Protocol

Carson lets himself be enveloped in the passionate exchange, his ideas the day before having flew out the door completely. All that was left was a longing for this moment not to end. For within this second when time stood still, he had purpose… he had life.

What was going on in the other room didn’t matter. The bell that signaled people coming and going didn’t matter. They were alone, if only in their moment.

Finally drawing away, he keeps his arms around Misty, looking into her eyes once more. What all this meant, he didn’t know. Where they went from here, he hadn’t a clue.

An ever-so-slight sign of sadness flickers in his eyes… a remnant of what his plans had been… what he thought had been the answer to his problems. But how could he leave it all behind now? He didn’t know. He didn’t know now what his plans were. Could it work? Could they really start over? Could he really have another chance? And could he really not mess things up this time? He wasn’t convinced. But he didn’t want to back away yet either.

“You better get back to work,” he reminds softly. “I hear protocol is getting tight over there.”


Rick looks up from his work as he hears the light knock at the door. “Come in,” he calls. As the door opens, he raises his eyebrows. “Didn’t you find her?”

Kyle nods. “Yeah… yeah, I did.”

Rick eyes him with confusion. Kyle was still holding the flowers he’d had the first time he’d come, and he hadn’t been gone but fifteen minutes. “Well was everything okay at Mom and Pop’s?”

“Um. Yep.” Kyle nods and walks over to Misty’s desk, setting the bouquet down, then hunting for a piece of paper and a pen.

Rick watches him, still confused. “What was wrong? Who was hurt?”

“Hmm?” Kyle finds a notepad and spots a pen. “Oh, somebody cut their hand or something.” He squints at the blank paper for a moment, then scribbles out a note.

“Miss T – Flowers for you to brighten your day…”

He pauses, the pen hovering above the paper for several moments.

“…Sorry my hours changed, can’t make it to the caves. Have fun. Call me, we’ll do something else…”

Stopping again, he sets the pen down and tears the piece of paper off, crumpling it up and tossing it into the waste basket. He sighs and just stares at the notepad again. Finally he just sets the pen down and leaves the flowers without a note.

Rick quirks an eyebrow as Kyle heads out. “Want me to tell her anything for you?”

“Nah.” Kyle smiles and shakes his head. “Words just mess things up anyway.”

Rick chuckles. “Let flowers do the talking… that’s what I always say.”

Kyle nods with amusement. “Agreed. See ya.”

“Yeah… take it easy.” Rick watches Kyle leave, then shakes his head, still a little confused, but letting it go. It wasn’t any of his business anyway. In the back of his mind though, he feared something was amiss.

Kyle hooks his hands in his jeans pockets and ambles back through TJY, making his way to the parking lot once more.