No Idea
Taking Chances
Alex managed to maneuver his way around the house towards the music room, his sacred place. As stupid as it sounded considering no matter what room he was in he was still alone, this was his place where being alone almost didn’t feel so bad. Maybe it was because it was where he came when he wanted to be alone, or maybe it was because everything he loved was in that room--- well with the exception of his wife and child.
However, he had pictures lining the walls of him and Janie going back to when they were just two kids in love, to their wedding picture, and finally pictures of them as a whole family. Alex moved from the wheel chair cautiously and sat on the cushioned chair in the corner of the room next to his guitar. His fingers ran freely over the strings without a thought, it came so naturally for him unlike many other things in his life. Music had always made since to him, it was something he never had to think too hard about, and he could always visualize it in his mind. He could literally see the notes, hear the sounds, and visualize as a whole before anything was even written on paper. Music was his gift.
Love, though was a different story. He didn’t understand it, couldn’t explain it and never knew how to handle it. But nonetheless he knew what love was, what it felt like, and what it was like to be in love. He knew that being in love felt like nothing he could actually explain or show but he knew that he loved Janie because it was the only explanation for the pain he felt knowing she was thousands of miles away from him. Doctors would probably tell him just to take some pain meds because it was probably his injuries bothering him, but Alex knew better than that.
Alex knew that his heart was aching because he was in love and scared. Scared that by the time Janie got back it would be too late or that maybe it was already too late and she would never come back. Of course he would never show these fears or feelings to anyone, he never did share that much, not straight forward anyways—it had always been through music that Alex let his emotions out, his songs always honest and vulnerable. It was like a circle really how everything in his life came back to music.
His fingers aimlessly strummed across the strings of his acoustic guitar, the words literally running through Alex’s mind before he could attempt to write them down on the paper he always kept handy but that didn’t stop him from singing the words anyways.
Baby, don't yell
You're tearing a hole right through the walls
Of everything we used to know
I'm building a place, something amazing
Just for the sake of saving us
From under the sun
Two plastic hearts with nowhere to run
We're rolling the dice on whatever's left
'Cause God only knows that we could use the rest...
Me and you, living under a paper moon
'Cause real life just isn't right
Let's fabricate
Me and you, living under a paper moon
This real life just isn't right
Let's get away
Let's fabricate
Alex’s voice dropped out as his breathing shook, his hands fell by his sides, and realization hit him hard. That was it “But I’ll never get over you by hiding this way” he didn’t want to get over her at all, he just wanted to be with her. He had to get to her, one way or another he would get to her. Alex carefully moved himself back into his wheel chair and pushed the chair out of the room, down the narrow hallway, and into the office room where his old mac book sat unused on the dusty surface of the bulky, library style cherry wood desk.
He sat the mac on his lap, surprised to find that it was almost fully charged when he turned it on. His eyes stayed focused on the screen, the back ground picture was a picture of Janie holding Adelia when she was just a new born baby. The pure happiness and joy could be seen in Janie’s expression as she looked down at the beautiful baby girl cradled in her arms. It brought a small, but sad smile to Alex’s face before he remembered what he had meant to be doing. He pulled up the internet and typed in the website for Delta. He typed in the information finding a one way ticket to North Carolina, a ticket to Janie just in time to make it before New Year’s, the only other thing he needed was someone to help execute his plan.
“Hey! Guess who brought take out!?” Jack called as he entered Alex’s house, seemingly as noisily as he could. Jack scoffed and rolled his eyes when he got no answer from Alex, “that’s your cue to say ‘ahhh man, Jack you’re awesome’ then I say ‘yeah I know” Jack sarcastically answered himself while handing the Chinese to Alex who just rolled his eyes in response to his very immature best friend.
He opened the white Styrofoam container finding it filled with hot scallion chicken and rice. His favorite, he smiled and grabbed the fork, opting out on using the chopsticks unlike Jack who was having a battle with trying to get his chicken to stay in between the chopsticks long enough to make it to his mouth. He let out a loud groan of annoyance when the small piece of chicken fell back into the container for the fifth time. Alex stifled his laughter and swallowed his food before momentarily pushing his food away to the center of the table.
“Can you do me a favor…like a giant favor?” Alex asked.
“I’m not helping you bathe. I love you and all but no, call Rian and ask him” Jack instantly replied and continued to stuff the Chinese food into his mouth. Once again Alex rolled his eyes, wondering how he was even friends to the thing sitting across from him.
