modeling, California to New York.

"I have a photoshoot this week here," she answered.

I checked my watch, noticing that twenty minutes had gone by since I left the motel.

"Is someone waiting for you?" she asked.

"Kind of," I replied.

"I thought you were done with womanizing," she said, raising a suspecting eyebrow.

"I am, she's just a friend," I responded.

She stayed quiet for a moment.

"She must be special if you're going a cereal run for her this late at night," she said a bit quieter.

"She is," I said at ease, knowing that Francesca Scottsdale was special to me.

"I'll see you around then?" she questioned, throwing a smile back onto her face.

"Yeah, you can visit me at my work and we can catch up more, Travelers is the name of the cafe I work at," I told her.

"I'll try to find room in my busy schedule for you," she said with a wink, slipping into a Mercedes parked near the store's entrance.

I gave her a wave and made my way back to the motel. When I unlocked the room and walked in the television was on, Francesca tucked into the sheets sitting with her eyes closed, she must have fallen asleep.

I set her cereal and milk down on the desk, quietly taking off my jacket and shoes, not wanting to wake her from her slumber.

"Ezra?" she called out, I looked up.

"Francesca?" I said, mimicking her.

I opened the bag of goods and grabbed a bowl and spoon from the room, I had accumulated the items from the grocery store the previous week, fixing for her a gourmet bowl of cereal and giving it to her.

She ate her bowl while watching the TV, I simply sat back on the couch, more than ready to call it a night and get some sleep before my morning shift.

"Thank you, Ezra," she said after she finished, placing her empty bowl on a bedside table.

Then she snuggled into the sheets and I turned off the room's lamp and the TV. I too snuggled into my sleeping place.

'She must be special,' I heard racing over and over in my mind as I let sleep consume me, reality is the perfect place for me at a time like this. Having pleasant dreams unnecessary because I was living one with the most beautiful girl.

"She is," I quietly said, myself simply smiling at the thought of her and falling asleep smiling.