in the company you keep

"What did you and your sister fight about?" Olivia never thought she'd meet Luc anywhere ever again. It was a splendid surprise. Of course, she had a lot on her mind, but he was a sweet distraction. She couldn't deny that. A part of her thought maybe she was suppose to help him. Somehow.

"Oh, you know, what siblings do." He shrugged off. She was certain he was going to be tight lipped.

"No, its OK, I want to listen." And she did.

"She thinks I'm a brat." He told her. "Maybe I am. Well... I ran away from home. And no one seemed to notice. They were in deep with her..her drug problems. I really didn't want to be a problem. I'm..I'm just the opposite of her." He shook his head. "She thinks I messed up. Maybe I did. Its just, I didn't want my parents to feel they...they had to do anything for me. And it wasn't like I joined the carnival or anything. I didn't want to be there." He let out a breath and stared at his coffee.

"Besides, it was a while ago." He winced then. "I'm really fine. She should see that. You know."

"Maybe..maybe she knows this, but she sees now, what she did..affected the whole family. Not just her." Olivia told him.

"I guess. She needs to stop dwelling on it." He closed his eyes as if he was dreading something.

"You're such a nice guy." It was all she could come up with. Was she the only one who knew? Somebody would find him. Snatch him up in some sort of romantic notion. He'd be just as good as married to someone. And here she'd be, to watch. She guessed. He did deserve someone quite special.

"Nice? Are you kidding me?" He laughed as if that was a joke. "I know she wants me to come to these family Sunday night dinner. But..I have a family dinner to go to on Sundays."

Olivia looked at him startled as he looked at the coffee in his cup.

"It'll sound weird." He smiled. "I used to be with this girl, who ..well..has.... this amazing little girl, Gia. Her hair has to be down to her waist, but you'd never know it, because she'd keep her hair in all these braids or corn rolls. I just remember her hair. Trying to fix it. God, why do I remember that?"

She could see he was about to cry.

"Anyway, she's with her Dad now. I got to wonder if he knows what to do with her. I used to think he must hate me. But..but he's a pretty nice guy." Luc told her. "We have dinner. Sunday nights. At his place."

"I'd like to .." Olivia wanted to say she wanted to go. It would be a nice change. Perhaps. "Can I meet her, some time?"