by Ivy Jordan
“You’re gonna need your strength,” she muttered, pulling out a container of pork chops from the fridge I’d thawed from the freezer.
My mother sat beside me, placing her hand on mine. Her eyes were warm and kind as she smiled in my direction.
“I know this will all work out,” she sighed.
I was glad she was confident. I wasn’t.
“You go wash up for dinner. You need a shower,” Anna-Marie ordered.
I looked towards Luke, who looked confused about what to do.
“Should I go?” he asked, his eyes filled with confusion and hesitation.
“No, you stay. But, I do need you to run to the store,” Anna-Marie instructed, pulling off a piece of paper from the notebook on my kitchen counter.
I watched her scribble ingredients on the paper, and then hand it to Luke.
He smiled, agreed to hurry, and then rushed out.
I knew he was relieved to escape the women, at least for a few moments.
I took my abuela’s advice and headed to the shower to wash up, leaving the women in my kitchen to prepare a meal. A meal that was supposed to give me the strength to win Blake back.
The warm water of the shower soothed my sore muscles. My shoulders ached, and I knew I’d pounded on Graham pretty hard. I hated that Blake saw me like that and wished more than anything I could take it all back.
I slid on a pair of sweatpants and pulled a t-shirt over my head before heading back to the kitchen.
Luke was already back, sitting at the table, talking with the women as they cooked.
“I agree,” I heard him say.
I wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to, or with, but I didn’t get a chance to ask.
“Good, you’re ready,” Liana said, greeting me with a quick hug as I entered the kitchen.
“I’m starving. It smells amazing in here,” I admitted, reaching into the cabinet and pulling down four plates.
I helped the women set the table, placing the pork chops, rice, and beans on pads to keep from burning the wood.
Luke looked excited as he scooped out a portion of each item onto his plate. I was excited too, mainly about the hope that I may actually be able to win Blake back over. I had an idea of what I would do, starting with an apology to Graham, and then, of course, her.
As we sat around the small table, eating, finally leaving the topic of my lies, of my mess ups, and how I’d win Blake back, I felt at ease for the first time in days.
My hand slid across the smooth wood of the table, remembering the night I’d had with Blake there, right on that spot. I’d find a way to win her back. I had to. I loved her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Blake
“The doorbell,” Alyssa yelled down the hall.
She was getting ready for work, probably already in the shower, so I left the kitchen and headed for the front door.
A man stood on the porch, holding a large bouquet of flowers.
“Thank you,” I said bewildered as the man handed the vase with beautiful lilies to me and left without a word.
I shut the door, checked the card, and was surprised to see my name on the card.
“Who was it?” Alyssa asked, peeking out from around the corner of the hall in nothing but a towel.
“Flowers,” I gasped, still in shock that they were for me.
“Oh, how sweet,” Alyssa smiled.
I opened the card and read the note from Aiden, that simply said, “I’m sorry,”
“Those are beautiful,” Holly gushed, bouncing from her bedroom, all dressed and ready for day camp.
“You want them?” I asked.
“Yes!” Holly gasped, taking the vase from me and running into her room.
“What did you do that for?” Alyssa asked, still buttoning her blouse as she walked into the living room.
Her hair was wet, kinky curly, and dark black. I watched as her eyes lingered on the card in my hand.
“I don’t want flowers. I really don’t see how that will help anything,” I scoffed.
“What did the card say?” she asked.
“I’m sorry,” I handed it to her to read for herself.
The doorbell rang again, causing Alyssa to call for Holly who was waiting on the bus. She moved towards the door, opened it, and a different man was now on the porch with another vase of flowers, this time pink roses.
She looked as bewildered as I felt as she turned to me after closing the door. She handed me the flowers, made a silly face with her nose wrinkled up, and giggled.
“What’s that card say?” she pushed.
I sighed, tearing open the small envelope.
“Forgive me,” I read.
“More flowers,” Holly exclaimed, back in the living room with her mouth hanging open.
“Yup. You want these too?” I asked.
Holly ran towards me, giving me a tight hug. She took the vase, disappeared down the hall to place it with the others I presumed, and then reappeared, checking the window.
“Your bus will be here any minute; you have everything you need?” Alyssa spoke sweetly to the little girl that only held a small resemblance to her mother. She was the spitting image of her dad, a close resemblance to me as a child.
“There’s another van out front,” Holly announced, and then rushed to the front door.
As she opened it, a third man, different from the first two, stepped onto the porch holding two dozen red roses in a crystal vase
“Thank you,” Holly said, quickly accepting the flowers and shutting the door. “You have more flowers, Aunt Blake,” she said excitedly.
I laughed at her excitement, and the feeling of pride she gave me by calling me ‘aunt.’
“You can have those too,” I said, pulling the card from the top of the bouquet.
Holly sat them down on the coffee table, noticing her bus arriving in front of the house, and quickly gave her mother and me a hug before rushing out the front door.
“What’s this card say?” Alyssa laughed.
