January 2017

Rain fell against the window as Shannon looked out across the lake. Dense fog had settled in and he couldn't see the houses on the opposite shore. He was doing his best not to let the gloom outside effect his own mood, but his efforts were in vain. He checked his phone after it vibrated.

Just got a car at SEATAC. We'll be there soon.

It was from Callie. It was the first time she was visiting him since he'd moved. And she was bringing Chris with her. He wasn't happy.

Cool. Just let me know when you're close.

He put his phone back down on the kitchen counter and closed his eyes. This was supposed to be a good weekend. He had planned on showing her how much better off he was since he'd left Los Angeles, but so far nothing seemed to be going right.

For one, the weather wasn't cooperating. Winter in Seattle was like wearing a pair of perpetually damp socks that never quite seemed to dry out. It was a dramatic change from the constant sunshine of southern California. He didn't think he'd seen the sun in Seattle for at least three weeks.

In his spare time, he'd taken up hiking and exploring the different neighborhoods of the city. His favorite was Capitol Hill, especially at night. It was a nightlife-lover's paradise. Bars and twenty-four-hour cafes and boutiques and specialty stores lined the streets alongside historical houses and new build apartments. It was the area that reminded him the most of LA. Belltown and the waterfront were also nice, but they were usually crawling with tourists visiting the Aquarium or Pike Place Market.

Mercer Island - the small, bedroom community he had settled in - was very walkable with more parks than you'd expect for such a small area. The people were nice and he felt like he had a good deal of anonymity. The downside was that it was almost too quiet. Like, everything shut down by 10 PM quiet. Still, he could do a lot worse.

He walked through the house, making sure everything was perfect. The last thing he wanted was for Callie to walk in and see his whole life in disarray and think he couldn't survive up here by himself. His nerves had been strung so tightly over the last few days that he was certain his blood pressure had jumped ten points.

Shannon heard a car drive down his street and he peered out the front window. The SUV drove past his house and turned the corner. He tapped his fingers against the window sill for several seconds before turning away and walking back to the kitchen. He picked up his phone and checked it again, despite knowing nothing would be there. It was at least thirty minutes from SEATAC to the island, and the rain and fog wouldn't help move traffic any faster.

He settled on making an espresso shot. There was something deeply meditative about the process for him.  He ground some beans down and transferred them to the portafilter. He tamped them down tightly and then inserted the little device into the espresso machine. The sharp smell of coffee filled the air and he inhaled happily. Shannon thought it was funny that the smell of coffee relaxed him, especially since the caffeine worked against him.

He was immediately transported to his childhood filled with early Sunday mornings with his grandfather brewing chicory coffee on the stove and the sun peeking around the lace curtains his grandmother hung with care. How much simpler would life have been if he hadn't taken the path he had. When the small cup was filled, he turned off the machine and took a sip. The jolt of caffeine hit him and he sighed happily.

When he was finished, he noticed the rain had stopped. He checked his phone again and saw a message from Callie.

Two mins away. Can't wait to see you!

Before he put the phone down, a knock came at Shannon's front door. He sighed and walked through the house to open it. Callie stood on the front porch with Chris beside her and their bags in front of them.

"Shannon!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "I am so glad to see you!"

He embraced her back, hoping that it was subtle enough in front of Chris. When she pulled away, he stepped back and let them come inside.

"Come in, it's freezing," he said.

Chris followed them inside and rolled their suitcases behind him. "Thanks for inviting us, Shannon. You have an awesome house."

"I didn't realize it was right on the water, though!" Callie exclaimed, walking over to the wall of windows overlooking the lake. "Even in the dead of winter you've got an awesome view. All I get to see is Mr. and Mrs. Joabronzi's bathroom," she shuddered.

Shannon smiled. "Can I get you anything?" he asked. "Coffee? Espresso? Water?"

"I'll take an espresso if you don't mind," Chris said.

Shannon walked around the kitchen island and began working on an espresso shot. "How was the flight?" he asked.

