A Call Away

by KC Richardson

  “I know you have to be going, but can I make you some coffee and breakfast first?”

  “I’d love that. Any opportunity to spend more time with you is one I’ll always take. But let me help. I’m not completely useless in the kitchen.”

  They dressed and made their way to the kitchen. Making breakfast took longer than usual with the many kissing and touching breaks. One such break nearly led to Syd backing Abby onto the table and having a different kind of breakfast.

  Syd walked Abby to the door and kissed her with promises to come.

  “If you need me, baby, I’m only a call away. Otherwise, I’ll see you tonight.”

  Syd couldn’t wipe the smile from her face or the love from her heart as she watched Abby get in the truck and drive away.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Abby’s day dragged on like a crawl through dry sand. She couldn’t get Syd off her mind and couldn’t wait to get back to her. Something changed between them last night and again this morning. This was no longer a fling for Abby. It had become so much more. But she always knew it would never be just a fling. Before she’d decided to take things in a sexual direction with Syd, she had already started to feel more. And now their time was quickly coming to an end. She wiped an errant tear from the corner of her eye and grabbed the bouquet of wild flowers she had picked while taking Bevin for a ride. Whatever time she had left with Syd, she’d make the most of. She’d worry about picking up the pieces of her broken heart once Syd went home.

  She didn’t bother knocking on the door since Syd was expecting her, and she walked quietly through the house and followed the sound of Syd’s voice in the kitchen. She stopped in the living room when she noticed the bare shelves of the large oak cabinet against the wall. The shelves that had been adorned with family photos, books, and knick-knacks. She opened the doors on the lower part, and Virginia’s china, silverware, and candles were gone. How had she not noticed the nearly empty room before? It’s because all you’ve been thinking about lately is getting Syd naked and into bed.

  “I’m not sure when I’ll be back, Vanessa. Yes, I know I can help a lot of kids with that grant, but things have changed.”

  Abby stood silently, quietly listening in on the conversation and staring into the empty room that used to hold so many photographs and memories of Virginia.

  “I know what a great opportunity this is, but things have changed, V. I want to talk to her about staying in Iowa. I finally met someone I really like and I can see a future with. Don’t you want me to be happy?”

  Abby’s arm dropped to her side and the flowers fell onto the floor, causing Syd to turn around. Did I just hear that correctly? Syd is thinking about staying in Iowa and not starting the youth center? I can’t let her do that.

  “I’ll have to call you tomorrow, Vanessa. I know. I love you too.”

  She looked at Syd who was suddenly standing next to her.

  “I packed the room up, but I’m not sure if I’m going to keep any of the things that were in here beside the pictures. Was there anything you wanted?”

  Abby shook her head and willed the tears not to fall but was unsuccessful. Over the past few days, Abby had almost forgotten why Syd was there. She had mourned Virginia’s death but apparently, she wasn’t done. Syd took Abby into her arms and held her, allowing Abby to cry. This wasn’t how Abby pictured the evening to pan out, losing her control on her emotions. Seeing the bare living room, then overhearing Syd’s conversation was the culprit. Too many emotions all at once were just too much for her to handle. Abby stepped back and angrily wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from.”

  Syd put her hand on Abby’s shoulder, then slid it down her arm until she was holding her hand. “Don’t apologize. I know how much Virginia meant to you, and she hasn’t been gone long. You probably miss her like crazy, and it doesn’t make it easy to see me come in here and pack up her stuff.”

  Abby bit the inside of her cheek to try to prevent herself from crying again.

  “I wish there was something I could do to ease your heartache.”

  Abby finally felt enough control of her emotions to speak. “I do miss her, and you’ve been great. You’ve offered me to help myself to anything of hers I might want and you’ve been respectful of her things. This probably hasn’t been easy for you either—not knowing her but having inherited her property and figuring out what to do with it all. The one positive I can focus on though is meeting you. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you better.”

  “I feel the same,” Syd said before stepping closer to kiss Abby—a kiss of understanding, of sympathy and empathy.

  Abby felt her emotions were raw and scratching the surface from seeing the empty living room and then overhearing Syd’s conversation with Vanessa. She had trouble looking Syd in the eyes, so she cast her gaze downward. It looked like she wouldn’t have to wait a few days to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. She could hear it already shattering. She wasn’t going to cry anymore. If this was going to be her last night with Syd, she wouldn’t spend it crying. She bent down, picked up the flowers, and handed them to Syd, trying her hardest to plaster a smile on her face.

  “I picked these for you. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your phone conversation, but is everything okay?”

  Syd stepped into her arms and Abby held on tight, afraid to let go.

  “Let’s talk about it after dinner.”

  Syd took Abby’s hand and led her into the candlelit dining room. The table was elegantly set, soft jazz was coming from a Bluetooth speaker, and the food on the plate looked like it had been prepared by a five-star restaurant. A bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket, and two crystal flutes were filled halfway. Syd pulled out Abby’s chair for her and she sat. The role reversal would’ve amused Abby if she could feel anything. All she felt was numb. She cleared her throat. “This looks amazing.”