“That’s not what I was going to ask, Nimrod”
“oh… well okay.” Jack looked up from his food for the first time and waited for Alex to continue.
“Can you take me to the airport?” Alex finally asked.
“Why?”
“I just…please Jack. I can’t drive myself, please” Alex practically begged something he thought he’d never be doing to Jack.
“Is Janie coming back or something? Hey, are you gonna eat that eggroll?” Jack asked, reaching across the table and grabbing it from Alex’s plate before he even had a chance to answer. Luckily, Alex didn’t like eggrolls anyways.
“No, but I-I have to get to Janie. I already bought the ticket and the flight is at 8:45 tomorrow morning. So can you take me or not?” Alex asked impatiently.
“I guess but are you sure this is a good idea Alex? I mean the last time you went to North Carolina you came back and….” Jack trailed off. Mentioning that Alex had tried to kill himself was still a sore subject that no one was willing to actually talk about, especially not around Alex himself. Jack pushed his food away from him for the first time and sat back, staring intently at Alex with his arms crossed.
Alex immediately sat up straight, his jaw clenching as he glared at Jack. “Really Jack? What the hell is your problem? I mean I sit in the hospital for an eternity with you reprimanding me about letting her walk away, and basically making me feel guilty as hell as you sat there and told me how she came back for me a-and now y-you just…you’re trying to stop me from chasing after her?” Alex spat angrily, and accusingly.
Jack unfolded his arms, resting them on the table in front of him. “Alex…” he sighed, “You know it’s not like that. I just don’t want to see your family falling apart again. I’m just worried about you.”
“Well just stop, okay? Jack I love you, you’re basically my brother and I love Rian and Zack , and my mom and dad too….but I have my own family that needs me. What kind of husband would I be if I left my wife alone when she needs me the most? W-what kind of father would I be if I let my little girl… my daughter grow up without me? I’ve already missed too much of her life Jack."
“Alex” Jack interrupted.
“No, Jack. I’m tired of everyone analyzing me, stepping around me like I’m some sort of land mine that might explode. I’m not insane, or crazy, or mental…so just stop okay? I’m heartbroken, that’s all and I know you guys don’t understand but I have to go Jack. Janie needs me and if I fail her now…again, I might never ever get her back. This is my last chance to prove myself. Please Jack; I am begging you…please take me to the airport tomorrow morning.” Alex begged, tears pooling in his eyes as he finished his heartfelt, emotion filled rant. He was now sat with head in his hands trying his best to keep it all together.
“Okay” Jack finally agreed.
“Okay?” Alex asked quietly.
“Yeah, just promise me that whatever happens you won’t do anything stupid, that you’ll come back safe.”
“I promise” Alex instantly agreed, ever holding his pinky out to Jack who intertwined his own pinky around Alex’s.
“Hey, Alex?” Jack asked shyly, waiting for Alex to stop eating his food before he continued. He knew he shouldn’t even ask and that really it wasn’t his business to know but he couldn’t stop the curiosity that built up inside.
“What even happened, like why did Janie leave in the first place?”
Alex looked away from his friend, ashamed of himself and not ready to admit what he had done. He didn’t want his best friend to think of him any differently or be disappointed in him. Jack sensed his hesitancy “nothing you say will change anything, Alex. I’m not going to judge you” Jack promised, offering an encouraging smile.
Alex nodded his head and took a deep breath “I had an affair”
Jack remained silent knowing that if he said anything Alex would lose his nerve and not tell him the details.
“I don’t even know why I did it. I guess Janie and I just got into this routine and I got bored—I don’t know. “
Jack could tell that Alex was frustrated and ashamed of himself and didn’t know how to continue so instead he asked questions.
“What was her name?”
“Leah”
“Where did you meet her?”
Alex felt his hands become sweaty, he had never talked about this to anyone and now all of his dirty secrets were getting aired “remember that week before my birthday when we spent like every waking moment in the studio?” jack nodded his head “and then on my birthday we had gone out to the bar to celebrate getting all of that recording done… and my birthday of course. Well, I met her at that bar. I was really drunk-like, completely wasted and I know that’s not an excuse but it happened and when I got home that night—“ Alex trailed off, needing time to pull himself together to finish the story. Jack waited patiently, knowing that there was more to hear.