Callie groaned. "Ugh, it was terrible." She leaned against a bar stool. "Chris had this annoying kid in first class kicking his seat for the whole time."

He chuckled. "That must have sucked." There was some justice after all.

"It wasn't so bad," Chris replied. "When we were getting off, he totally freaked out when he saw who I was. I think he actually started crying."

"It would have been great poetic justice if it didn't seem like Chris scared the shit out of him," Callie added. "We had to get out of there pretty quickly."

"Thanks again for letting us stay here with you," Chris said as Shannon handed him the small espresso shot.

"I have the space. Plus, you guys are my first guests since I moved in," Shannon explained. "I haven't really had a chance to show the house off. Plus," he added, wiping down the counter top. "You don't want to stay downtown. Its all touristy and crap. You'd get recognized in five minutes."

"Fair point," Callie said.

"So, remind me again why you wanted to come here?" Shannon asked. "I mean, not that you aren't welcome, but it just seems weird to come here for a couple days."

"We just wanted to get out of the city for a weekend. You know, breathe fresher air, see some things we hadn't seen before," Chris explained. "Plus, Callie has been going on and on about visiting you since Thanksgiving and I thought I'd surprise her."

Callie beamed at him as he kissed her on the cheek. Shannon had to fight the urge to gag. His heart did soar to hear that Callie had been talking about him so much, though. But the fact that Chris agreed to her request just reminded him that the actor didn't see him as a threat, so Callie must not really see him as anything but a friend.

Shannon cleared his throat. "Why don't I show you guys to your room so you can freshen up a bit? We can head out for dinner if you want."

"That would be awesome," Callie said, smiling at him.

Shannon led them up the stairs and along the hallway. The skylights revealed the grey sky above was swirling once again. Finally, he opened a door to a bedroom with a large window that overlooked the water.

"The bathroom is just through there," he said, indicating a slightly-open door. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

With that, he closed the door behind him and went back downstairs.

Four hours later, Shannon was standing on his balcony, smoking a cigarette and enjoying the cold night air. The clouds and rain had cleared and left a cool breeze in their wake. He watched as the smoke from his mouth drifted up toward the sky under the light from the living room. He jumped when he heard the sliding door open behind him.

"Thanks for dinner," she said softly, closing the door and wrapping her arms around herself.

He nodded at her and turned back to the railing. "No problem."

She stood next to him. "Seattle is beautiful - well, what I saw of it," she chuckled.

"You'll see more tomorrow," he said. "Where's Chris?"

"Sleeping. He just wrapped on a press tour, so he's tired," Callie explained.

Shannon nodded and tapped the ash off his cigarette. "You two seem to be doing well."

She smiled. "We are. He asked about marriage the other day."

Shannon almost choked. "He asked you to marry him?"

"God no," she insisted. "He just...briught it up."

"I thought you didn't want to get married," he asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I said that mostly because I didn't think I'd ever meet someone who would make me want to do it."

"And Chris is that person?" Shannon asked, putting out his cigarette.

Callie shrugged. "He might be. I basically told him I wasn't for or against it."

"How does he feel though?" Shannon asked.

He was glad for the shadow cast over his face. She couldn't see the annoyance on it.

"He's been really open about wanting a family from the beginning," she said.

"Okay but you don't want kids," he started. "Why are you still with him if he wants them and you don't?"

Callie blinked and looked directly at him. He could tell she was glaring at him. "I don't see how that's your business."

"Its not," he answered. "I just think its unfair to him. He obviously wants something you don't. Why stay with him if you don't want what he does?"

Callie scoffed and shook her head. "I'm not talking about this anymore."

He rolled his eyes as she went back inside. How could she just string Chris along like that? How couls she be so selfish?

Just because her relationship is likely to fail, it doesn't mean you have to say anything, he thought.

Still, there was a small amount of glee that rushed through his heart. If her relationship with Chris blew up, it meant he had another chance with her.

Maybe, he reminded himself.