Christopher“Because we can’t go back,” I answered. “We can never go back to the way it was before she died. We are forced to make a new normal for ourselves. Minnesota was stifling us. Everywhere we looked, there she was. The dry cleaners, her favorite restaurants, her very essence. I will never forget her and I’m not asking you to forget her. I’m asking you to pick up the pieces of your life and put them together in a way that works.”“Is that what you’re doing?”“Yes,” I answered immediately. “I know it’s easier to stay where you know and feel comfortable, but easy wasn’t getting us anywhere. We were stuck. I felt like I was drowning. And, I know you don’t want to hear it, but it wasn’t doing you any favors either. You were making some decisions that would have ultimately led you down a very dangerous path.”He rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t a dangerous path.”“I’m not trying to get into all of that,” I said, not wanting to be distracted. “We’re here because this is a chance to start
LeilaI was hiding. I could admit it. I had been waiting for the police or the secret service or whoever it was that arrested people for calling in bomb threats to an airport. I was terrified to leave my house, even if that would be the first place they would look for me.The blinds were closed and both doors locked. Again, I wasn’t exactly fooling anyone with my car in the driveway, but I had to pretend I was doing something to avoid being hauled off to prison. I had a class, but not until later. Instead of going in to work in my office, I was working from home. It seemed safer.A knock on the door nearly sent me into a panic attack. I couldn’t move from the kitchen table. Could I escape? I looked down at my thick thighs and realized my ass was not going to be squeezing through the small window in the kitchen that faced the backyard. The back door would certainly be guarded.“You’re being ridiculous,” I whispered.“Leila!” Kami’s voice boomed. “Open the damn door. I know you’re in th
LeilaI sighed. “I do care about him, but he doesn’t want to be involved. I have to respect that.”“No, you don’t.”I laughed. “I’m just going to demand he love me and spend time with me and who cares what his son thinks?” I said being sarcastic but almost wishing she would tell me yes.“Yes.”“What?” I blinked. “You can’t say yes. Olin is someone who has a vested interest in this thing between Christopher and I. I’m not going to come between them. They already have a lot to work out.”“You deserve to be happy, Leila,” she said looking me straight in the eye. “You don’t have to go through life, following the rules and never speaking up for yourself. You are a lion, let me hear you roar. Let the whole world hear you roar.”“I roared a little bit with the dean,” I argued.A grin spread over her face. “Ah, yes, you did. And why did you roar?”“Because I wanted to be with Christopher,” I admitted what she was asking me to say.She nodded her head, a look of satisfaction on her face. “Beca
ChristopherUnlike most mornings, I didn’t idly sit out on the patio sipping my coffee and assuming my son would be making his way downstairs. I was in the kitchen, checking the time and waiting to see if he would come down. I knew he was home. I had checked on him periodically throughout the night. I had been nervous as hell he would try to run away again.When he came downstairs, I had his waffles buttered and waiting for him. He looked sheepish as he pulled up a seat at the bar. “How many times did you check to see if I was in bed?”I grinned. “About five, maybe ten.”He groaned. “Great. That’s going to be a thing now.”I shrugged. “For a little while. You scared me.”“I am sorry for that,” he said earnestly.I nodded. “I know. I just wanted to see where your head is at.”“I’m fine.”“I’d be okay if you wanted to take today off. We could go fishing, shopping, whatever you want.”He shook his head. “No. I need to go to school. I’m not going to make any friends if I don’t go. Besides
Christopher“Olin thinks I did it,” I told him with a laugh. “I told him I didn’t, but he doesn’t believe me. I know I didn’t do it, did you?”He burst into laughter. “Wouldn’t that be some shit? I didn’t do it. I was headed to class like a good boy. I did mention I had a friend that had a kid trying to bust out of Texas via the airport, maybe she called it in to help you out.”“She who?” I asked.“That professor we had, Bell. The one from Greek mythology.”That got my attention. “She knew about Olin?”“I was on the phone with you and she was right by me. We were on our way to the same building. She asked if everything was okay and I gave her a condensed version of events.”“Hmm, interesting,” I said, my mind jumping to conclusions it shouldn’t have been.“Did you and he have a meeting of the minds?” he asked in a stern voice.I smiled, nodding as we walked. “Yes. Somewhat. I’ve made it pretty clear running away isn’t an option. We’ll take it day by day. I hope things are settled, but
LeilaI was crediting my invitation to lunch on the outfit. I had seen his eyes when I stood up. I was rocking the hell out of the low-cut blouse that showed off enough cleavage to be sexy but not so much to be risqué. I was already planning a shopping trip, though not to the horrible store that refused to sell me anything because of my large size.I smoothed down the pants and pulled on the jacket I had paired with the blouse. I did my best to look casual while I waited for Christopher. Inside, my stomach was a bundle of excited nerves. I was looking forward to seeing him—alone. Alone in a crowded restaurant, but essentially alone.I was hoping he would tell me about what happened yesterday. I couldn’t exactly ask. I didn’t want him to think I was prying. He had to be the one to tell me. I promised myself over and over I would not get my hopes up. It was a casual lunch between friends. Nothing more.“Are you ready?” I heard his deep baritone voice at the door.I looked up from the pa
Leila“Yes. I think it is going to be better, but I never know for sure. He can be up one minute and then down the next. He is on this yo-yo journey and I’m stuck on it with him.”I had no real experience with a yo-yo journey. My life had been one flat, low ride. I had an occasional high point, but they were very few and very far in between. I empathized with him. I could see the toll the issues with his son were taking on him. “I’m really sorry. You’re a good man.”“Thank you. Some days I feel like I’m doing everything wrong. I feel like I can’t do anything right.”“None of us are perfect, but I think you certainly have a better grasp on being a good person than most of us have. You are doing great. Have you talked to Olin and told him what his actions are doing to you?”He shook his head. “I can’t put that on him. I was a little sterner than usual. I think I’ve been tiptoeing around him and it gave him the impression I was weak or a pushover. I think, I hope, we’ve cleared up that m
ChristopherI was in my closet when I heard Olin come into the room. “Dad?” he called out.“In here.”He appeared in the doorway of my closet, leaning against the jamb. “What are you doing?” he asked with obvious confusion.I looked down at the pants I had on that were unbuttoned. I had four shirts in a variety of colors laid out on the small table in the center of the closet and no socks on. “I’m getting dressed,” I answered.He smirked. “That would generally mean you were putting clothes on. You look like you’re taking them off.”“I’m trying to figure out what to wear for my date tonight.”He walked in and pulled a black shirt from the rack and held it against my bare chest. “That one. With that blue tie.”I studied the black shirt and the bright blue tie before looking at the black slacks I was wearing. “I’ll need different pants.”He shook his head. “No. Stick with the black.”“That’s very dark.”“Women like a man with mystery.”I smirked. “I think she knows a little too much abou