When Catherine knocked on the hotel room door, Gil was already dressed in a dress shirt underneath a suede jacket with black slacks. She was dressed as she would have dressed during the autumn nights in Nevada; jeans with a windbreaker that fit her form perfectly. Her hair was tied back and sunglasses were perched on her head. She looked relaxed, and comfortable, which was something Gil hadn't been or seen in a long time.
Seattle was surprisingly sunny that morning as Gil rode in Catherine's Audi sedan. The town was already bustling and when Gil rolled down his window, the smell of freshly-brewed coffee hit him. He saw businessmen and women briskly walk to their places of work, donning long overcoats. He almost thought he could recognize some of them. He shook his head, smiling. Routine.
"It's interesting the first week or two, then it all becomes the same. Vegas, Seattle. You name any other city in America, and it'll work." She blurted, as she made a turn. He looked at her with a frown.
"Really? So you don't find travelling fascinating? I thought you did."
"I didn't say I don't enjoy travelling. If you're travelling you don't stay at the same place for more than a week. If you lived here, you would know exactly what I'm talking about." She replied. They had driven for about 20 minutes when they arrived at the outskirts of the city, where the residential area was located. To Gil's surprise, the houses were all new and the neighbourhood looked too clean, too identical, and too artificial.
"We're here."
They had pulled into the driveway of a very immaculate home, which to Gil, screamed 'Catherine'. He had imagined that she would live in a house somewhat like this one, and he thought that perhaps he might have been able to find it himself. It was cool and modern, with its perfectly painted dark grey and white exterior and a perfectly kept yard with absolutely stunning flowers. He was left speechless as they walked up to her front door.
"Now Gil, don't be alarmed if Lindsey's…indifferent. You have to remind yourself she is 17." Catherine told him, and Gil involuntarily gulped as he stared at the mahogany door. She unlocked it and he followed her in.
The interior was almost flawless, exactly the opposite of his own bode. His home used to be flawless as well, but that all had changed drastically as of recent; it was cluttered and it seemed as if no one had lived there for a couple of years.
"Great place, Catherine. I always pictured you living in a house like this." Gil muttered as he took a glance around the house. He saw Catherine smile through the corner of his eyes.
"Thanks. I…I worked hard for this."
"You deserve it." He told her as he looked at her with sincere eyes.
"Lindsey! Come down here, please!" Catherine shouted as she stayed by Gil's side. Gil watched Lindsey, immersed in her Mp3 player but he saw the surprised smile on her face when their eyes met. She threw the gadget aside and she came running into his arms, almost knocking him over.
"Uncle Gil! How….why….oh my god!" She asked, after a minute of reunion. "How come you didn't call?" She asked, giving him a slight smack on his chest. He was surprised at how much Lindsey had grown, and how much she and Catherine were alike.
"I was really busy." He replied, shrugging the thought of telling her the story. Lindsey smiled as they hugged again.
"So you didn't just come to see us." Lindsey muttered, innocently. Gil's heart contracted.
"Well…not exactly. I'm here for a case."
"Why didn't you ever say he was here, mom?" Lindsey asked Catherine. Gil saw Catherine falter slightly and quickly came to her aid.
"I told her not to tell you. I wanted this to be a surprise, although it came a little too late." He told Lindsey, smiling. He saw Catherine stare at him in slight disbelief.
"How long are you here for? Not leaving too soon, I hope."
"About two more days. We just wrapped it up." He replied as Lindsey led him to the family room. Gil raised an eyebrow at the very large flat-screen TV and a small wall full of DVDs. He always knew Catherine enjoyed movies, and it seemed to him that all these things combined, she was living her dream life.
"Interesting case?" Lindsey asked as she sat on the sofa and indicated for him to sit down as well.
"Just high profile. That's why I was sent up here, otherwise…I might not have seen you guys for a while." Gil admitted, hoping Lindsey wouldn't catch the guilt in his voice.
"Why were you so busy?"
"Lots of paperwork. Your mother was my right and my left hand with those things. It took me all day to finish the backlogs." He replied.
