time to tell

Asa was reluctant to take Jane up on her offer for Thanksgiving. But as it was, he could sit at Elliot's and hear the lowdown from Elliot's parents and Elliot's kids and what a perfect family Elliot had now, or try something new. He didn't really want to go to Camille's.

Besides, it was just Jane, baby Mattie and her roommate Harper, who turned out to be a little person, which he tried his best not to say either one of those words on his visit. It was a little quirky, but he wouldn't call it strange. And the food was excellent.

"That's because Harper made it." Jane told him she couldn't even boil water. Harper made all the meals. He was a mechanic by trade.

But she cleaned up and he helped. Luckily, the babies slept. Of course, Asa couldn't say if either liked  each other. They were too small to know. Yet, they were in Mattie's crib, but on opposite ends.

It was really a nice time, and he'd spent the day there. They'd talked about where they grew up and their families. They'd even put a puzzle together, a huge one on the table. Jane swore she'd never gotten far on one like this on her own. Of course, Harper said he usually had to finish them.

Asa did his best to be comfortable in this new, a bit cramped settings. He wasn't sure if there was or wasn't a relationship between Jane and Harper. That was still a mystery to him.

"I have kind of a strange question." He finally said as he was drying dishes and she was rinsing.

"Hit me, I like strange questions." Her blazing blue eyes looked him in the eye as if there were no odd questions.

"I dunno..how to say it.." He shook his head, thinking he must the crazy one. "Do you ever have dreams about Matt?"

She only smiled. "Do you?"

He tried to laugh, but finally admitted. "I used to have dreams about Amanda, all the time." A lump pushed tight in his throat. He could barely breath without being glassy eyed. "I miss those dreams so much."

"Matt was not Amanda." She nodded. "He seriously was a man of few words. I never knew about his other family. I didn't. And if I had, I wouldn't been so hell bent, on trying to make him happy. I mean, it was a challenge. And I was so stupid, but I did like his smile."

She went to make hot tea.

"I dream about my dead grandmother, sometimes." She shrugged. "I keep thinking she'll give me some wise advice or something, but no, I dreamed she told me they needed her to teach seventh grade science because science teachers are hard to find. Maybe that's a sign or something." She smiled as she got the tea bags ready to brew.

He watched her make the tea. And suddenly, he thought of Amanda as he watched Jane's hands. Amanda always enjoyed a good tea party, any time of the day.