That's great, it starts with an earthquake

Fish wasn't sure exactly what he was expecting, after they got the fresh veggies at the farmers market. He was carrying the "green" mesh bag and Bella was lagging behind. She was peeling an avocado with her teeth.

He stared. Who did that? She couldn't be that hungry. They'd just had yogurt and granola. This was sort of freaking him out. Not that he hadn't seen freaky things at the farmer's market before, like the old man who always dressed as a drama queen just to sale his paintings. Or the little foreign boy who almost peed on his leg. Normally nothing phased him much. Perhaps it was the weed he consumed through out the day to help him cope with a crazy world, but Bella eating an avocado practically like an apple at nine in the morning. Strange.

"What's going on?" He wanted to know as he waited for her to practically stumble on him in her flip-flops.

"Nothing. I just like avocados," she said looking at him blankly. He kept staring waiting for more of an explanation. "All right, I have a craving for avocados."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" He scratched the back of his neck trying to figure it all out. At least he was certain he wasn't really a part of the equation.

She had avocado in her mouth. She wasn't forth coming with any information. So they got back to the flat. He put away the food and then checked on his plants out on the balcony. He liked to watch things grow. His potatoes were thriving in the trash can and the upside down tomatoes were really looking healthy.

Fish set down and pondered what he didn't know. There was a lot he didn't know about Bella. Usually, he never pried into a relationship. But then he didn't know if he believed in relationships, either. He supposed that was why he was alone. Evidently. But then she'd came along like this freebie, and it hit him that everything isn't as free as he wished it could be.

He hated to admit it to himself, but he wanted to keep her and the past didn't really matter. Bella was like an old song with a new beat. And he couldn't even explain where it was coming from, this connection. Was it just her smile, the way she tasted, her scent, that amazing texture of her skin or possibly just the sadness in her eyes...that got to him the most. Really, with her around, he didn't even want to have any sort of smokes.

She came out on the balcony then and stretched into the sunshine. He thought she might have been crying, but he was sure she didn't want him to know.

"Everything is going to be OK," Fish said, and he reached for her wrist then. Bella practically crumbled in his lap.

"I don't know what to do," Bella murmured.

"How about we go down to clinic, see whats up." Fish wrapped his arms around her. "Who knows, maybe there's still time. Maybe you just want to make it go away. And they can take care of that kind of thing at the clinic."

Had he said to much, or not enough? She caved into his arms, crying.