“I got home that night and Janie was at the table crying, she had made me this amazing birthday meal and she got dressed up—she was breathtaking… and I fucking messed it up because I was busy hooking up with someone else”
“Lex, if you felt badly then why did you keep seeing this girl?”
Alex shrugged his shoulders “I don’t know. I guess because Janie and I were fighting all the time and it just felt good to know that there was at least one woman that I was making happy. I know it’s dumb and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. It was never worth any of this and I wish I would have known then what I do now, man”
Jack reached over and patted Alex on the knee, he didn’t agree or condone what Alex had done but he knew that everyone makes mistakes. Alex’s just happened to be a meteor sized mistake.
“Thanks for telling me man. I know it wasn’t my business but everything that’s been going on has been confusing the hell out of me; I’ve never felt so out of the loop. Anyways, I’ll be over at six so make sure you’re ready to go and for the record I hope you get her back.” Jack said before bidding Alex a good night.
The young doe-eyed flight attendant who clearly chose a useless major in college and was suffering the outcome by working odd jobs instead of starting a healthy long lived career approached Alex, whom had fallen asleep within the first thirty minutes of the long flight to North Carolina.
“Sir” she paused, reaching her hand out to lightly nudge his shoulder. Alex grunted in response before confusedly opening his sleepy eyes.
“Sir, we landed about ten minutes ago.”
Alex ran a hand over his face and stifled a yawn as he nodded his head in understanding.
“Thank you….”
“D-do you need any assistance with your bags or help getting off of the plane?”
Assistance and Help; two words that Alex never was very fond of he had never been the type of person that asked for help, he was always strong willed and stubborn. Most people had decided that those qualities in Alex were undesirable, all but one person actually. Janie, she had always understood the unwritten lines and boundaries of Alex, she always knew when to back off and give him space. She knew when he just needed her to let him work things out by himself and most of all she never complained about it or whined about him being “anti-social.” That was the thing with Janie, she always understood when no one else did; he could always count on her.
Alex sighed knowing that it would be impossible to get his bag out of the compartment without help, of course he could do the rest by himself but nonetheless he would have to ask for help.
“…ummm yeah. I- could you just get my bag down for me?” Alex asked hesitantly as if he were trying to think of some way he could get his own bag.
“No problem” The bubbly blonde smiled as she pulled the small red duffel bag down and handed it to Alex whom sat it in his lap.
“Will that be all?”
Alex nodded, just like asking for help, small talk wasn’t exactly his strong point either.
“Well sir we here at Delta hope you had a great flight, have a great stay in North Carolina and we hope you fly with us again.” The woman’s bubbly voice carried throughout the empty plane as she reiterated what had probably been said to all of the passengers when the plane initially landed.
The cool January air sent chills through Alex’s body as he wheeled down the exit ramp making him anxious to be inside of the warm but crowded Charlotte Douglas airport. Once inside, Alex pulled out his cell phone to dial Jack seeing as he promised to call as soon as he landed.
“Hey bro”
“Hey, just calling to say I landed.” Alex said obviously
“Okay, hey look I called ahead as soon as you left and there should be a taxi round front waiting to take you to the old farmhouse where im assuming Janie is at. Good luck, love ya man” Jack hung up and Alex scanned the front of the airport where tons of people were being dropped off and picked up. Finally his eyes landed on the man holding the sign with his name on it. Alex couldn’t help but smile, maybe he didn’t like asking for help but he would always appreciate the little things like this that his friends did for him.
“You must be Alex; I would ask to take your bags but seeing as you don’t really have any…” The driver trailed off.
“It’s fine, but do you think you can h-help me into the car” Alex muttered.
Those were the last words spoken for almost an hour and a half before Alex realized he never asked if the driver even knew where he was going but by the time the thought crossed his mind Alex was surprised to find that the car was pulling up the long drive way to the old house. He stayed in the backseat once again waiting for help to get out of the car.
“Thank you, and keep the change” Alex added before the man walked back to the car leaving Alex at the doorway. He tentatively raised his knuckles to knock on the old cherry wood door and waited for someone to answer, although he was surprised to find that instead of seeing Janie open the door it was his three year old daughter.
“DADDDDYYY!” Adelia all but screamed. A smile lit up her paint covered face and Alex felt tears fill his eyes.
