100TC - 41. Friends

It was fifty seven past four and Karin wasn't here yet. Charlotte didn't really think that was normal of her friend and her eyes would yet again find the clock hanging on the kitchen's wall, expecting for the knock on the door at any given moment. Tea was at five; Karin knew it and she was never late! When the hand of the clock moved to fifty nine past four and the kettle started singing, a feeling of dread had taken over the brunette; but, as she took the boiling water from the fire, there was a knock on the door, and she could hear what she knew was a little girl giggling on the other side. Oh, good, they were here!

When she opened the door, she would certainly find her best friend and her four-year old daughter, Cassandra, who wielded a very amused smile. That could only mean one thing and Karin's next words confirmed Charlotte's suspicion: "I'm sorry we're late, Charlie. Cassie here thought it would be funny to paint her face blue."

Charlotte would be sure to bite her tongue not to laugh and, as the three of them made their way to the kitchen, she would actually notice that Cassie's face still had a light hue of blue to it. Whatever paint she had used, it was a good one! "It's alright," she'd say still feeling like giggling and pouring the scalding water into the teapot and setting it on the table, alongside the biscuits, a cake and some pastries. Cassie was already sitting down, staring at everything wide-eyed, and she would look from her mother to her "aunt Charlie", waiting for them to sit down. She didn't have permission to touch anything on the table unless they were all on their places and the tea was poured.

Fortunately for the girl, Charlotte and Karin were as eager for tea as she was, and soon Cassie's voice would be heard above the clicking of spoons stirring tea: "Can I have one of those pineapple cakes, please?" As Charlotte passed the pastry to the young girl in a small plate, Karin would finally notice them and raise a brow with surprise. "Where did you find these?"

Charlotte would sip some of her tea and give her friend a most entertained smile. "I went to the market today. You know how much easier is to find this sort of things by the River."

"You went all the way down to the River? That's quite the long walk!"

"I felt like keeping myself busy today."

She could hear the sadness in Charlotte's voice and Karin would finally realize the date and bite her lip. For the first time in four years she hadn't been there for her friend on the anniversary of the betrayal. It was a day that still haunted Charlotte, something quite visible by the effort put into the tea that afternoon. There was never cake or home-made biscuits - Charlotte was not particularly good at cooking, only making the essential - and those pastries acquired after a long trip to an out of hand market were a sign of how much she had tried to keep her mind out of the past. She had even bought some flowers, so it seemed. A vase with red chrysanthemums and yellow roses was on the living room table, brightening the house of the wild nature loving Charlotte. It was much more usual to see wild flowers on some old marmalade jar than those greenhouse flowers in a fancy jar.

"And how are you feeling now?"

"Much better, thank you!" Charlotte would smile and, much to Karin's joy, it was an honest one. Her friend was a terrible liar, both with words and actions, and everything about her was completely honest most of the time.

"Mommy, can I have one more?" Cassie would interrupt her thought and Karin would nod. "But just this once, alright?"

The four-year old would just nod but, as she received the pastry from Charlotte's hands she would show how she was listening to everything around her, as usual: "Mommy, can aunt Charlie have dinner with us, today?"

The two women would exchange a look and, much to the child's surprise and also some irritation, they would start laughing. Putting a hand on her daughter's head to appease her, she would smile and look at Charlotte. "Of course, Cassie. If she'd like to."

"It would be my pleasure."