close so it’s not like we’re buddy-buddy.”
True. Even though she’d been my roomie, we hadn’t really hung out in a group setting.
“Her daughter is so pretty! I’ve seen tons of pics of her over the years. I can’t believe how time flies.”
I felt his hand on mine seconds before he turned it over, interlocking our fingers and squeezing. “She is a cutie,” he agreed.
The silence, for the first time since I’d seen him, didn’t bother me. It was a companionable one. The kind of moment you hope for in your later years of life with a partner who just got you.
That was us. We just got each other.
Even though he didn’t know the secret, he still understood me. In my grief, I had forgotten that.
The scenery flew by and the peace that had been building inside my chest was still growing. I was excited to go home. I wasn’t so thrilled to face my past, but it was time I stopped running from it.
Hopefully, I’d tell Stefan and he would understand. Then we could move on with our lives.
We both jumped when my phone rang. Seeing it was my mother, I didn’t answer at first. When it rang again just moments later, I sighed.
“Hi, mom.”
“Elizabeth! Where have you been?”
She sounded panicked and I answered before thinking. “Uhm, well, I’m kinda in a car on my way there. Why?”
“I’ve been calling but it just went straight to voice-mail. What do you mean you’re on your way here?”
“It means I’m coming home.”
I had told her I’d lost my job and might end up moving back home. Guess I’d forgotten to mention to her that was absolutely going to do so. Not shocking since telling her my every move had ended once I’d left home at eighteen.
“Oh, I see. When will you be here? And why are you driving?”
“Because I need my car? There are movers that will pack up my house.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll see you then, right?”
“Yes mom, you will. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
She hung up and I had never felt so awkward in my life. That was how our conversations always were. She wanted to know where I was and how I was doing, yet never seemed to have anything else to say. That was my fault though and I knew it. The talk with her about what happened long ago was going to be a difficult one.
“She cares about you, y’know.”
Looking over at Stefan, I grimaced. “I know, but she’s got a funny way of showing it.”
He shrugged. “I think we’ve all got our own funny ways of showing we care.”
Laughing, I pulled my hand from his. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true.” I leaned back against my seat and closed my eyes.
“Taking a nap already?”
“Nah, just relaxing my eyes,” I assured him. “So, tell me, what have you been doing all these years?”
“What do you mean? With work?”
“Sure. With work.”
I heard the amusement in his voice as he responded. “I worked at the company I was at when you left for about a year. Then, I decided to start my own company, which is quite the competitor in software engineering. I have three offices across the country now.”
Impressive. He’d been busy. “What’s it called?”
“Well, I went lofty just for giggles. So it’s called ‘Pierce & Pierce Enterprise’ which my mother found hilarious.”
“Hah, I’m sure she did! Why Pierce & Pierce when there is only one of you?”
“Nah, my brother Evan works there as well.”
“I see. So that’s how you could afford that room in the hotel, I take it.”
He threw me a grin, not saying anything before looking back at the road.
“And you’ve been single the whole time?”
“Ha! No way. I did some dating here and there, but nothing serious. I went a little crazy for a little while though,” he paused, his hesitation about continuing that line of thought more than evident.
“Go on. It’s not like we were dating.”
“Well, I tried to forget you. I also drank a lot. Neither was a good way to do that, I assure you.”
“So you were being a drunk man-slut
True. Even though she’d been my roomie, we hadn’t really hung out in a group setting.
“Her daughter is so pretty! I’ve seen tons of pics of her over the years. I can’t believe how time flies.”
I felt his hand on mine seconds before he turned it over, interlocking our fingers and squeezing. “She is a cutie,” he agreed.
The silence, for the first time since I’d seen him, didn’t bother me. It was a companionable one. The kind of moment you hope for in your later years of life with a partner who just got you.
That was us. We just got each other.
Even though he didn’t know the secret, he still understood me. In my grief, I had forgotten that.
The scenery flew by and the peace that had been building inside my chest was still growing. I was excited to go home. I wasn’t so thrilled to face my past, but it was time I stopped running from it.
Hopefully, I’d tell Stefan and he would understand. Then we could move on with our lives.
We both jumped when my phone rang. Seeing it was my mother, I didn’t answer at first. When it rang again just moments later, I sighed.
“Hi, mom.”
“Elizabeth! Where have you been?”
She sounded panicked and I answered before thinking. “Uhm, well, I’m kinda in a car on my way there. Why?”
“I’ve been calling but it just went straight to voice-mail. What do you mean you’re on your way here?”
“It means I’m coming home.”
I had told her I’d lost my job and might end up moving back home. Guess I’d forgotten to mention to her that was absolutely going to do so. Not shocking since telling her my every move had ended once I’d left home at eighteen.
“Oh, I see. When will you be here? And why are you driving?”
“Because I need my car? There are movers that will pack up my house.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll see you then, right?”
“Yes mom, you will. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
She hung up and I had never felt so awkward in my life. That was how our conversations always were. She wanted to know where I was and how I was doing, yet never seemed to have anything else to say. That was my fault though and I knew it. The talk with her about what happened long ago was going to be a difficult one.
“She cares about you, y’know.”
Looking over at Stefan, I grimaced. “I know, but she’s got a funny way of showing it.”
He shrugged. “I think we’ve all got our own funny ways of showing we care.”
Laughing, I pulled my hand from his. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true.” I leaned back against my seat and closed my eyes.
“Taking a nap already?”
“Nah, just relaxing my eyes,” I assured him. “So, tell me, what have you been doing all these years?”
“What do you mean? With work?”
“Sure. With work.”
I heard the amusement in his voice as he responded. “I worked at the company I was at when you left for about a year. Then, I decided to start my own company, which is quite the competitor in software engineering. I have three offices across the country now.”
Impressive. He’d been busy. “What’s it called?”
“Well, I went lofty just for giggles. So it’s called ‘Pierce & Pierce Enterprise’ which my mother found hilarious.”
“Hah, I’m sure she did! Why Pierce & Pierce when there is only one of you?”
“Nah, my brother Evan works there as well.”
“I see. So that’s how you could afford that room in the hotel, I take it.”
He threw me a grin, not saying anything before looking back at the road.
“And you’ve been single the whole time?”
“Ha! No way. I did some dating here and there, but nothing serious. I went a little crazy for a little while though,” he paused, his hesitation about continuing that line of thought more than evident.
“Go on. It’s not like we were dating.”
“Well, I tried to forget you. I also drank a lot. Neither was a good way to do that, I assure you.”
“So you were being a drunk man-slut
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