now.
Catching the elevator up to the third floor, I read over the message Kate had sent me with a groan. She wanted to meet at Dad’s apartment around nine.
Dad’s. Why Dad’s?
Ever since the divorce, Dad and I haven’t gotten along so well.
He left Mom for a woman about my age, a woman who’d since filed for divorce herself and left him a broken-down drunk who spent his days watching I Love Lucy re-runs.
He was pathetic, and I groaned at the thought of having to go by his place.
Of course she wanted to meet there though. She was the one staying with him, supporting him.
I had taken off, gotten my own life.
She was the one stuck having to care for him as he slowly drank his life away. In a way I felt guilty, but in another, I knew he’d pull out of his funk if she weren’t around babying him all the time. It was a double-edged sword, and I was always careful not to stand too close to the blade.
The elevator dinged, and I climbed out.
The hallway toward my place was quiet, but I saw Michael standing in front of my door. He was pacing back and forth before my door, as if he was waiting for me to open it for him.
He clearly didn’t know that I wasn’t home yet.
I always got off at five, and it was only a twenty-minute walk. Driving was always faster though.
He glanced up and started when he saw me walking towards him. “Claire, where have you been?”
“Work,” I said, tears threatening to spill from my eyes now that I was around someone who would understand my pain and help me through it. “I was let go today.”
“What?” The shock was evident in his voice. The way his eyes widened made me feel so much better.
I nodded. “Apparently, the company’s going bankrupt, and they’re letting people go.”
He rubbed my arms. I noticed how he hadn’t pulled me in for a hug, which was what I really needed.
A hug, a kiss, and maybe a little more after that.
“Oh, Claire. That’s horrible. What are you going to do?”
That was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it? What was I going to do?
“I guess I’m going to start job hunting.”
I tried to smile, but it was weak and I felt my armor crack a little more when I still didn’t receive a hug. In fact, Michael was trying his hardest not to touch me at all.
“Michael, what’s wrong?” I asked.
I unlocked my apartment door and switched on the light as I stepped inside, setting my purse on the coffee table in the living room.
It took me a few moments to realize he didn’t follow me inside.
That made the anxiety inside grow even more, and I returned to the door. He was still standing outside my apartment, his shoulders sagging, looking miserable.
“Claire, I know you’ve had a hard day, and I hate to make it worse, but I have to say this…”
“What?”
“I don’t think it’s working out between us.”
It was as if he’d kicked out his feet and caught me in my throat. I staggered back a step, as if from a physical blow and stared at him.
A small whimper escaped my mouth.
My eyes widened, and the tears I’d been holding back all afternoon flowed freely from my eyes now. Not now. Not today.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head. “We just want different things in life, and I . . .”
He paused as if saying these words physically hurt him. They were nothing to him compared to what they were to me. Each word felt like he was taking a dagger, driving it into my heart and then yanking it down to shred the last of whatever dignity I had left.
“I just can’t do this anymore.” Without another word, he turned and walked away down the hall.
I just stared after him, dumbfounded.
This was not turning out to be a happy birthday.
Chapter 2
In a way, meeting with my sister Kate was worse.
As soon as I walked inside, she demanded I tell her what was going on. Her green eyes grew somber as I told her about losing my job, but then they flashed
Catching the elevator up to the third floor, I read over the message Kate had sent me with a groan. She wanted to meet at Dad’s apartment around nine.
Dad’s. Why Dad’s?
Ever since the divorce, Dad and I haven’t gotten along so well.
He left Mom for a woman about my age, a woman who’d since filed for divorce herself and left him a broken-down drunk who spent his days watching I Love Lucy re-runs.
He was pathetic, and I groaned at the thought of having to go by his place.
Of course she wanted to meet there though. She was the one staying with him, supporting him.
I had taken off, gotten my own life.
She was the one stuck having to care for him as he slowly drank his life away. In a way I felt guilty, but in another, I knew he’d pull out of his funk if she weren’t around babying him all the time. It was a double-edged sword, and I was always careful not to stand too close to the blade.
The elevator dinged, and I climbed out.
The hallway toward my place was quiet, but I saw Michael standing in front of my door. He was pacing back and forth before my door, as if he was waiting for me to open it for him.
He clearly didn’t know that I wasn’t home yet.
I always got off at five, and it was only a twenty-minute walk. Driving was always faster though.
He glanced up and started when he saw me walking towards him. “Claire, where have you been?”
“Work,” I said, tears threatening to spill from my eyes now that I was around someone who would understand my pain and help me through it. “I was let go today.”
“What?” The shock was evident in his voice. The way his eyes widened made me feel so much better.
I nodded. “Apparently, the company’s going bankrupt, and they’re letting people go.”
He rubbed my arms. I noticed how he hadn’t pulled me in for a hug, which was what I really needed.
A hug, a kiss, and maybe a little more after that.
“Oh, Claire. That’s horrible. What are you going to do?”
That was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it? What was I going to do?
“I guess I’m going to start job hunting.”
I tried to smile, but it was weak and I felt my armor crack a little more when I still didn’t receive a hug. In fact, Michael was trying his hardest not to touch me at all.
“Michael, what’s wrong?” I asked.
I unlocked my apartment door and switched on the light as I stepped inside, setting my purse on the coffee table in the living room.
It took me a few moments to realize he didn’t follow me inside.
That made the anxiety inside grow even more, and I returned to the door. He was still standing outside my apartment, his shoulders sagging, looking miserable.
“Claire, I know you’ve had a hard day, and I hate to make it worse, but I have to say this…”
“What?”
“I don’t think it’s working out between us.”
It was as if he’d kicked out his feet and caught me in my throat. I staggered back a step, as if from a physical blow and stared at him.
A small whimper escaped my mouth.
My eyes widened, and the tears I’d been holding back all afternoon flowed freely from my eyes now. Not now. Not today.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head. “We just want different things in life, and I . . .”
He paused as if saying these words physically hurt him. They were nothing to him compared to what they were to me. Each word felt like he was taking a dagger, driving it into my heart and then yanking it down to shred the last of whatever dignity I had left.
“I just can’t do this anymore.” Without another word, he turned and walked away down the hall.
I just stared after him, dumbfounded.
This was not turning out to be a happy birthday.
Chapter 2
In a way, meeting with my sister Kate was worse.
As soon as I walked inside, she demanded I tell her what was going on. Her green eyes grew somber as I told her about losing my job, but then they flashed
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