Nostalgia Ch. 10

"I don't know," she said as she mindlessly gazed at nothing. "Wouldn't that be disrespectful?"

"Keeping depression at bay isn't disrespectful. I'm certain your family would want you to enjoy your time while you're still alive."

There was a pause where Ana tried to think of a counterargument. Her back was stroked up and down. A kiss was put on her cheek.

"Okay," she breathed out, "but nowhere fancy. How about a buffet?"

Vlad helped her pick out an outfit. She hadn't shaved her legs in a good while, so shorts weren't the best idea. They went with some ordinary blue jeans and a shirt with elbow-length sleeves. Then he brushed her hair and told her the nicest things. Ana left with him a bit later, and they chose a place with steak, chicken, and grilled vegetables, among other hearty things. There was even an ice cream machine, which meant you could have all the ice cream you wanted.

Even though Ana ate well, she was still pretty gloomy. She stared out the closest window, pining and wondering. Vlad tried to chat with her, but she didn't give many responses.

By the time they were finished, the restaurant was near closing time. Vlad held her hand as he escorted her to the parking lot.

While they walked, Vlad's cell phone lit up and buzzed. When they were in the car, Vlad sitting behind the wheel, he looked at the phone. The car keys weren't even in the ignition yet. Although the sadness hadn't left Ana yet, she still felt more like a human, and was curious enough to ask, "Is everything okay?"

Typing with a finger, Vlad told her with a very solemn voice, "Nothing is okay."

"Therefore," Ana practically teased, "okay is nothing."

Putting his phone in a case clipped to his pants, Vlad started ahead. "Nothing ... it makes me think of the word meaningless."

"Okay is meaningless," Ana said as she put a hand on her stretched and warm belly.

Turning back to make sure the space was clear, Vlad pulled the car out of the parking space and then went to the road. "I disagree. Even if ... being okay ... even if that is inherently meaningless, it's not important. Most things are inherently meaningless, which gives people enough room to put whatever meaning they want onto them."

Ana gripped her seatbelt and tapped the material with her fingernails. "So, okay is fine?"

He nodded once. He looked stern, but his voice wasn't. "Okay is only 'not fine' when you don't let it be fine."

Some more silence came between them. Ana thought about all sorts of questions that might've been deep, but just might've been too edgy for her to talk about without feeling childish. Almost randomly, she asked, "How long did it take for you to get over Sorina?"

His fingers jerked as his nose wrinkled. "Hm? What?"

"Sorina," Ana repeated. "How long did it take for you to make peace with her death?"

He frowned. "I don't know."

"You must've grieved for a long time." Ana crossed her ankles and looked at the road. "After my Mama died, Dad didn't date again until I was in my teens." Her nose flushed and she squeaked out her next words. "Kennedy was always sweet to him. She appreciated all the hard work he did."

Making a turn, Vlad asked her, "Do you want to go home now? Or is there anything else you want to do?"

"This time of night?" Ana shrugged. "I'm not a nightlife kind of woman. You know that."

"You dislike nightclubs and bars," he said as if he was making a correction. "Let's go to Wal-Mart."

Ana rolled her eyes. "You do know that Wal-Mart is beneath your class, right?"

"If it's fine for Mihai it's fine for me." He started driving down a road that had quite a few fast food joints in view. "I'll buy you anything you want."

"You're only saying that because I'm in a shit mood."

The Wal-Mart was rolling up to their sight. Vlad leaned back in his seat a bit. "They must have your favorite foods here. Am I wrong?"

Ana told him he wasn't.

***