Fogged Red Feelings
With a lurch Lisbon rolled off the couch and hit the floor. Darn that man she thought as she pulled herself off the floor. Once again she had fallen asleep on her office couch after doing stacks of paperwork caused by her favorite pain in the butt. Through blurry eyes she gazed at the clock on her desk. Six thirty in the morning and once again she had managed to not spend a night in her own comfortable bed.
Focusing on the clock she realized that that the small calendar next to it showed that it was December 25th. She had again managed to completely shove the holiday season to the back of her thoughts where it firmly belonged as far as she was concerned.
In a daze she brewed a pot of coffee in the break room and fell into an old memory of when she was a child and Christmas still meant something mystical. It was the year she turned eleven. Too old to really believe in Santa but still young enough to be excited about what she would find under the tree.
She had crept downstairs to steal a look under the tree. No one was allowed to open presents until after mass and breakfast but she could still look as long as she was real quiet and sneaky.
She thought she was the only one up until she heard voices from the kitchen. Quickly she hid behind her father's big recliner, peaking out around the side to see if she was safe. After a couple of minutes she realized that the voices were her mom and dad. She somehow had never realized they got up early on Christmas morning. Suddenly she could smell coffee and for the first time she thought it was the best smell in the world. It seemed to bring a feeling of warmth and just indescribable wonderful feelings at that moment.
Almost hypnotized from the smell she made her way into the kitchen and to say her parents were surprised was an understatement. They had looked at her with astonishment but had offered her a small cup of well milked and sugared coffee. It had begun her life long love affair with coffee. It was a singular moment in time when she felt she was on the cusp of adulthood. It was a bittersweet memory for her. It was the last Christmas her mom had been alive. Coffee reminded her of happier times and in some small way always gave her comfort during dark moments, but still reminded her all she had lost
By now the coffee had finished brewing and as she poured her first cup of the day Lisbon realized there were tears on her cheeks. Hastily she brushed them from her face, it would never do to let people see her venerable.
Taking her first sip she realized that Jane more than likely had stayed in the attic during the night obsessing over the Red John case. Even if he was the bane of her existence, well maybe not actually the bane, more the bratty best friend, she could at least make him a cup of tea as a good will gesture on Christmas morning.
Once the tea had brewed Lisbon took his cup and saucer in hand and made her way up the stairs to Jane's aerie. Silently, in case he might be God willing resting, she pushed the door open. There he stiffly stood facing the windows letting the pale rosy light of dawn wash over him. Still mute she made her way to his side. Silent tears streamed down his face from beneath closed lids. The pink dawn sky gave him a healthy glow even through the sorrow, though she knew it was an illusion. Lisbon couldn't help but allow a few tears to leak from her own eyes. Softly she placed the cup down on the table and slowly took his hand.
Neither said a word or even looked at each other, though if there had been anyone else there to see it they would have noticed that Lisbon and Jane had interlaced her fingers with his in a intimate show of understanding and support.