kind of a moment

"You will be back, won't you?" Kayla wanted to know when Ian told her the news about the trip back home. She just couldn't help but hug him. She hoped she wouldn't get any grief for that at work in the break-room. After all, he was her best friend.

"I guess." Ian could barely talk about it. She saw how sad he was, and she wanted to be sad with him. That is if anyone would let her.

"What can I do?" She was a bit choked up.

"Feed the fish." He just said.

"What?"

"You know, the fish tank over at the children's desk." He just looked at her.

"Oh, sure. Yeah, I can do that." She nodded, looking at him so sad. She bit her lip. "I'm, I'm really glad we went to the concert." She pressed her lips tight, remembering how hard it was not to want to kiss him. They were friends, and she was very good at remembering that. Nothing happened. It could have happen, but it didn't.

"I have to see my brother." He said very quietly. "I have a brother in England."

"Oh." She sort of winced, thinking what he could possibly look like. "I wish I could meet him." She found herself saying, when in fact she wished she could say, I want to come with you.

"Well, I don't see that happening." Ian shrugged. "His name is Oliver."

"Oliver." She thought of Oliver Twist for some reason. Suddenly, she was thinking Jane Austen which she preferred over Charles Dickens. She was so trying to keep her mind off Ian. Of course, she knew she'd come off being a bit dingy, than anything else. "Promise, you'll let me talk to him when I call you."

"You don't have to do that."  Ian shook his head.

"But I want to. Really. You know, just to see how you are and um, to hear your brother's accent." She smiled then as if it would all be a happy time soon.

"I guess." Ian seemed indifferent about it. She gave him another hug. Kayla didn't know what else to do.