“Adelia! What did I tell you about answering the--- Alex?” Janie stopped where she was, her hands moving from where they were placed on her hips to cover her mouth. The too familiar tears instantly streamed down her face.
“W-what are you doing here?” She finally got out after taking a long calming breath.
“You said you couldn’t come back to me, so I decided to come to you.”
“Alex” Janie sighed “you just coming here doesn’t make everything right again.”
“I know” he agreed.
“I mean we’re still gonna have to talk about this and work everything out. We can’t pretend that nothing happened.”
“You’re right.”
“It’s going to take time” Janie pressed, as if she were testing him.
“I love you Janie. I’d rather spend years waiting for you than live a second without you. I’m not giving up on you, on us. You’re it for me, and I love you”
Janie couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face as she took in the words that Alex spoke.
“I love you too” she whispered loud enough for him to hear “forever and always” They both said together, and for that brief moment it was like nothing had ever changed, like nothing had ever come between them.
However, he had pictures lining the walls of him and Janie going back to when they were just two kids in love, to their wedding picture, and finally pictures of them as a whole family. Alex moved from the wheel chair cautiously and sat on the cushioned chair in the corner of the room next to his guitar. His fingers ran freely over the strings without a thought, it came so naturally for him unlike many other things in his life. Music had always made since to him, it was something he never had to think too hard about, and he could always visualize it in his mind. He could literally see the notes, hear the sounds, and visualize as a whole before anything was even written on paper. Music was his gift.
Love, though was a different story. He didn’t understand it, couldn’t explain it and never knew how to handle it. But nonetheless he knew what love was, what it felt like, and what it was like to be in love. He knew that being in love felt like nothing he could actually explain or show but he knew that he loved Janie because it was the only explanation for the pain he felt knowing she was thousands of miles away from him. Doctors would probably tell him just to take some pain meds because it was probably his injuries bothering him, but Alex knew better than that.
Alex knew that his heart was aching because he was in love and scared. Scared that by the time Janie got back it would be too late or that maybe it was already too late and she would never come back. Of course he would never show these fears or feelings to anyone, he never did share that much, not straight forward anyways—it had always been through music that Alex let his emotions out, his songs always honest and vulnerable. It was like a circle really how everything in his life came back to music.
His fingers aimlessly strummed across the strings of his acoustic guitar, the words literally running through Alex’s mind before he could attempt to write them down on the paper he always kept handy but that didn’t stop him from singing the words anyways.
Baby, don't yell
You're tearing a hole right through the walls
Of everything we used to know
I'm building a place, something amazing
Just for the sake of saving us
From under the sun
Two plastic hearts with nowhere to run
We're rolling the dice on whatever's left
'Cause God only knows that we could use the rest...
Me and you, living under a paper moon
'Cause real life just isn't right
Let's fabricate
Me and you, living under a paper moon
This real life just isn't right
Let's get away
Let's fabricate
Alex’s voice dropped out as his breathing shook, his hands fell by his sides, and realization hit him hard. That was it “But I’ll never get over you by hiding this way” he didn’t want to get over her at all, he just wanted to be with her. He had to get to her, one way or another he would get to her. Alex carefully moved himself back into his wheel chair and pushed the chair out of the room, down the narrow hallway, and into the office room where his old mac book sat unused on the dusty surface of the bulky, library style cherry wood desk.
He sat the mac on his lap, surprised to find that it was almost fully charged when he turned it on. His eyes stayed focused on the screen, the back ground picture was a picture of Janie holding Adelia when she was just a new born baby. The pure happiness and joy could be seen in Janie’s expression as she looked down at the beautiful baby girl cradled in her arms. It brought a small, but sad smile to Alex’s face before he remembered what he had meant to be doing. He pulled up the internet and typed in the website for Delta. He typed in the information finding a one way ticket to North Carolina, a ticket to Janie just in time to make it before New Year’s, the only other thing he needed was someone to help execute his plan.
“Hey! Guess who brought take out!?” Jack called as he entered Alex’s house, seemingly as noisily as he could. Jack scoffed and rolled his eyes when he got no answer from Alex, “that’s your cue to say ‘ahhh man, Jack you’re awesome’ then I say ‘yeah I know” Jack sarcastically answered himself while handing the Chinese to Alex who just rolled his eyes in response to his very immature best friend.