“I promise I’m done being an ass,” I read with a chuckle.
“He ordered three vases from three different places, just to get them all here to you so close together in time,” Alyssa smiled.
I had to admit, it was impressive, and the thought of Aiden worrying so much about me had my heart swelling in my chest. I still wasn’t ready to cave, not yet. They were just flowers, and what I’d endured was much more stressful than what flowers could erase.
“Are you going to call him?” Alyssa asked, a look of hopefulness in her eyes.
“No,” I said quickly, shoving the cards into the trash.
“You’re not gonna believe this,” Alyssa howled just as the doorbell rang.
I turned, shocked that yet another delivery was being made. It was too much, too desperate, and who needed that many flowers?
“More flowers?” I groaned as Alyssa shut the door.
She carried a basket into the kitchen, shaking her head.
“Not flowers this time,” she smirked.
She set the basket on the table. It was filled with an assortment of chocolates, fruits cut into different shapes, and sweet breakfast breads.
“Oh my God,” I exclaimed.
“This is nuts. He’s really trying hard,” Alyssa pointed out the obvious.
He was, but why?
“You want some chocolate?” I giggled, pulling a piece from the delicately decorated basket.
Alyssa pulled out a piece of her own, moaning as she popped the gourmet dessert into her mouth.
“Is there a card?” she asked.
I dug through the basket until I found a card. I opened it up, read it, and tried to fight back my tears.
“What does it say?” Alyssa questioned.
“Nothing is as sweet as you, and I’m nothing without you,” I read.
Alyssa placed her hand over her heart, her eyes narrowed, and she let out a soft sigh.
“He really is trying,” I mumbled.
<
br /> “So, the flowers didn’t get you, but the chocolate did?” Alyssa teased.
I shrugged off her comment, laughing as I pulled out another piece of chocolate.
“Looks like he’s not done,” Alyssa said, motioning towards the door.
I rolled my eyes as my cheeks started to blush. This really was more than I ever expected, especially from Aiden.
Alyssa got up, greeted the man at the door, and then brought an even larger basket into the kitchen, setting it on the table.
“What is all this?” I questioned, pulling the card from the handle.
“Looks like your laptop, a bunch of beauty products, and wine,” Alyssa noted as she dug through the items.
“I know you need to get some work done, but I wanted to make sure you took the time to pamper yourself like you deserved,” I read the note aloud.
This time, tears did fall from my eyes. I couldn’t hold back the emotions that were flowing through me.
“I’m taking off work. Let’s eat chocolate, pamper ourselves, and drink wine,” Alyssa announced.
I smiled. It sounded perfect to me. I didn’t want to be alone.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Alyssa made the call, taking a personal day, and then opened the wine. I’d barely finished my coffee, but we agreed it was noon somewhere and poured ourselves a large glass each of the expensive white wine.
We nibbled on the fruit as we dug through the beauty basket, finally settling on mud masks for our first beauty treatment.
“So, you’re gonna at least hear him out, right?” Alyssa asked.
I sighed. I loved him; I still did. Yes, of course, I was going to hear him out.
“I suppose,” I admitted.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Aiden
I stumbled into the living room, still half-asleep. I tossed and turned all night, continuously checking my phone for a message from Blake, but it never came.
Luke was on the couch, sipping a cup of coffee, looking as if he’d been awake for hours.
“Good morning,” he greeted me.
I returned the greeting with a grumble as I headed to the kitchen.
I grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured a cup of coffee before returning to the living room. It was nice having Luke around, but I really didn’t need a babysitter. I was on a mission to win Blake back, so I was done with doing anything stupid.
“She never responded?” he asked as I took a seat in the recliner across from him.
I shook my head, brought the cup of warm liquid to my lips, and took a long sip.
“I guess I shouldn’t expect her to. I have a lot more work to do,” I replied, realizing that I needed to make things right with Graham.
“So, what’s the next plan?” Luke asked.
“Find Graham and apologize,” I stated firmly.
“I saw him at the bed and breakfast when I stopped by to get some clothes,” Luke announced.
“Then, that’s where I’m going today,” I smiled.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Luke questioned.
I wasn’t sure what was, or wasn’t, a good idea anymore. All I knew was I needed to win Blake back, and without an apology to Graham, that probably wouldn’t happen.
“What choice do I have?” I shrugged.
“I mean, you beat the guy up pretty good,” Luke said quickly.
“Right, and I need to apologize,” I reiterated.
“He may not want to see you,” Luke chuckled.
I could see his point, but I had to make it work. I had to talk him into seeing me, somehow.
“You can go with me. If he won’t talk to me, maybe he’ll talk to you,” I replied.
Luke nodded, but his reluctance was displayed all over his face.
My phone beeped and then vibrated across the table as a text came through. I quickly reached forward, grabbed it, and slid my finger across the screen.
It was Blake; she’d finally responded.
Blake: Thank you for the flowers, my laptop, and all the other goodies. I need some time, but I will talk to you. Please give me a few days.
