The heart of a man was not so different than that of a woman's. This Tobias knew well. After all, did they not grieve the same way? Did they not ache desperately for those they could not save? It was for this reason that the man, old for his years, found himself leaning back in a chair at Eli's, his arm over the tall back and his ankle resting on his knee. The glass in his hand was tilted around, the amber liquid within tracing the lines across the the bottom of the crystal. He probably looked the part of a cynical alcoholic, but Tobias supposed that he was probably on the way there anyways.
It had been somewhere close to a month, though Tobias kept trying to lose track of exactly how many days, of how many weeks, it had been. He walked about in a haze - regardless of whether or not he had been drinking - and he couldn't help the fact that his personality had shifted. He hadn't always been so cold, truly. Nor had he been as moody. In fact, he had been warm and downright friendly. But he just couldn't bring himself to be that man anymore. Not when his world had been ripped away.
That was part of the reason he had requested Yumi's presence at Eli's for dinner that night. They got on incredibly well for people who were so different. Aside from the obvious factor of having been from the two houses that never quite got along, they didn't necessarily want the same things out of life. At least, they hadn't always. But now that he had the job he wanted, his drinking was kept under the radar. His team did not frequent Eli's, which was incredibly lucky. But it made sense, considering it was meant to be a safe haven for anyone and everyone.
So, yes. That was the main part. His desire to continue the attempt at muddling through his problem. But he also needed someone who knew what had happened to be there. And, of course she knew. Of all people, she had to. Besides his family, she had heard the news first, when he cancelled plans to meet for lunch one Saturday. That first Saturday after. Instead, his day had been spent packing up a few things and going to stay with his family. Cassidy and Mauve had, of course, rushed back to their childhood home as well to look after him. While being among family certainly made it more comfortable, nothing could ever make it easier.
The other part, however, was Tobias's need to think of something else. Guilt gnawed at him as he thought again about how much he wished he could move past it. But didn't it often take months, even years for people to be okay? How long would he take? Tobias didn't dare think he would change any quicker than the others. Nothing had ever meant more than his girls, and now he was without both of them. Forever.
Sighing heavily, Tobias lifted the glass, staring at it for a moment before lifting his chin and knocking back the rest of it. As a waiter passed, he lifted a hand, gesturing to the empty crystal to silently request a refill.
by Barnaby Fontaine Fri Nov 14, 2014 6:00 am