He opened the white Styrofoam container finding it filled with hot scallion chicken and rice. His favorite, he smiled and grabbed the fork, opting out on using the chopsticks unlike Jack who was having a battle with trying to get his chicken to stay in between the chopsticks long enough to make it to his mouth. He let out a loud groan of annoyance when the small piece of chicken fell back into the container for the fifth time. Alex stifled his laughter and swallowed his food before momentarily pushing his food away to the center of the table.
“Can you do me a favor…like a giant favor?” Alex asked.
“I’m not helping you bathe. I love you and all but no, call Rian and ask him” Jack instantly replied and continued to stuff the Chinese food into his mouth. Once again Alex rolled his eyes, wondering how he was even friends to the thing sitting across from him.
“That’s not what I was going to ask, Nimrod”
“oh… well okay.” Jack looked up from his food for the first time and waited for Alex to continue.
“Can you take me to the airport?” Alex finally asked.
“Why?”
“I just…please Jack. I can’t drive myself, please” Alex practically begged something he thought he’d never be doing to Jack.
“Is Janie coming back or something? Hey, are you gonna eat that eggroll?” Jack asked, reaching across the table and grabbing it from Alex’s plate before he even had a chance to answer. Luckily, Alex didn’t like eggrolls anyways.
“No, but I-I have to get to Janie. I already bought the ticket and the flight is at 8:45 tomorrow morning. So can you take me or not?” Alex asked impatiently.
“I guess but are you sure this is a good idea Alex? I mean the last time you went to North Carolina you came back and….” Jack trailed off. Mentioning that Alex had tried to kill himself was still a sore subject that no one was willing to actually talk about, especially not around Alex himself. Jack pushed his food away from him for the first time and sat back, staring intently at Alex with his arms crossed.
Alex immediately sat up straight, his jaw clenching as he glared at Jack. “Really Jack? What the hell is your problem? I mean I sit in the hospital for an eternity with you reprimanding me about letting her walk away, and basically making me feel guilty as hell as you sat there and told me how she came back for me a-and now y-you just…you’re trying to stop me from chasing after her?” Alex spat angrily, and accusingly.
Jack unfolded his arms, resting them on the table in front of him. “Alex…” he sighed, “You know it’s not like that. I just don’t want to see your family falling apart again. I’m just worried about you.”
“Well just stop, okay? Jack I love you, you’re basically my brother and I love Rian and Zack , and my mom and dad too….but I have my own family that needs me. What kind of husband would I be if I left my wife alone when she needs me the most? W-what kind of father would I be if I let my little girl… my daughter grow up without me? I’ve already missed too much of her life Jack."
“Alex” Jack interrupted.
“No, Jack. I’m tired of everyone analyzing me, stepping around me like I’m some sort of land mine that might explode. I’m not insane, or crazy, or mental…so just stop okay? I’m heartbroken, that’s all and I know you guys don’t understand but I have to go Jack. Janie needs me and if I fail her now…again, I might never ever get her back. This is my last chance to prove myself. Please Jack; I am begging you…please take me to the airport tomorrow morning.” Alex begged, tears pooling in his eyes as he finished his heartfelt, emotion filled rant. He was now sat with head in his hands trying his best to keep it all together.
“Okay” Jack finally agreed.
“Okay?” Alex asked quietly.
“Yeah, just promise me that whatever happens you won’t do anything stupid, that you’ll come back safe.”
“I promise” Alex instantly agreed, ever holding his pinky out to Jack who intertwined his own pinky around Alex’s.
“Hey, Alex?” Jack asked shyly, waiting for Alex to stop eating his food before he continued. He knew he shouldn’t even ask and that really it wasn’t his business to know but he couldn’t stop the curiosity that built up inside.
“What even happened, like why did Janie leave in the first place?”
Alex looked away from his friend, ashamed of himself and not ready to admit what he had done. He didn’t want his best friend to think of him any differently or be disappointed in him. Jack sensed his hesitancy “nothing you say will change anything, Alex. I’m not going to judge you” Jack promised, offering an encouraging smile.
Alex nodded his head and took a deep breath “I had an affair”
Jack remained silent knowing that if he said anything Alex would lose his nerve and not tell him the details.
“I don’t even know why I did it. I guess Janie and I just got into this routine and I got bored—I don’t know. “
Jack could tell that Alex was frustrated and ashamed of himself and didn’t know how to continue so instead he asked questions.
“What was her name?”
“Leah”
“Where did you meet her?”
