They both placed their mugs down slowly turning their gazes to each other. Hoggle looked confused and his insides felt even worse. Sarah placed her hand on his and try to reassure him, she added a smile for extra measure.
"Stay right here. I will see who it is." Sarah patted his hand one more time and walked to her front door. Her layout had the nook completely covered from the front door. She felt comfortable that who ever was at the door she could protect Hoggle from being seen. As she turned the corner her eyes widen, and her jaw dropped.
"You have to be kidding me?" She stopped walking and held on to the corner part of the wall. The timing of it all. Then her scheduled brunch with her little brother came rushing back.
Sarah panicked.
Her brothers muffled voiced brought her focus back, "You know Sarah, I can see you. It's called a window and you can see through windows. Don't act like you are not home."
"I'm not." Sarah still didn't move.
"Okay."
She still didn't move.
"Sarah it's raining."
Sarah looked back towards the kitchen.
"Do you have someone with you?" The way his voice sounded as he asked hinted that maybe his sister had a potential lover in the house. For extra measure he was now pressing his face into the window. Sarah rolled her eyes. With 'annoyed sister' blood flowing through her veins she walked to the door and swung it open. He lost his footing by having so much pressure into the door. He stumbled forward into her foyer. Never truly falling he caught himself, steadied himself and stood up. "Thanks sis."
"Yeah, no problem bro." She lingered on 'bro' to show the distain for the slang words. Internally she knew she was getting to be an old lady with that attitude.
"Toby I am sorry I was just having a weird morning and time slipped away."
From the kitchen they both heard a soft "Toby?"
"You said you didn't have anyone here?"
"No, I didn't answer your question I just said it was a weird morning."
"Who is it?" His demeanor changed once again, "I can go. It is okay I get it."
"Its not that Toby. Its someone from our past and I really don't know how to tell you, show you. Well, anything about this I don't know how to handle it." Her shoulders slouched and she really felt stuck.
"Its okay. Someone from our past? Like Mom and Dad's friend?"
"No, a you and me past only." Her brother really looked confused and raised his eyebrow trying to think who she was talking about.
"Do you remember anything about the Labyrinth?"
"Your red book?" To him that was an easy one. For many years she carried that red book around as if it was her own personal religion. He personally thought his sister had the hots for the king in the story. He never really cared for the story because if it was him, he would have been the little sibling who got wished away. It scared him to being a nice brother, but Sarah made it easy. She always played with him and told the best stories of all time. The stories always revolved around the Labyrinth but that was okay with him. It sounded cool as long as he wasn't wished away.
"Yeah, the red book." She shifted and she was hoping his memory would come around. "Remember how Dad and Mom would get mad at my music sometimes?"
"Sure. Every so often it sounded crazy in there."
"Remember how I never had a stereo system?"
Toby stood there for a moment. He was flabbergasted.
"Wait a second." His hand kept coming up and down as if he was trying to connect some kind of invisible dots. "WAIT." He was really processing it all. "You were just a cool weird sister who like medieval stuff, yeah? Right?"
"Well of course but there is more to it."
She took his hand that was still trying to connect dots. "Please come with me and just stay cool."
"Stay cool. Gotcha." His gaze shifted to the hallway he was about to go down.
She led him through the small kitchen. He stopped her when he looked at the kitchen table. Sarah turned to him, smiled and squeezed his hand. "Its okay. Its Hoggle."
"Hoggle?" He swallowed the little spit he had in his mouth.
"It is okay." She released his hand and walked to Hoggle. Placing her hand on Hoggle shoulders she motioned her brother to come closer.
"Toby this is Hoggle, and he is from the Labyrinth."
Toby inhaled slowly and exhaled even slower.
"I think I am going to sit down now." Toby slid to the other chair across from Hoggle. Never letting his eyes leave the smaller man.
"Hello again Toby. It is good to see you again."
"Again?" His eyes shifted to his sister, and he cocked his head to the side, "Sarah he said again. Why did he say again?"
"Well…" Sarah knew it was her turn to gulp. "Well."
"Sarah dear sister of mine, why did he say again?'
She just smiled and let out a small chuckle and she knew her face told her brother she was guilty as heck.
She went around both of them and made her way to the coffee maker.
"We are going to need more coffee and also let me premise this all by saying I love you so much."
"Oh God Sarah what did you do?"
Sarah Wondered if she had enough coffee for this conversation.