I was just as excited as I was disappointed by the text. At least she responded, but it wasn’t the text I wanted. I showed Luke the text, and he quickly defended her, stating that a few days wasn’t much to ask after everything that had happened.
“When can you be ready to go?” I asked, quickly getting up from my seat.
“Whenever you want,” Luke responded.
“Give me five minutes,” I hurried into my bedroom.
I stared at the text from Blake, reading it over and over again. Finally, I found the courage to reply, knowing that a long-winded apology through the phone wasn’t going to do me any good. I’d give her time, her space, and during that time, I’d work on making things better between us.
Me: Thank you for responding. I will give you all the time you need. I’m here when you’re ready.
I hit the send button and waited, but no dots appeared to show me she was typing back. I quickly dressed, shoved the phone in my pocket, and met Luke back in the living room.
“I’m ready,” I announced.
Luke was up and at the door as soon as I spoke. He had his keys in his hand, so I assumed he would drive. I followed him out the front door, locking it behind me, and climbed into his truck. This was it, time to make amends, the first step to making things right between Blake and me.
“What are you going to say?” Luke asked as we drove down the road.
“I’m not sure. The truth, I guess,” I replied.
What was the truth? That I was a jealous idiot?
“We’re here,” Luke announced as we pulled into the parking lot.
He pulled the truck into a parking spot that faced a red wooden door with the number twelve marked on it. I stared at the door, wondering what was behind it, what fate laid in the mist once I made that first knock.
“Good luck,” Luke said cheerfully.
I stepped out of the truck, walked to the door, and stood there, pausing before I finally lifted my closed fist and knocked. I turned back to Luke, who sat in the truck, waiting, and offered a faint smile.
The door opened, and Graham stood there, his small frame looked frail and weak, making me feel more like an ass than I already did for beating him the way I did.
He quickly pushed the door, trying to close it before I could speak. I pushed my hand on the wood, stopping him from closing me out.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” I said quickly.
“Yeah, you’ve done enough of that,” he snarled.
His nose was busted, his eyes were black, and his right jaw was still swollen and red from my fury.
“I want to apologize,” I said, looking the man directly in the eyes.
I couldn’t believe I was so jealous because of him. He was awkward, small, and anxious.
“I don’t need your fuckin’ apology,” Graham hissed, pushing against the door once again.
I stood my ground, unwilling to stop once I’d come this far.
“I was wrong, and I want you to know that I am truly sorry,” I reiterated.
I turned to look at Luke, who was still in the truck but looked ready to leap out to my defense at any moment.
“Just so you know, I wasn’t here to break you up. I was just in town, and I wanted to say hi,” Graham explained, sarcasm oozing from his lips as he spoke.
“I get that. I just lashed out when I saw Blake get hurt,” I stated.
Graham seemed to lighten up, his expression softening as he looked into my eyes.
“So you really love her?” he asked.
“I do,” I admitted.
“Does she know that?” he questioned.
I got the feeling that he already knew the answer to his question.
“I’ve never told her, so, no,” I sighed.
“Maybe you should tell her,” he advised.
“You’re right. That would make things easier. I just
don’t think she wants to hear it now,” I chuckled nervously.
“You never know unless you try,” he said.
“This relationship stuff, it’s all new to me. It feels like my insides are being torn out,” I confessed.
“Yeah, well, I suggest you figure it out, and fast. A woman like Blake doesn’t come along very often, and any man would be lucky to have her,” Graham snapped.
The familiar anger and jealousy stirred inside my gut, but I knew he was right.
“That’s why I’m here,” I smiled.
“Okay. I forgive you,” Graham said quickly.
I let my hand release from the door and put it in my pocket.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Graham nodded and shut the door, leaving me standing there. I turned to Luke, gave him the thumbs up, and then headed towards the truck. It didn’t go as easily as I’d hoped, but it was much better than I expected.
That was a step in the right direction.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Blake
Every morning, waking up in Liam and Alyssa’s house, it became harder and harder not to text Aiden and confess my love. It was Monday morning, and everyone was gone, starting their week, living their lives, and mine just felt as if it were in limbo.
I couldn’t focus on my work with all the family pictures reminding me I didn’t have one, that I may never have one of my own.
I packed up my laptop and headed towards town. As I drove around the parking lot of the library, my stomach growled, causing me to pull out and head towards the small coffee shop on the corner at the edge of town.
I set up shop at a small table, ordered a coffee and a large Danish, and was prepared to start work when Liana sat down across from me.
I hadn’t even spoken to Aiden yet, so I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk to his mom. I didn’t know what to say or what I should say.
“How’s work going?” she asked.
“I’m struggling with the last few chapters,” I admitted.
I watched her eyes linger on mine, and I wondered if she knew.
“I don’t know how you write these stories. Your mind must be an amazing place,” she smiled warmly.
I chuckled. My mind was mush. It was a blank slate, and work wasn’t flowing like it used to. There were too many other things to focus on and stress about.