  “Thank you. I wanted tonight to be special.”

  “Why?”

  “I wanted tonight to be special for you.” Syd took Abby’s hand and kissed it. “For us. Abby, I have something to tell you.”

  Abby could feel Syd’s hand shaking and she covered it with her other hand. “What is it?”

  Syd looked into Abby’s eyes, the flicker of the flames from the candles made Syd’s skin look so smooth and flawless. Abby had never noticed the specks of gold in Syd’s chocolate-brown eyes. The glistening of Syd’s lips when she licked them made Abby lose all concentration, and she didn’t hear what Syd had said. “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”

  “I said, I love you, Abigail, and I want to see where this goes,” Syd said as she moved her finger between them.

  Abby let go of Syd’s hand and took a drink of champagne. “But what about your life in Chicago? Your job? Your family? The kids you work with?”

  “I haven’t thought of all the logistics, but I know I want to be with you, Abby. Did you hear the part where I said I love you?”

  Abby nodded, staring into the hypnotic flame. She loves me and she wants to stay here to be with me. Abby started to think that through. She wanted to jump up and tell Syd she loved her too, but something stopped her. The kids. Abby saw firsthand how much the kids loved Syd and how much she loved them. Syd couldn’t leave them. They needed her and everything she had to offer to show them what could be possible in their young lives. Syd got the grant so she could start her own program. That was what Syd had wanted all along; she felt it gave her life purpose, she’d said. Iowa didn’t need Syd. The kids in Chicago did. All that work, all that planning, and Syd was willing to let it all go for her? She couldn’t let Syd do that. Just when Abby thought her heart was broken, the words that came out of her mouth completely crushed it.

  “I’m sorry, Syd, but I don’t feel the same way. I like you. You’re an attractive woman and we have a great time together, but we agreed that this was going to be no-strings-attached.”

  “Don’t say that, Abby. I know y
ou felt it last night like I did. It was more than just sex.”

  Abby had somehow managed to put her armor up and continued the charade. “You were upset and I felt sorry for you, but that was it.”

  She flinched when Syd sat back in her chair like Abby had punched her. She watched Syd drain her glass and slam it down on the table so hard, the glass shattered. How apropos, Abby thought. The glass was broken into many pieces, just like her heart.

  “So, last night was a pity fuck? You felt sorry for me?”

  Abby stayed silent, not knowing how much longer she could continue to lie to Syd about her feelings.

  Syd stood and grabbed Abby’s cheeks in one hand, cupping her chin, and squeezed. “You’re lying to me. Don’t you fucking lie to me, Abby.”

  Abby took a deep breath and hammered home the final nail in her own coffin. “I’m not. Like I said, you’re nice and the sex was great, but that’s all it was—sex.”

  Abby was expecting a slap to the face, but what she got was far worse. She watched the light leave Syd’s eyes and the tears start to fall. She couldn’t take it anymore so she stood and walked out of the house, out of Syd’s life, forever.

  * * *

  “What. The. Fuck?”

  Syd stared at the door long after it closed behind Abby. What the fuck just happened? Did Abby really just sit there and deny what she felt? What they both felt? Syd was so certain after last night and this morning that Abby had feelings for her too. How could she have been so wrong?

  She sat at the table and drank the champagne that was meant for Abby. She refilled and gulped it down until the bottle was empty. She stared at the food—untouched—and wondered how this night went so horribly wrong. The phone call.

  Abby had heard all of it, and Syd had seen the dejected look on her face, in her stance, in her posture. She had to talk to Abby. She stood to get her keys and stumbled. She was drunk and there was no way she could get behind the wheel even if it was just for a half-mile down the road. Maybe she could walk over to her house.

  She took a few steps and the room spinning meant she was even less likely to be safe on foot. The phone. She’d call her. The call went to voice mail. She hung up and called again, desperate to talk to Abby and get this all straightened out. Voice mail.

  “Abby, please call me. We need to talk.” Syd hung up. She didn’t know what else to say, and even if she did, she didn’t want to leave a voice mail of everything she wanted to say. She’d have to wait for morning. She was certain that if they could just talk face-to-face, she could make it better. She could make Abby understand they belong together.

  * * *

  Abby rushed through the door, vision blurred by the tears that wouldn’t stop. She went to her room, pulled out her suitcase, and started to pack her clothes. She turned when there was a short knock before her grandmother opened the door.

  “Abigail, what are you doing?”

  “I have to leave town for a little while, Gran. I can’t stay here. You’ll be okay, right?”

  “Honey, you’re scaring me. What happened?”

  “Syd and I had an argument and I can’t see her anymore. If I stay here, I don’t think I’ll be strong enough to stay away.”

  Her grandmother sat Abby on the bed before pulling over a chair to sit in front of her. “Start from the beginning.”

  Abby told her of the phone call she overheard and that Syd was going to turn it down so she could stay here to be with Abby. “I can’t let her do that, Gran. Those kids need her and she needs them.”

  “Do you love Sydney?”

