Reunion | Esther + Alfie

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

”Ha, thanks” he laughed, scratching his head in deep thought. ”This must mean I’m officially grown up...” he cringed playfully with a sigh. Damn, this was one of those days he actually felt old. Alfie was proud of his work, he worked hard and rarely took time off to himself. He preferred to stay busy or else he often found himself thinking too much and/or getting into trouble. Especially with women.

Esther asked what he’d be getting himself up to tonight and he shrugged nonchalantly.

”This.” he shrugged with a laugh, bobbing his head of curls. ”We have a bit of catching up to do.” Alfie started, ”How about we grab a sixer and a pizza and head over...” he pitched the idea, quite liking the idea himself. ”We could even watch one of your favorite trash telly shows…y know the new about things botched plastic surgeries…just like old times ..” he laughed, nearly one step away from grabbing her suitcase at her feet and rushing toward the door.

Alfie had a flicker in his eye, happiness filling him to the core simply by being in the presence of Esther. Reality was seeping in that his best friend was back. He hoped she was back to stay but he was happy to get whatever time he could with her.

Esther Garnet

[Esther Garnet]

Given the way their conversation was going, Esther was pretty confident that Alfie would humour her with her invitation to keep building on it. But she still felt a sense of relief when he did. The suggestion of pizza and beers back at the old casa filled Esther with the comforting kind of warmth she wasn’t sure she would ever feel again for a while there. Esther closed her eyes and bit down on her bottom lip, swaying a bit from side to side signalling to Alfie in a goofy way that what he was proposing was music to her ears.

“Damn, you know I love that crazy muggle shit,” she declared in a sing song voice, the idea of watching trash tv with her bestie giving her all the reasons to put aside whatever else she should be doing to prepare to go back to work.

Esther downed the last of what remained in her glass and sprung up from her seat indicating her eagerness to get moving with his plan. “Let me get the pizza, and the beers,” she told him as if he didn’t have a choice in the matter. It was the least she could do after everything, including his offer to stay on his couch for an undisclosed period of time. “I have a bottle of that fancy French champagne in my suitcase too - you’re gonna have to help me with that” she added with a mischievous smile for good measure. How easy it was gonna be to sink into old habits with Alfie by her side!

alfie edward o'callaghan

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

”You don’t gotta pull my arm..” he agreed with an easy laugh, figuring he’d be able to treat Esther in other ways now that she was back for good. Warmth filled his insides, spreading from his stomach, through every fiber his body. He’d dismiss that feeling to the beers he pounded in celebration of his best friends homecoming..

Alfie left funds on the counter to cover their drinks and reached for Esthers suitcase on the ground. ”Wait until you see the renovations to the schools. Now you have the choice between the infirmary at L.I.F.E. and M.A.G.I.C., depending on what age group you prefer to deal with..” he shared more conversationally, since he wasn’t sure how much she actually knew about all of the changes that happened since she’d left. Personally, Alfie didn't prefer any age group of teenager, they were all brown nosing lil whiners in his book.

Ruffling his head of messy curls, he bobbed his head with amusement.”Fancy French champ-pog-nay, you say?” he asked her in a sing song voice, revisiting that same cringey French accent from before. ”Come on, we have no time to waste..”


Esther Garnet

{End Alfie}