Murmuration

But that’s not what catches his eye.

He knows this already.

He’s seen this already. All of this.

What catches his eye is how the photo is folded on the left side, like part of the picture is missing.

And how funny is that, Mike thinks. That something could be missing.

He knocks aside a piece of glass as he reaches for the photo. The frame is a lost cause. Walter will have to buy new ones. Maybe even get Daniel to chip in for the cost.

Mike is careful not to get blood from his finger on the photo. That just wouldn’t do, now, would it?

The picture comes loose as he tugs on it.

Yes, it’s definitely folded.

And so he does what anyone would do when confronted by something as unexpected as a folded picture.

He unfolds it.

The order is this:

Happy is on one end. Next to him is Calvin. Then Donald. Then Sean. All of them have their arms crossed over their chests. They look happy. He knows these people. Loves them even. These are his people, and he would do anything for them. Especially Sean.

But that’s not what he focuses on.

Instead, he’s focused on the woman standing next to Sean, who was folded away behind the picture.

He’s never seen her before.

He doesn’t know what that means.

He understands the concept, sure that there have to be people out there that he doesn’t know.

But he doesn’t understand how there can be someone with his people who he’s never seen before.

His skin feels chilled.

She’s beautiful in a way that’s exotic and new. She’s wearing a long flowing dress. Mike thinks it might be red or orange, with little white flowers. Her hair is hidden under a wrap that’s the same design as on her dress.

She has dark skin, like cocoa, and her teeth are little white flashes in a pretty smile. She has her hands at her sides and she’s wearing a bracelet on her right arm, something large and gaudy, but it somehow fits with the rest of her. She has a twinkle in her dark eyes, a spark of mischief, and Mike thinks he should like to know someone who could be playful with a look like that. And he wonders then, who is taking the photo, because whoever it is is the reason she’s got that look on her face. Like she’s smiling for someone she loves. Sean’s not smiling like that. He doesn’t have his just-for-Mike smile on. But he knows it for what it is. He’s seen it before.

She looks regal, Mike thinks. Like some kind of queen.

Stacked, a voice whispers. That dolly sure is stacked, that’s fo sho!

Mike says, “Here I was, trying to act like I was this cool cat, but she wasn’t taking any of it. Like she thought it was just a bit.”

“What was that?”

He snaps his head up.

For a moment, he forgot where he was. Strange how that seems to happen to him.

He’s in the diner.

It’s loud. People are laughing.