Authors: Renee Matteo
“Yeah, I am doing this to be happy Sarah.”
“I know Grant, but what about me?”
“What about you?”
“I moved my life here to be with you and now I have to move my life again, and change our lifestyle.”
“I didn’t know you felt that way; I thought we agreed on this. I thought we both wanted this move.”
“I’m sorry Grant. I know you asked me first. I’m just not sure now. I don’t want to leave our life. I like it here. Besides that, Chicago is so far away from my family. I mean I am already so far right now.”
Grant took a sip of his coffee before setting it down on the counter and folding his arms across his chest.
“I know I should have said something before you quit, but I was okay with it then. Now, I don’t know, I’m just not sure.” She moved to the table taking up residence at the chair across from him facing the counter.
“Sarah, if you don’t want to move, we don’t have to. I don’t want to go somewhere where you will be unhappy.”
“Really?”
“Yeahh, really. It’s our life, not just my life.” Grant walked over to and around the table and Sarah pulling out the chair next to her. He turned the back of the chair to the wall and took a seat facing her directly. Taking each of her hands in his, Grant peered at her with as much care and consideration as he could find.
She smiled largely at him and then leaned towards him folding her head into his chest. “I mean, I am not saying I won’t move. I just want some more time to think about it. K?”
“Ok, fair enough.”
Sarah pulled back from his embrace, smiling from ear to ear like a small child. “I love you, Grant. I am so lucky you’re going to be my husband.” She stood from the table and headed towards the stairs. “I’ve got to take a shower.”
“You need some help?” His eyes were wide and playful.
“No thanks, I think I can manage.” She winked as she began up the stairs, careful not to spill the full cup of coffee she took with her.
“Well, if you decide you need help washing your back,” he paused, “or your front, you let me know.”
Sarah rolled her eyes, laughing off his proposal.
“Hey,” he shouted to her.
“
Yeah?”
He gathered she was already to the top of the
stairs by the distance of her voice. “I’m thinking about going home to spend some time with my family since I have time off. We can do it over a long weekend so you can come.” He got up from the table and walked over to the bottom of the stairs.
Sarah was standing at the top with a brush smothering her hair out. “I really can’t take any more time off Grant.”
“Okay.”
“But you go, enjoy your family. It’s been a while since
you’ve been back.”
“Yep.”
Ten
As Gina slid down the road towards her house she noticed her next-door neighbor, Ms. Whitman, perched up in her oversized rocker on the porch. Gina and the other ladies on the block jokingly referred to her as Ms. Whitrumor because no one on that street could do anything out of the ordinary without Ms. Whitman finding out. Although Gina was often agitated by her pesky involvement in everyone else’s business, she couldn’t help but mosey over to hear the latest dirty scandal. Gina decided she wasn't as guilty for the indulgence because she never asked for the knowledge it was simply bestowed upon her.
Bundled in her full down coat, a hat and gloves Ms. Whitman was rocking back and forth holding a cup of hot something. Gina slouched in the drivers seat as she pulled in, realizing quickly that Ms. Whitman was barely a few feet away and impossible to avoid. Even though Gina realized she was lonely, harmless and full of fun little block tidbits, she just couldn't stand the overbearingness some days, today being one of them.
“Hi Ms. Whitman,” Gina stepped out of the car crunching the snow below her, quickly sinking ankle deep. The wet, cold snow seeped into her shoes, against her previously dry warm socks causing that wet uncomfortable-ness she hated as a kid.
“Hello Gina. How are you, honey?” She stood up from her chair, crossing to the edge of her porch closest to Gina’s home.
“I am fine, thank you. How are you?” Gina could tell by the way she was leaning over the porch rail that she was in the mood to chat. How the woman could stand these freezing temperatures was puzzling. In Gina's mind, no gossip was juicy enough to freeze on the porch.
“Good dear. How are those wedding plans coming?”
“Great. I finalized them today.” Gina reached back
into the car, pulling her purse off the passenger’s seat. She slung it over her shoulder and shut the door, shooting Ms. Whitman a quick smile.
“I imagine the invitations have not gone out since I have not received one yet.”
“You’re right. They are still on my counter.” She slithered her way between her car and house through what little space was left on her narrow driveway. She reached behind her finding the handle on the side screen door. The last thing she needed today was small talk with the chatterbox next door.
“How is your fiancé?” Ms. Whitman went on, taking zero notice of the fact that Gina was doing her best to escape inside.
