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“Yes!” I exclaimed, triumphantly. There they were, stocked neatly into the kitchen cupboard, two boxes of Jaffa Cakes, next to what looked like at least three bags of Roth's favourite pistachios. Even though I had been at University for well over a year now and my visits to Roth's house had become far and few in between, it appeared he still kept my favourite treat on stock in what we used to call our 'stash cupboard'. I snagged a box and put the kettle on for a cuppa.
It was Friday afternoon and I was spending the weekend at Roth's, for we had planned to set out to the Peak District for a two day hike early tomorrow morning. The small victorian house he owned on the outskirts of London was where I had spend most of my weekends during my years at boarding school after my father had died - whenever Roth had been in town that is.
I still remembered vividly when Roth took me in all those years ago. There had been some fuss between him and Winston in deciding whether or not he should make Croft Manor his permanent address what with becoming my legal guardian and all, but Roth, ever so practical, had let me make the decision. I had been away at boarding school for most of the time anyway, but the thought of having to come home to an empty manor, to the place where I'd found my father after he'd killed himself, I couldn't bear it at the time. I had begged Roth to let me come with him, anywhere, just not back to the manor with both my parents now gone forever. So Roth had helped me pack my bags and had taken me to London with him.
Roth had always done his best, he really had. His house wasn't much. Tiny, compared to the manor even. But he had offered up his small study to turn into my bedroom for whenever I was at the house and even though it wasn't much, I'd come to feel at home here.
The kettle started to boil before I could further delve into my memories and I poured myself a cup. With tea in one hand and the box of Jaffa Cakes in the other, I settled at the kitchen table.
At that moment my mobile sounded with a new message and I could already guess as to whom it was from. I fished for my phone just as Roth walked in through the back door, wiping his hands clean on a kitchen towel. “Car's all set, supplies are packed”, he said, casting a glance my way.
I hummed distractedly. I was looking at the screen of my phone where a message from Sam had just appeared, telling me she'd arrived in Scotland safely and was apparently already at the pub on her first pint. I couldn't help but smile. I suddenly noticed Roth studying me and looked up at him.
“What's Sam doing this weekend, anyhow?” he asked as if he'd somehow sensed I'd been reading her message.
“Uh, she's got a weekend trip with her cinematography class. A workshop hosted at the University of Edinburgh, they left earlier today.” In fact, Sam not being around for the weekend was one of the major reasons I had asked Roth to go on that hiking trip with me in the first place.
Ever since Sam and I moved in together after first year we had practically been inseparable, even if that meant I was now being dragged out to the pub or to a house party on the weekends more often than I cared to. But Sam humoured me just the same, coming to the British Museum with me when the Tutankhamun exhibition opened or joining me at the climbing gym ever so often. And if I was being honest with myself, I didn't mind coming out of my comfort zone a little bit, in fact I didn't mind at all as long as I got to be with Sam.
This was the first weekend since moving in together a little over 3 months ago that I'd spend without her. When I was still living in halls during first year I went to see Roth at least once a month or whenever he was in town, but since Sam and I got our own apartment these semi-regular visits had stopped entirely. Roth had never said anything about it and I knew he didn't mind, yet I still felt bad for not trying to see him as often as I used to. He was, after all, the only family I had left and I'd always enjoyed spending time with him. But Sam was, well... Sam. There was just something about her. I'd never felt as comfortable around anyone as I felt with her. It was almost as if I'd finally found something I didn't even know I had been looking for. For the first time in my life, I realised, I felt content. With her I felt at home.
“I see.” Roth said at that and smiled knowingly. My mobile sounded again. Sam. I opened her message.
'They're talking really weird up here. Half of the time I don't understand what they're even saying so I just nod and smile. Ha! What're you up to? All ready for your adventure? Got the functional clothing and your hiking boots packed?'
I smiled, knowing full well that her last sentence had been a jibe at my closet being mostly full of outdoor gear and clothing rather than the latest fashion from High Street, something Sam never really could wrap her head around. I typed out a quick reply with one hand while shoving a Jaffa Cake into my mouth with the other. 'Yes, all packed and ready. We're starting off really early tomorrow morning.'
It only took about half a minute for her to reply. 'Getting up at the ass-crack of dawn to spend the day running around on mountains, we'll have to have another talk about the definition of fun...'
I could practically feel Sam rolling her eyes at me from miles away. But before I could even reply, another text arrived. 'Make sure to let me know when you're at the campsite, okay? Not that I'm worried or anything because I know you're this total badass outdoor chick but still. Love you sweetie!'
I grinned widely at reading her words and couldn't help the warmth spreading in the pit of my stomach at having someone care for me the way she did.
“It suits you, you know.” Roth's gruff voice tore my attention away from Sam's text. I'd almost forgotten he was still in the kitchen with me. I looked at him questioningly.
“Being happy, I mean. Happy looks good on you, girl.” he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. I felt a blush rising to my cheeks.
“I … what makes you say that?” I murmured into my cup of tea.
“Sam. She makes you happy, I can see that. That's a good thing, Lara.” Roth went on, busying himself with fixing a cup of tea for himself to avoid eye contact. He and I both never had been good at being emotional, let alone talk about our feelings. So this kind of conversation was a rare occurrence and I could see he was out of his depth here just as much as I was. But he was right in what he was saying.
“Yeah, I guess. She's my best friend and ... I don't know, there's just something about her.” I didn't quite know how else to put it.
Roth made a humming noise and turned to look at me intently for a few seconds. I felt odd under his gaze. I couldn't shake the feeling he wanted to say something, but then suddenly changed his mind. He smiled instead and gave me one of his approving nods. “You hold on to that.” he said.
We sipped our tea quietly after that and I couldn't help but wonder what exactly Roth had been trying to tell me just then. But he left no further room for questions when he got up and snatched the now empty tea cups to put into the sink.
“Alright girl, go get your gear and put it in the car. Don't forget the tent, I stashed that in your room.” there he was again, the gruff ex-military man who raised me. I smiled and got up to fetch my backpack like he'd told me to, but not before typing out a quick reply to Sam's earlier text.
'Will do. Love you too Sam!'