“Thanks for lunch, Jamie.” Without saying much else, I walked toward the subway. I felt Jamie walk behind us but neither of us uttered a sound. As I shifted Ollie’s drowsy body Jamie came up from behind and carried our child to the subway. Silently we waited for the train to approach.
“Olivia, can we go somewhere and talk? I have so many questions for you. Like…where you’ve been the last six years. Why you’ve never tried to contact me. Did our relationship mean so little to you that you could abandon it after one argument? And, where’s your husband? Did you two separate?”
“You told me never to call you again,” I whispered.
“I was mad,” he answered, frustrated. “You left behind a terse message saying you were giving me time to think through our relationship, before flying off early to Africa. Then you went AWOL on me for two months. Not one e-mail, call, letter—not one word—for two whole months. What did you expect?” Now he was angry.
“I came back and told you why I did that and how sorry I was. You were the one who said you couldn’t forgive me.”
“I’m sorry. I was an idiot. I couldn’t see past the anger for a long time. Once I did, I came back looking for you but I couldn’t find you again.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” I responded with deep sadness. He was married and he thought I was married as well.
“Are you going to disappear again without a trace? Will you at least take my number and call me? I’ve missed you. It’s been so long…too long.” He laid a heavy burden on my heart. I wanted his number, his heart, his commitment to me and Ollie. This could never be.
I took Ollie from his father and stepped into the train.
“Wait!” He held my arm. He slipped his business card into my purse and said, “Please call me. We need to talk.” He sounded desperate now.
“You made yourself clear to me the last time we spoke. I don’t want to be your ‘burden.’ Hope Melinda is well.”
With perfect timing the door shut and I sat with my back against Jamie’s face. I heard the banging on the window but my crying eyes didn’t turn around. Hugging our son tightly to my chest I cried all the way home.
Carrying Ollie from the station to my mom’s house, I was lost in my own thoughts of what had transpired today.
“Olivia!” My mother yelled. “Wait up.” I turned to see her hastily walking toward us. “Have you been walking with Oliver this whole time? Here, give him to me.”
My mom looked up at me in fright. “What happened to you? Why have you been crying?”
“Ollie and I ran into Jamie at the park today. What am I going to do, Mom?” The tears fell even heavier.
December 4, 2012 A Harley Man?
I looked out my window as a loud roar of pipes rolled up the driveway. Max pulled up on a sleek new motorcycle. At least I thought it was new. I hadn’t seen Max in about six months so I couldn’t be sure when he got the bike.
Max was so not the Harley type of guy. He was the straight-laced, straight-A, straight-shooting type. The boy next door, as my sister-in-law, Emily, described him. Those monikers, as well as Max’s ex-girlfriend, and my new sister, Emily, were the reasons why we took a break for a while.
I stared at the good-looking brown-haired, brown-eyed guy. With more ease than I preferred, he gave Emily a hug and a kiss.
“Max! What a wonderful surprise. What are you doing here…and so early in the morning?” Emily greeted.
“Hi, Em. I see motherhood agrees with you. You look beautiful even at this early hour.” Really??? Did he always need to find her so enchanting?
“Hey!” Of course, where Emily was, my brother wasn’t far behind. “Get your hands and lips off my wife!” he demanded.
“Lighten up, Dr. Reid. I was just saying hello to my beautiful ex-girlfriend.”
“Must you always bring up the fact that you and my wife once dated?”
“We didn’t just once date; we were together twice the length of time you and she have been together.”
The irritation in Jake’s eyes was cracking me up. He was so easily riled. Though, the conversation outside was making me feel a little snarky, myself. Relax…My new mantra as we were going to try again. I needed to get over my “hang-ups,” as Max called them.
“Cut it out, both of you,” Emily warned while giving her husband a loving embrace. “Good Morning.” Now she was only addressing Jake. “I brought the kids out so they wouldn’t wake you. You got in so late last night from the hospital.”
“It was lonely in bed without you,” Jake announced loudly, so the whole neighborhood could hear. “I wanted to be out here with my family.” My brother’s voice got louder with each word, but not as loud as his twin son and daughter—Elizabeth and James.
“Da! Da! Da!” The twins screeched. The four of them made a gorgeous family and the smile on Max’s face warmed my heart. For a change, he didn’t look like he was still in love with Emily, but instead, he looked like he was in love with the idea of a happy family.
Time to make my grand entrance!
“Hey,” I greeted.