  Abby just nodded, unable to get the words around the lump in her throat.

  “Then why do you want her to leave?”

  Abby’s tears started again. “It’s because I love her that I want her to go. She does such great work for those kids, and it makes her so happy. I can’t ask her to stay and abandon them.”

  “It sounds like she offered to stay. It sounds like she loves you, too. Why would you let her leave?”

  Abby stood and paced the room, ready to pull the hair out of her head by the roots. “I told you, Gran. Those kids need her. I saw her with them. I saw how much they love her and respect her. She’s a safe haven for them, and she offers a safe alternative to hanging out in the streets or getting into trouble. She needs to go back and concentrate on those kids. Now please, I have to go. I’ll call you when I get to where I’m going.”

  “Okay, but do one thing for me, Abigail. Leave in the morning. You’re too upset to drive right now, and you don’t want your old grandmother worrying all night, do you?”

  “No. I’ll leave in the morning, but it’s going to be early. I can’t risk seeing Syd before she leaves.”

  “Are you sure she will? What if she decides to stay?”

  Abby didn’t have an answer, but she’d have to do something to make sure Syd went back to Chicago. After her grandmother kissed her good night, she finished packing, then sat down to write a letter.

  * * *

  Syd woke to the feeling of a jackhammer trying to get through her skull. Between drinking an entire bottle of champagne and crying herself to sleep on the couch in an awkward position, Syd wished she could go unconscious for another few days. But she had things to do—most importantly, going to talk to Abby. She made a cup of coffee and quickly showered and dressed, not wanting to wait any longer before seeing Abby.

  She took a couple of deep breaths to quell the butterflies in her stomach before knocking on Abby’s door. Surely, she could figure all this out with her. If Syd had thought for one minute that Abby felt nothing for her, she’d just pack up and go home. Her instincts from two nights ago couldn’t be that wrong, could they? She wasn’t completely surprised that Bernice answered the door.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Price. Is Abigail available?”

  “I’m sorry, Sydney, but Abigail left town early this morning.”

  Stunned, all Syd could do was blink. She was lightheaded and grabbed onto the doorframe to steady herself. “Oh. I see. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” She turned to go but stopped when Bernice called her name.

  “Sydney, please come inside for a few minutes.”

  She followed Bernice inside, every step feeling heavier than the last, and she sat at the opposite end of the couch from her.

  “I’m not usually a meddling old woman, but Abigail told me you had an argument last night.”

  Syd wasn’t sure what to say so she just stayed silent.

  “She told me about your grant to start your youth center. Congratulations, my dear. I’m sure Virginia would’ve been very proud of you.”

  “Thank you.” To hear that from Virginia’s best friend made her more emotional. After reading her grandmother’s letter, Syd fervently wished she was there to talk to about this.

  “I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with you and my granddaughter, but she left this on the counter and it was addressed to you.” Bernice handed over yet another envelope that bore her name.

  “I’m not sure either, ma’am. But I want you to know that Abby has become very special to me and I enjoyed our time together. Thank you for being such a great friend to my grandmother and looking after her.”

  “Virginia was a very special lady, Sydney, and I’m sorry you never got the chance to know her. But know this. Whenever she talked about you, the pride in her voice was evident.”

  Syd blinked back the tears that filled her eyes. “Thank you for saying that, ma’am.” Syd stood to leave and was surprised to be embraced by Bernice.

  “You take care, Sydney. Keep making Virginia proud.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Thank you again. And please thank Abby for me.”

  Syd left with Abby’s letter in her back pocket, and she fought back a wave of nausea as she thought of reading it once she got back to the farm, and what Abby had to say. She sat on the bench beside the pond where she and Abby had shared their first kiss, and she opened the letter. Before she read it, she took a deep breath and rubbe
d her eyes. She inhaled the scent of hay and earth, listened to the birds sitting in the tree behind her, and looked to the sky.

  Dear Syd,

  I have so much to say, but I’m not sure how well this will come out. I’m so sorry about last night. I knew the day would come that you would return to Chicago, but that day snuck up on me too quickly. It was truly one of my greatest pleasures in life meeting you, getting to know you, and helping you. I wish we’d had more time together.

  Syd, you’re destined for great things. Special things that you probably wouldn’t find here in Charville. That’s why it’s necessary for you to go back to Chicago—so you can do what you love so much. I know how much you love working with your kids, and I can’t think of a better person for them to have as a role model. That’s why it’s so important that you return to set up your own center for them.

  I wish you all the best life has to offer, and if you ever need anything, I’m only a call away.

  —Abby

  Oh, Abby, baby. I need you. Syd traced her fingers along the writing and felt her eyes sting with tears. Fine. If that’s what Abby wanted, Syd would go back to Chicago. She folded up the letter and stuck it in her back pocket, pulled her shoulders back, and walked back to the house with a determined gait. She called her grandmother’s attorney to get recommendations for a Realtor, a mover, and a charity that would pick up her donations. It was time for her to finish packing up the house so she could get back to her life in Chicago. Her life without Abby.