Chapter 5: Kingsport

The next morning came and Matthew went downstairs to have some breakfast.

As he came down he saw his mom and sister chatting about something girlie.

“Good morning dear.” Mom said sweetly as she went to her cooking.

“Morning.” Kissing his mom cheek as he went to next to his sister to sit on the kitchen island they would usually use for their meals.

“So what is your plan for today?” Meg turned towards him as she was eating her scrambled eggs and toast.

“Well Luke texted me as he was planning to come today so I will meet with him a little later out for coffee. Why?” he looked at her suspiciously

“Did you have something on your mind little one?”

“Well…I was wondering if maybe you would accompany me to the town as I need to go to pick up one book I ordered from Old Auntie Maggi bookstore?” bating her eyes sweetly she looked at her brother as he chuckled at her.

“Sure, sounds good to me as I am anyway later meeting in the Fritz with Luke later.”

“Great, okay let me just go get ready and we can go.” She jumped from her chair and kissed his cheek as she hurried out of the kitchen.

He took for himself some plate with eggs and bacon and a glass of orange juice to eat as his mom and he chatted a little about today's activities and he had to promise her that he won't overdue his shoulder while he is at it.

Twenty minutes later, Meg and Matt went out in his car and drove slowly to the town.

He parked his metallic black Range Rover Evoque, in the parking, they exited the car and went to the bookstore.

"Hello, Mrs. Abbott." Meg chirped out as she happily stormed in and straight to the old lady that was sorting some books on the bookcase on the right side of the entrance in the store.

“O Megan, Matthew, hello. Wonderful to see you both in here.” She lovingly said as she greeted them both.

"Hello, Mrs. Abbott." Smiling Matt greeted back and went to look around the shop while his sister finished her business.

“Mrs. Abbott, I came for the book order I got and was told it finally came.” Meg looked as she was like an excited child squirming on her legs impatiently to get a hold of her favorite chocolate candy.

“Oh yes yes, I do. Give me a minute to go get the package dear, I will be right back with you.”

Mrs. Abbott went to the back room to pick up the package.

"Here you go, dear. It's all paid upfront. I hope you will enjoy it." Mrs. Abbott said to Meg with a smile.

"O most definitely I will. Thank you so much, Mrs. Abbott." Meg excitedly took her book as she said goodbye to the older lady.

“O Mattie dear.” Mrs. Abbott called after Matt.

"Yes, Mrs. Abbott?" Matt turned around from the door and looked at her.

“I was… I mean I still have the book that your brother ordered. Would maybe you like to collect it now with you?” she had a soft look to her eyes as she looked at him.

"Sure I can take Mike's book with me and give it to him." He went back towards her.

“Oh dear, no I mean it is not Mike that ordered this book, it was Timothy.” Hearing his brother’s name shocked him and made him slowly halt in his step towards her.

“Tim?”

"Yes, dear. He has ordered an Army Techniques Publication ATP book. And I have been holding it stored in my backroom since then. Would you like to have it?" she looked at him with hope and worry in her eyes.

“O, yes ok I can.” He cleared his throat as he answered her back.

"Let me get it for you then. One moment." She left behind the backroom as Matt was thinking over about his brother.

He knew his brother Tim was working on some projects but as its secret, he couldn't talk about it much.

He remembered helping Tim find the needed book and ordering it and how Tim slapped his back with excitement when they found it.

“Here you go Mattie, I know it must be hard on you and I am sorry dear.” She took his hand in hers as a gesture of comfort and he was feeling thankful.

They said their goodbyes as he walked outside the store finding his sister sitting across the street in the park, under the tree, already nose stuck in the new book she just got.

He took a deep breath and strode off towards his sister.

"Megan, I have to meet now with Luke as in five minutes he should come to the coffee shop. Would you like to join us or you have some other plans?"

She was so indulged in the book she didn't even take her eyes off of it to answer.

"If it is ok, I would rather sit here and read a little and when you are done with him, just come and pick me up and we can go back home or something else." As she said that she throws a quick glance and smile at him.

"Ok, that's fine by me. If you get bored, you know where to find me so feel free to come." Smiling at her they parted as he walked to the Fritz to meet with Luke.

As he came to the coffee shop, he took a look at his wristwatch and saw he was two minutes early.

Taking a glance around the shop as to check if by any chance Luke was there earlier than him, he didn't saw him anywhere so he took a seat on the terrace and waited for his best friend.

“Hello, can I get you something?” looking away from the street, he saw a young brunette waitress smiling at him.

"Hello, yes, please. Can you give me a cappuccino and a glass of water with some ice, please?" politely he said to the waitress as he gave her a small smile.

“Coming right up.” She grinned at him and went inside.

"Well, I see your charm for the ladies hasn't vanished yet." Luke came to him as both smiled and he took a seat opposite Matt.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Laughing he said to Luke.

“Yeah, yeah, play innocent but remember I know you since we went to school together.” Winking he told him.

Matt laughed at that and shook his head.

“I don’t hear you complain when you got that cheerleaders number. What was her name….Tessa?” he teased Luke.

“Why would I complain? She was hot.” He shrugged his shoulders.

They both laughed at their old childhood memories.

"So how are you, bro? How is your shoulder?"

"I'm good. Physical Therapy starts next week, so not complaining." He said as he shrugged his shoulder.

“That’s good news, bro.” Luke slapped his hands together at the news.

"So Matt, tomorrow is the birthday of Noels and I hope you're up for some celebration and you know hanging out with some friends and family?"

“Yeah of course. Can’t let the little guy disappointed and miss his big five.” He smiled at the thought of little Noel.

“Great, now that is settled now all you need to do is find a gift and do not and I repeat do not buy him a pony or Vivian will have my head off.” Laughing as he said that Luke kept on talking.

"So get him some stuffed toy and all is good."

Shaking himself out, Matt heard his friend proposition and arched an eyebrow at him. “A stuffed toy? Seriously?”

“Yep.” Casually, Luke answered him.

“He loves Nemo, doesn’t he?” Matt was thinking.

“I guess so.”

“Which toy does he have? Nemo or Dory?” he asked his friend.

“How would I know?! The orange one. That clownfish.” Luke said.

Laughing, Matt looked at his friend. "So he has Nemo. Ok, then I'll find Dory."

"Sometimes you're so weird, bro." Luke scrunched his nose at Matt saying that.

Matt laughed and just shrugged his shoulders lightly.

Later on, after two friends chatted and arranged time and all for the party gathering, Matt left to get his sister.

“Meg, I need your help.” Approaching he said to her.

“Is everything ok?” slowly she stood up as she looked over at her brother.

"Yes, sorry I didn't mean to startle you. I just need to find a Dory toy for tomorrow's birthday of little Noel. Can you help me out there?"

"O yes I can. Come on, let's go!" she took his hand and dragged him to one kid's store.

Later on, as they found the wanted toy and got all they needed, they have returned home and had their lunch with their family.

After he returned to his room later on through the day, he saw the book that Tim has ordered.

Unwrapping the paper, he took the book in his hands and started to read it. He was wondering why his brother needed so much this book. Why was it so important?

Standing up as his curiosity got the better of him, he went to Tim’s room and stood at the doorway.

Taking in a deep breath, as he looked around it, he wasn't in it since that last time they saw each other. He just couldn't make himself go there, but now he was inside and looking through Tim's books to find the one he needed as something was nagging at the back of his head.

Finally, he found it.

It was Tim’s journal.

He wrote in it his dreams and thoughts and anything he felt or planned for.

He turned and read through a few pages of it, but one certainly got him to stop at it.

“Kingsport.”