Bitch

“Rachel! It’s great to see you!” The door was replaced by a broadly smiling elderly woman the moment Rachels fingers touched it.

Rachel and the other woman hugged, Tim could see that Rachels eyes still shone, though no longer from anger. Ah, ok, Tim suddenly got it. Rachel stepped out of the hug to proffer the honey to the other woman as if it were nothing less than the holy grail.

“Honey straight from the Bees of the Berkshires!” Rachel leaned forward as she said this, placing the jar in the woman’s had so she had to take it or drop it.

“My favorite!” The woman’s smile grew even broader. “Thank-you so much!”

That woman had so far only emanated good cheer and gratitude, Tim was struck when she looked directly at Rachel, levity dropping from her face so completely it seemed it had never been there before. And would never be again.

“Are you ok? Really?” She had the tone of someone who knows the question won’t go over well and feels they have to ask it anyway. Good for her.

A moment started. Not one of those happy moments that you can get lost in forever, or one of the terrible ones that you know you won’t come out of as the same person. Rather a moment where possibilities hung so thick in the air that everyone can feel them. The woman held Rachels gaze with her own, open, honest and hard.

“Of course. Yeah.” The moment ended and time started again, headed down the path Rachel had just chosen. “Bring you some honey and this is how you thank me?”

Rachel was clearly joking; she was also clearly at least mildly offended.

“If you’re ever not, let me know. No matter what you worry I may think of you. I will help you no matter what, you will piss me off way more keeping things from me!” This woman was starting to get loud; Tim still had no clue who she even was.

“I am here for you.” The sharp anger was fading into a desperate entreaty. “You can tell me anything…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Thanks.” Rachel just brushed this off.

Tim wasn’t sure if she had come here because she had needed to hear this or in spite of the fact she almost certainly would. Tim had to think it was latter since Rachel was flat lying to this woman. She was not ok.

Tim stepped away and back towards the car while the women said their goodbyes. He didn’t have far to go; he had been rooted to the spot he had been in when Rachel had screamed at him a few minutes ago.

He let her settle in and pull away before he asked.

“So, who was that?” He wasn’t going to ignore what just happened.

“No one. Literally. Just someone I used to know.” He wondered at the use of the past tense until he remembered that Rachel was dead.

He didn’t think of her as dead. After all, she was here with him now, driving him rather recklessly through the country.

“Why her then?” The woman obviously cared for Rachel but hardly seemed like the person one would pick as their last visit on this mortal coil. He’d choose someone who didn’t pick a fight with him for example.

“She hasn’t had an easy life. I thought I could do one last nice thing for her.” This was a subdued and thoughtful Rachel he had not had the pleasure of dealing with very often.

She even drove slower, sticking to the middle lane, needle rock solid at three miles an hour above the posted speed limit. Bravo.

“That was kind of you…” He knew he may be pushing it when he continued. “…but what does it matter? We should worry about us right now. We’re the ones with our shit on the line, as you told me.”

He wanted to end on the fact that she had been the one to come to him and stress the importance of all this. He’d already seen that this could turn dangerous fast, so the sooner they were done the safer they would be. The old lady they visited and her honey could fuck themselves for all he cared.