“It has been a while.”
“Geez, when was the last time?”My perimenopausal brain needs a good few hours to wake up before I can do any mental heavy lifting.
“Probably the summer before Wes...”
“No, seriously?”I was shocked it’s been so long.What happened between us?
“You know how it goes.Family, track.Time gets away from us, right?”He answers my unasked question, palming it off, turning away from me.Busying himself at the stove, tidying up around the counter.
Blinking away my disbelief, I stand and head to the coffee machine.“Still two sugars?”
“Yeah, thanks.”His laser-focus on the pan and plating up the scrambled eggs on the buttered toast on the nearby plates.
Making coffee, being in the kitchen with someone who isn’t my child or a family member takes me back a moment.Sharing my space like this feels quite intimate, and a burst of nostalgia floods over me.I have known Koby for decades.We have spent countless times in this very kitchen doing this same routine in our 20s, and this feels familiar.Like we haven’t been apart any time from then until now.I glance over at him from the corner of my eye.His shoulders are broad under his white t-shirt, flowing loose over his torso.Koby still runs, swims, surfs, so his body is in great shape, but still shows the signs of our age.Where he was skinny and taut in his 20s, he’s now a little stout, and husky.His arms are still muscular, but not as defined as they used to be.
He walks out of the kitchen to set the plates down on my long dining table opposite the kitchen.His forearms strain as he gently places the plates down for us.
I walk the mugs over to the dining table, and place them down next to our plates, taking my seat at the table.
Koby collects some cutlery from the kitchen and brings it back to the table.Handing mine to me.Our hands gently graze during the handover.He snaps his hand back and clears his throat, sitting on the opposite side of the table to me.
I start eating the scrambled eggs, which are cooked to perfection.Exhaling as I hum my approval.“Just as I remember them,” I offer, smiling at him.
He smiles with a nod and starts eating.“So you said no plans for the weekend?”
“That’s right.What about you?”
“I was hoping to pop by the house and see how bad it is, now that the water has been shut off.”
“Want some company?”
“You must really be bored to want to tag along to assess a water-damaged house.”
“I’m avoiding some sponsors’ calls.”
“Ah, all makes sense now.Well, we can always hit the beach after?Still early enough for a surf and a dip.”
My skin goes cold.I haven’t been in front of anyone in swimmers in years.I have my infinity pool in the backyard, but I only go in there when no one is around.Otherwise, I just sit by it or the hotel pools in my clothes.
“Oh!”Koby checks his phone.“Actually, no swim.Beach will definitely be crowded at this time on a Saturday.Didn’t realise the time.”
While Koby loves a big crowd on track, he’s always considered his beach stints as his time for solace.Basking in the roaring, crashing sounds of the ocean to find his peace.
“What time you heading back to yours?”
“After we’re done here?Might as well get it over and done with.See if I can grab some more clothes.”
“Sounds good.”
We fall into silence as we finish the eggs and coffee.A comfortable silence.
My phone rings as we rinse our plates.Koby waves me off to take the call in my room as he finishes tidying up.
“Hello, Louie!How are you going?”
“Hi, Mum, good thanks!How are you going?”My son, Louie, comes through the other line.
“Good, thanks.How are things going with that chassis issue?Any breakthroughs?”