"Wow. So nothing new since we left, huh?" She asked, crossing her legs.
"Absolutely nothing. Other than the fact that you and I have both gotten older." He replied, making her smile. "Heard you got into UC Berkeley. Congratulations."
"Oh, it's really nothing. Just had a flash of good luck. I need to tough it out still." She told him, blushing from his compliment.
"I know you'll do well. I always knew you'd become a someone." He told her, smiling and nodding.
"Did you miss us?" Lindsey asked, brushing her hair away from her face.
"Oh most definitely. It almost felt like I lost family." He confessed, and Lindsey laughed.
"I thought so. You lived like a hermit when we were there. I can't imagine how you lived without us." She told him, and to Gil, she sounded too much like a mature adult, and it made him afraid. Afraid of realizing how old he himself was. "So…have you met Ian?" Gil smiled.
"Yes, I have. He's…a great guy. Don't think I could have picked out a better man for your mom." He replied, and he really did mean it. But he saw Lindsey looking at him through narrowed eyes and it seemed as if she wanted to say something. "What do you think, Linds? Do you like Ian?"
"Well, I mean…he's nice and all, but…" Lindsey seemed like she did not want to finish the rest of the sentence. She simply hung her head and sighed.
"But what, Lindsey?"
"I…I don't know. He's great." She replied, quickly, trying to avoid the subject. Gil frowned slightly but decided to leave the matter for now.
"I'm really glad to see you both so happy and…your lives seem to be going in an awful better direction than they were when you guys were in Vegas." Gil told Lindsey, chuckling. He saw her nod and smile as well.
"Guys? Breakfast!" Catherine called from the kitchen over clangs and bangs from the kitchen. Lindsey and Gil moved into the kitchen, with an air of anticipation.
The smell of toast and fried eggs met Lindsey and Gil. Lindsey plopped herself into the dining chair, picking up the morning's newspaper along with a green apple. Gil looked at Catherine, handling the food skilfully. He opened the fridge door to pull out orange juice and apple juice, along with cups from the cupboard above. He didn't even realize that he knew where all of these things would be. He took a moment to observe how well the three of them fit together in the kitchen, and knew if a stranger walked by their dining room window, he or she would think that the three were a regular family, getting ready to have a regular breakfast. But then he thought it would work just as well with Ian in his place, and to Catherine and Lindsey, it wouldn't make a difference. What they simply needed was a steady column to be able to lean on when they were off-balance. He used to believe that he could have provided such support, but now he doubted himself.
"Thanks, Gil. Have a seat." Catherine told him, smiling. He obliged, taking a seat across from Lindsey. He briefly glanced over the front page of the newspaper and saw nothing of interest to him.
"So what are you two up to, today?" Lindsey asked, her voice slightly muffled by the newspaper and the apple in her mouth.
"Well..it's really up to Uncle Gil to decide." Catherine replied, pulling out plates for the three of them. "What do you want to do, Gil?"
"Dealer's choice?" Gil offered, trying to talk his way out of this one. Lindsey giggled, and Catherine just shook her head.
"It's just so like you. You never choose and you're too indecisive. It's going to get you someday, you know." Lindsey giggled as she received her plate from Catherine who was now sitting down.
"Trust me, it already has." Gil replied, and he felt an inquisitive stare from Catherine bore into the side of his head. He took a bite out of his toast.
"So…how about a tour of Seattle?" Lindsey suggested, and Gil shrugged.
"Whatever your mother likes." He answered as he felt her leg brush his. He looked at her as she drank her orange juice.
"Do you ever think of yourself before my mother? Come on. What do you want?" Lindsey asked, now obviously frustrated. Catherine was now looking at him to answer. He felt a tingly sensation go down his spine. He really didn't want anything else, other than to just sit at that table with the two of them and have breakfast. It really was all he could ever ask for. He wanted to tell them so, but the stares he was getting from them kept him from expressing a word.
"I…I want…I want to go….shopping?"