“He is doing well. Skiing today.” She slowly pushed the door in and open, tucked herself in between the screen and the main door, careful not to scratch her car with it and attempted her way in.
“He is so handsome Gina. Always so well dressed in those fancy suits. And that car he drives. He must make a very good living.”
“He works hard,” Gina smiled politely. She took a deep breath, taking a step back and up into the house with her left foot.
“Don’t let that boy go. Take it from me Gina. I let my fiancé go when I was about your age. I’ve regretted it everyday since.”
Gina nodded her head. She had heard the story countless times of how Ms. Whitman left her fiancé three weeks before her wedding. The son of a successful grocery store chain had courted her for Yeahrs. When she finally agreed to marry him, cold feet snuck up on her making her doubt her future. And a good thing she did. Gina had heard a rumor a few Yeahrs back that his sexual orientation had been questionable.
A faint ringing of her house phone caught her attention and gave her a solid reason to make her final descent into the house. “I have to get in, my phone is ringing. Have a nice night,” Gina shouted as she stepped back into the house with her right foot, allowing the screen door to close itself in front of her. The warm heat crashed into her body, giving much needed relief from the bitter weather. She backed away from the screen door, did a quick spin around and tossed the interior door shut with her right hand. She popped up the two steps leading into her kitchen and placed her purse on the counter. The cordless phone sitting next to her pink KitchenAid mixer was approaching it's third ring and about to flip to voicemail. She stretched forward grabbing the phone, clicking on the line. “Hello?” She couldn't remember the last time her landline actually rang or who even had the number.
“You sound out of breath.”
“Adam, hi. Why are you calling me on this line? And how do you even know this number?”
“Uh,” he paused taking a moment to laugh at someone in the background, “cause you didn't answer your cell, I called you like twenty times.” He was shouting. And not in that, I am mad at you way, but in the, my hearing is clearly impaired by the beer invading my blood way.
“Okay,” she laughed. Adam was so serious most of the time; hearing tipsy Adam made her smile. She loved when he let the business side of him go and acted like he used to in college when she fell in love with him.
“How was your day? You a little less irritated than this morning?”
“Yep.” She pulled off her coat and tossed it over one of the four chairs at her kitchen table.
“What’d you do?”
She didn't really sense the fact that he was interested but more going through the motions, which was fine with her. Gina was enjoying him enjoying his time with his friends. “I met Ali for lunch. How were the slopes?”
“Great. We’re driving back now, just stopped off at a rest stop. I think this was the last ski of the Yeahr.”
“I would say so,” she replied. “I can not remember it ever snowing this late in April. It was so cold today. But the news said it was going to start to warm up next week.”
“Yep. So, how’s Ali?”
“Good. Busy as usual.”
“Where did you meet?”
Gina pulled out one of the sage green mugs that Adam bought her while he was traveling in London on business. They were hand made and painted and were by far her favorite gift he had given her. She walked over, pulled the teakettle off the stove and filled it with water before returning to the stove.
“At that little café in Ellbrook.” She grabbed a box of Tazo tea off the counter, pulled out a bag and set it in the mug.
“Ellbrook? Don’t you try to avoid driving there on the weekends?”
“It was easier for Ali.”
“That’s right, they just moved there. What made them pick Ellbrook?”
“The schools of course!” She laughed. “You know they have great teachers.”
“So I’ve heard.” He said coyly. It was a flirty and fun response, something that Gina rarely got form him.
“Alright. I am going to be home in about a half hour. I should be by to pick you up around seven.”
“Are we going somewhere? I thought you were having your friends over tonight?” She pulled a box of crackers out of the cupboard, leaned against the counter and pulled the top off.
“No Gina, we have that fundraiser for work,” he huffed. Every quarter the brokerage firm he worked for raised funds for a local orphanage. It was a black tie event and a big deal for senior brokers to flex their position amongst the junior brokers. Considering this was Adam’s first Yeahr as a senior broker Gina knew how much this night meant to him. She loved getting all dressed up for events like this and couldn’t believe this had slipped her mind.
“Right,” she replied slowly.
“Something on your mind?”
“Ah… nope.”
“Gina?”
“Adam?”
“You okay?”
“Uh huh.”
“You going to be ready at seven like you promised?”
“Not if you keep me on the phone.”
“Well then, I will let you go. See you later.”
“Bye,” she said setting the phone down. “Shit,” she whispered. Her mind had been way too bombarded with wedding and life for her to forget something that important. She glanced at the digital clock on the stove.
3:00 p.m.