Ben breathes heavy, nearing the end of his bike route, when he looks up at the house he grew up in. It has stood empty for close to ten years. After his father died, his mother lived there for awhile but as her health worsened, Ben had her move in with him in his spacious apartment nearer to the city.
He's caught off guard when he see's someone standing in the yard, holding a hose, watering a few scattered plants. He didn't know anyone had moved in. He'd been out of town the last week but there hadn't been any signs before that to tip him off that his childhood home was now someone else's. As he draws closer, he sees it's a woman and she's quite beautiful. She looks up and catches his eye, giving a small smile and friendly wave. Still a bit shocked, he just stares at her as his bike hits a pothole and his lithe body goes flying into the street he used to rollerblade in as a young boy. Pain erupts in multiple places at once. Rolling onto his back, he groans, his head banging out a painful beat, his body aching with his fresh wounds. His eyes flicker open when a shadow falls across his face. The woman is standing over him, looking down, concern evident on her face.
"Are you okay?" she squats, a phone held hesitantly in her hand. "Do I need to call an ambulance?"
"No." he wheezes. He tries to sit up but winces as pain shoots through his head. "I'm fine, really." He tries to assure her but isn't so sure himself.
Her face hardens as she wraps an arm around him and starts pulling him up. "Let's get you inside so I can patch you up, yeah?" A moan was the only response she got.
He's able to brace some of his own weight but it is excruciating none the less. He notices that she's pretty strong for her size. "Thank you." he whimpers.
She waves him off, opening the front door, and pulls him into a house filled with memories, both pleasant and not. He notices that she is still very far from unpacked if the boxes that litter the floor are any indication. "Here." She helps him sit on the closed toilet lid in the spacious guest bathroom just off the kitchen. He leans back and closes his eyes while she rummages around for supplies. "Not completely moved in yet." She chuckles. "But I usually know where my first aid is, just in case."
"Often have strangers crash in your front yard that you have to bandage up?" he manages a smile.
"No, just old friends." She kneels in front of him, piling her arsenal next to her.
His eyes flicker open in surprise. "We know each other? I'm pretty sure I would have remembered you."
A slight blush creeps into her cheeks, "Well, it was a long time ago…in a galaxy far, far away." She looks up, hoping the line from their childhood escapades will register with him. It does.
He sits up straighter, eyes widening in shock, "Rey?"
She nods, turning back to the gash in his knee, "Hey, Ben."
"How in-OWE." He winces as she pours the disinfectant on his wound.
"Sorry." She slathers on some Neosporin and covers it in a large Band-Aid. "I'll have to take a better look at the cut on your stomach but it doesn't look like anything is going to need stitches. Does anything feel broken?"
"Not that I'm aware of, thanks, doc." He replies jokingly, ignorant of how close he is to the truth.
"Sorry again but I'm gonna need you to take off your shirt." The blush returns to her cheeks.
He nods, slowly dragging it over his head, pain exploding in various places. "Bummer. That was one of my favorite shirts too." He tosses it on the floor and leans back, fresh blood oozing out of the cut above his ribs.
"Soak it in cold salt water. If any stains remain, treat them with hydrogen peroxide." She replies casually, trying to look anywhere but his tone chest and abdominal muscles.
He chuckles, "Should I be worried you know how to get blood out of things so easily?"
She smiles up at him, "No, I um…actually am a doctor. A pediatrician to be specific but cuts are cuts, right?"
"Wait, seriously?" he sits up straighter, surprised again by the information he's finding out about this woman.
"Mhmm. Now can you stand up so I can check your ribs, please?"
He quietly does as she asks. She lays her hands on him, sending gosh bumps rippling across his skin, and tells him to breathe in and out. He does so and she cracks a small smile.
"No broken bones in there. Could you stay just like that while I bandage this one up?"
"Sure."
As she works away, he takes the time to just look at her. Her hair, usually up in three buns when they were younger, is thrown back in a quick ponytail, a few strands escaping their shackle. Her eyes move around quickly examining his wound and applying the proper bandaging, the bit of black eyeliner on the edge of her eyelid smudged slightly. He begins counting the freckles on her face, reminiscing about the summer days they would spend cloud chasing.
She suddenly casts her gaze up to meet his. "All done." She squats down, gathering all the supplies off the ground. "You feel okay?"
He realizes he's been staring and shakes his head, "Yeah. Good. Thank you again for patching me up."
She smiles, wedging her way out of the bathroom. "My pleasure." He follows her into the kitchen and sits down in one of the chairs positioned around a table. "I should have a shirt or sweatshirt or something that will fit you, if you want." She begins pushing a few boxes around.
His smile falters, "Ah, your boyfriend's?" he doesn't recall seeing a ring on her finger.
She laughs, "No." he breathes a sigh of relief. "It's kinda stupid but I like lounging around in oversized t-shirts when I've got the day off."
"Hey, no judgement from me, especially if you've got one that fits me."
She returns, smiling triumphantly, with a shirt in hand. "Here." She hands it to him. "You should enjoy this one."
He quirks an eyebrow at her and opens the crumbled material. Laughter bursts out of him at the design. "Oh no!" the front of the shirt is covered in a hand drawn cat face with lasers shooting out of its eyes. The words Laser Cats is written in scribbly handwriting along the bottom. "How did you even do this?"
"A friend of mine makes t-shirts. He was able to transfer your drawing to the shirt."
"I had completely forgotten about Laser Cats. What was I, nine, when I drew this?" He chuckles as he slips the shirt over his head. "Did we ever agree on who would be the lead singer of our band?"
"Ah, no, I don't believe we did but I'm not going to hash out a nearly twenty-year-old argument. I consent to you being the lead singer."
"Thanks and I'll get this back to you as soon as I can."
She smiles, "No, keep it. It suites you."
He catches her eye, a look of longing and sadness mixed with hopefulness erupting in his eyes, "I still can't believe it's you."
She shrugs, trying not to let her emotions overwhelm her, "It's me." She walks over to a cupboard and pulls out two glasses. "You want some water? You should drink some water."
"You are the professional." He eases back in the chair, watching her. She sets the full glass down in front of him and sits herself next to him. "So how did you manage to end up back here? And why did you buy this house?"
"Well, I decided to set up my own practice. I was still in Jakku, where I went to school for my degree, but have always loved it here so figured I'd move back. Your mother and I have been in sporadic contact over the years. She mentioned that the house was still for sale a little over a month ago so I figured why not? Always loved this house and it's just about a block away from where I was going to set up my office."
"You and my mom talk?" his eyebrows scrunch together.
"Yeah, and I am sorry about your dad, Ben." She reaches over and squeezes his hand.
He nods, swallowing. "Thanks."
"But, yeah, I always liked to keep in contact with people from way back and she was kinda like the mom I never had, you know? I emailed her when I had decided to move back and she told me about the house. Sly old fox gave it to me for a lot less than I should have paid for it."
"She never even said anything." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Why did you never call or email me? I would have loved to hear from you over the years."
Rey shrugs, "I did try a few times but you were always so busy. Figured you'd get back to me when you could."
"I'm so sorry. I never got any messages or anything that you did. I would have, I swear."
She smiles, "You know what's funny? When I saw you riding down the street today, I thought you were coming by to say hi. Figured your mom had told you and you were swinging by for a visit."
"I would have come by sooner, helped you unpack, if I had known. No, today I was just riding my usual route when I saw a pretty girl wave at me. Technically, you made me crash."
Rey's cheeks burn, "Well, I did patch you back up. Is that enough of an apology?"
He smiles, picking up her hand, "How about we discuss it over dinner?"