concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Some days are just very overwhelming, and today just happens to be one of those days.”
I nod in understanding, bending down to snag up one of the little girls who is trying to run past me. Sami smiles and shakes her head before taking her from my arms and depositing her in the front part of the cart next to the baby.
“Girls, I want to introduce you to a friend of Uncle Cord’s,” Sami says loudly, and all the girls stop in their tracks.
I smile brightly at their beautiful faces, and the two who are obviously the twins come over to me.
“Hi! I’m Anna, and that’s Bella,” the fairer of the two tells me, while pointing at her sister.
“It’s nice to meet you, ladies. My name is Ellie,” I reply.
They both giggle, before Anna says, “You’re really pretty. Are you Uncle Cord’s girlfriend?”
I’m kind of shocked at the question and look up at Sami to see her reaction. She just smiles and shakes her head. Before I can answer Anna’s question, Sami replies, “No, Anna. Uncle Cord and Ms. Ellie are just good friends,” while smiling at me.
I smile at the girls and throw Sami a ‘thank you’ look.
“Well, ladies, it was nice meeting all of you, but I have to get going,” I tell them.
They all say their goodbyes as the baby blows spit bubbles and giggles loudly. I get almost to the end of the aisle before I hear Sami’s voice call my name.
I turn back toward her as she rushes over to me, sans cart.
“Hey, I’d really like to get together for lunch sometime, if you’re up for it,” she rushes out.
I’m shocked at her request, but I really like Sami, and even though I’m not sure what is going to eventually become of my friendship with Cord, I think Sami and I could be great friends. She is obviously in need of some “adult time,” that’s for sure.
“I’d love that,” I reply with a huge smile. “Let me give you my number.”
I tell her my number and watch her program it into her phone.
“I’ll text you soon. I could really use some big girl time,” she tells me while walking backward toward the cart full of children.
I laugh and shake my head knowingly. I remember having three little ones. I can’t even fathom her brain right now with five.
“Please do,” I call out as they round the corner to the next aisle.
I finish up the rest of my shopping and am about to head home when my phone chimes.
Justin: Have you heard from Destry today? He hasn’t responded to any of my text messages.
Me: I called him this morning. He was fine. Tired, but fine.
Justin: If you hear from him, will you tell him to call me please?
Me: Sure.
Justin: Thanks.
I start to put my phone back in my purse, but it chimes again.
Justin: You didn’t respond to my text last night.
Me: And I’m not going to.
I put my phone in my purse and do not pull it back out even when it chimes again. I’m done with that conversation.
ONCE I’M BACK AT my apartment, I put the seafood in the fridge and put everything else I’m taking to Cord’s in a couple bags so I don’t have to search for it later.
I still have a few hours before dinner, so I start unpacking my office/spare bedroom. Since Claire may very well be staying the night tomorrow, I want her to be comfortable. I hang the pretty pictures I found a few weeks ago at an antique shop and step back to admire them. The pictures are of huge old water pitchers filled with different wildflowers. Justin never used to let me hang girly stuff in our house. He said it didn’t make sense to hang a bunch of “flowery, girly shit” since almost everybody in the house was male. I’ve always loved wildflowers with their different colors, petal shapes, and smells. Decorating my house with wildflower pictures is going to be a truly cathartic experience.
It still amazes me every single day, now that I’ve had the opportunity to step back and actually reflect on our relationship, how truly one-sided it
“Yeah, I’m fine. Some days are just very overwhelming, and today just happens to be one of those days.”
I nod in understanding, bending down to snag up one of the little girls who is trying to run past me. Sami smiles and shakes her head before taking her from my arms and depositing her in the front part of the cart next to the baby.
“Girls, I want to introduce you to a friend of Uncle Cord’s,” Sami says loudly, and all the girls stop in their tracks.
I smile brightly at their beautiful faces, and the two who are obviously the twins come over to me.
“Hi! I’m Anna, and that’s Bella,” the fairer of the two tells me, while pointing at her sister.
“It’s nice to meet you, ladies. My name is Ellie,” I reply.
They both giggle, before Anna says, “You’re really pretty. Are you Uncle Cord’s girlfriend?”
I’m kind of shocked at the question and look up at Sami to see her reaction. She just smiles and shakes her head. Before I can answer Anna’s question, Sami replies, “No, Anna. Uncle Cord and Ms. Ellie are just good friends,” while smiling at me.
I smile at the girls and throw Sami a ‘thank you’ look.
“Well, ladies, it was nice meeting all of you, but I have to get going,” I tell them.
They all say their goodbyes as the baby blows spit bubbles and giggles loudly. I get almost to the end of the aisle before I hear Sami’s voice call my name.
I turn back toward her as she rushes over to me, sans cart.
“Hey, I’d really like to get together for lunch sometime, if you’re up for it,” she rushes out.
I’m shocked at her request, but I really like Sami, and even though I’m not sure what is going to eventually become of my friendship with Cord, I think Sami and I could be great friends. She is obviously in need of some “adult time,” that’s for sure.
“I’d love that,” I reply with a huge smile. “Let me give you my number.”
I tell her my number and watch her program it into her phone.
“I’ll text you soon. I could really use some big girl time,” she tells me while walking backward toward the cart full of children.
I laugh and shake my head knowingly. I remember having three little ones. I can’t even fathom her brain right now with five.
“Please do,” I call out as they round the corner to the next aisle.
I finish up the rest of my shopping and am about to head home when my phone chimes.
Justin: Have you heard from Destry today? He hasn’t responded to any of my text messages.
Me: I called him this morning. He was fine. Tired, but fine.
Justin: If you hear from him, will you tell him to call me please?
Me: Sure.
Justin: Thanks.
I start to put my phone back in my purse, but it chimes again.
Justin: You didn’t respond to my text last night.
Me: And I’m not going to.
I put my phone in my purse and do not pull it back out even when it chimes again. I’m done with that conversation.
ONCE I’M BACK AT my apartment, I put the seafood in the fridge and put everything else I’m taking to Cord’s in a couple bags so I don’t have to search for it later.
I still have a few hours before dinner, so I start unpacking my office/spare bedroom. Since Claire may very well be staying the night tomorrow, I want her to be comfortable. I hang the pretty pictures I found a few weeks ago at an antique shop and step back to admire them. The pictures are of huge old water pitchers filled with different wildflowers. Justin never used to let me hang girly stuff in our house. He said it didn’t make sense to hang a bunch of “flowery, girly shit” since almost everybody in the house was male. I’ve always loved wildflowers with their different colors, petal shapes, and smells. Decorating my house with wildflower pictures is going to be a truly cathartic experience.
It still amazes me every single day, now that I’ve had the opportunity to step back and actually reflect on our relationship, how truly one-sided it
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