Deborah

-3 months

Deborah sat in her idling car off the highway. She was staring at the dirt road to her right which lead to his place while thinking of the man she had not seen since after he woke up from his coma six years prior. She bit her thumb, debating the surprise visit. She was returning home from base a day early, her husband would not know of the visit since it was morning and her friend lived half way between the base and home. Last time she had seen him, he was this rambling disheveled mess of a man who was obsessed with building his compound on his hundred acre property. Deborah remembered the statues he had built of 'her'. Three faceless winged women eight feet tall. She also remembered the events leading to his coma. The argument, the hurtful things she said to him which cut him so deep that he stormed out and was run over by a drunk senator on his way home. "Screw it", she thought, as she put her car in drive and took a sharp right down the dirt road.

As she gently rolled onto his property she came upon a ten foot tall wall surrounding the acre plot where the house was. The entrance was an open iron wrought gate, which she rolled her car right through and parked next to the massive stone garage. "Holy shit he build this place up." She muttered while leaving the car. He had made a large stone house near the far wall, resembling a medieval castle with the red tile roofing, arrow slit windows and a circular tower at the side. The garage, on the other hand, looked more to be the size of their old two bedroom apartment. The whole thing must have taken a fortune to make. Deborah then proceeded to head for the front door. She knocked on the front door three times before giving up. She stood there for a moment, feeling foolish for being here and angry that he shut everyone out for so long. They'd been friends for years before the accident, he even introduced her to her husband. Of course, they began as a couple for the first year, and she had left him for his best friend - her now husband. She punched the thick wooden door. Why the Hell did he have to say it? Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut like he had for so long. He just had to do it on their wedding day. She punched it a few more times before giving up. As she turned around she saw him standing their staring at her with his special smile. That grin that went crooked on his left side. "Good to know my door is battering-ram proof". She looked at him perplexed. She knew that he always looked young for his age, but save for the white hairs in his big brown beard, he still looked the same as before the accident. Well, he got more muscular. The shaved head, large beard, corded muscles and barrel chest gave him the appearance of one of the viking gods he worshiped. "Yeah... Why the Hell did you have to sneak up on me? Why couldn't you answer the door like a normal person." He laughed,which she thought was a good sign. She smiled deeply, feeling happier than she had in quite sometime, and embraced him with open arms.

They had sat down next to the house while having tea, and spoke for hours. When lunch came they had sandwiches before feeding the chickens, dogs and cats. "I can't believe you still have him, it makes me so happy to see him." she truly missed his cat. Beowulf was perhaps the best behave pet she had ever lived with, and to know that he reached twelve was phenomenal. She then noticed the three statues, still faceless. "Hey, when do you plan on finishing those things?" He looked to where she pointed and shrugged. "I haven't found her three faces. Six years ago, when we last saw each other, I saw her first face. You see the one to the left, clutching her chest? That's sadness/worry. The middle one, with the open arms is love, and I just now saw her face. The one pointing the sword threateningly is righteous fury. I have yet to see it but I am sure I'll see it soon. Those are the three faces of Freya: Lover, Friend, and Warrior." She stood fixed, staring at the wonderfully crafted statues this man she thought she knew made by himself without any training. She turned to him, about to ask where he had learned to sculpt wood, when he spoke. "Dee, I need to know something." His amber eyes looked deeply into her green irises. He gently stroked her curly brown hair before putting his ivory pale hand onto her mocha coloured skin. "Why did you come?" She snapped out of her reverie and pushed him away. "Look, it's not that I am not grateful, but it has been six years. I know last time you came with him to check up on me, I was out of it. I also know that last time we had a real conversation, you told me that you wished I would leave and never contact you. So, why did you come?" She looked down at the ground and shrugged. "I drive by the turn off twice a week. On my way to base, and on my way back for the weekend. But, Will and I have been going through a lot and I don't really have any friends. My mother past away a few weeks back, she joined my dad. Will's parents are seventy and divorcing. I just needed to see a friendly face. It's just all horrible right now." His face softened, and he embraced her, letting her cry. Gently stroking her hair, he leaned into her ear and whispered "It's all right, it'll only get worse from here." She pushed him away and punched him across the face. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you fucking insane?  What the hell was I thinking fucking coming here? What did I expect but you trying to fuck things up. Fine, have it your way! I hope you fucking die alone you asshole!" She then stormed off and got into her car and drove off. He stood there, rubbing where she had hit him, tears crept down his cheeks as he whispered amongst sobs "There's face number three."