Alex felt his hands become sweaty, he had never talked about this to anyone and now all of his dirty secrets were getting aired “remember that week before my birthday when we spent like every waking moment in the studio?” jack nodded his head “and then on my birthday we had gone out to the bar to celebrate getting all of that recording done… and my birthday of course. Well, I met her at that bar. I was really drunk-like, completely wasted and I know that’s not an excuse but it happened and when I got home that night—“ Alex trailed off, needing time to pull himself together to finish the story. Jack waited patiently, knowing that there was more to hear.
“I got home that night and Janie was at the table crying, she had made me this amazing birthday meal and she got dressed up—she was breathtaking… and I fucking messed it up because I was busy hooking up with someone else”
“Lex, if you felt badly then why did you keep seeing this girl?”
Alex shrugged his shoulders “I don’t know. I guess because Janie and I were fighting all the time and it just felt good to know that there was at least one woman that I was making happy. I know it’s dumb and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. It was never worth any of this and I wish I would have known then what I do now, man”
Jack reached over and patted Alex on the knee, he didn’t agree or condone what Alex had done but he knew that everyone makes mistakes. Alex’s just happened to be a meteor sized mistake.
“Thanks for telling me man. I know it wasn’t my business but everything that’s been going on has been confusing the hell out of me; I’ve never felt so out of the loop. Anyways, I’ll be over at six so make sure you’re ready to go and for the record I hope you get her back.” Jack said before bidding Alex a good night.
The young doe-eyed flight attendant who clearly chose a useless major in college and was suffering the outcome by working odd jobs instead of starting a healthy long lived career approached Alex, whom had fallen asleep within the first thirty minutes of the long flight to North Carolina.
“Sir” she paused, reaching her hand out to lightly nudge his shoulder. Alex grunted in response before confusedly opening his sleepy eyes.
“Sir, we landed about ten minutes ago.”
Alex ran a hand over his face and stifled a yawn as he nodded his head in understanding.
“Thank you….”
“D-do you need any assistance with your bags or help getting off of the plane?”
Assistance and Help; two words that Alex never was very fond of he had never been the type of person that asked for help, he was always strong willed and stubborn. Most people had decided that those qualities in Alex were undesirable, all but one person actually. Janie, she had always understood the unwritten lines and boundaries of Alex, she always knew when to back off and give him space. She knew when he just needed her to let him work things out by himself and most of all she never complained about it or whined about him being “anti-social.” That was the thing with Janie, she always understood when no one else did; he could always count on her.
Alex sighed knowing that it would be impossible to get his bag out of the compartment without help, of course he could do the rest by himself but nonetheless he would have to ask for help.
“…ummm yeah. I- could you just get my bag down for me?” Alex asked hesitantly as if he were trying to think of some way he could get his own bag.
“No problem” The bubbly blonde smiled as she pulled the small red duffel bag down and handed it to Alex whom sat it in his lap.
“Will that be all?”
Alex nodded, just like asking for help, small talk wasn’t exactly his strong point either.
“Well sir we here at Delta hope you had a great flight, have a great stay in North Carolina and we hope you fly with us again.” The woman’s bubbly voice carried throughout the empty plane as she reiterated what had probably been said to all of the passengers when the plane initially landed.
The cool January air sent chills through Alex’s body as he wheeled down the exit ramp making him anxious to be inside of the warm but crowded Charlotte Douglas airport. Once inside, Alex pulled out his cell phone to dial Jack seeing as he promised to call as soon as he landed.
“Hey bro”
“Hey, just calling to say I landed.” Alex said obviously
“Okay, hey look I called ahead as soon as you left and there should be a taxi round front waiting to take you to the old farmhouse where im assuming Janie is at. Good luck, love ya man” Jack hung up and Alex scanned the front of the airport where tons of people were being dropped off and picked up. Finally his eyes landed on the man holding the sign with his name on it. Alex couldn’t help but smile, maybe he didn’t like asking for help but he would always appreciate the little things like this that his friends did for him.
“You must be Alex; I would ask to take your bags but seeing as you don’t really have any…” The driver trailed off.
“It’s fine, but do you think you can h-help me into the car” Alex muttered.
Those were the last words spoken for almost an hour and a half before Alex realized he never asked if the driver even knew where he was going but by the time the thought crossed his mind Alex was surprised to find that the car was pulling up the long drive way to the old house. He stayed in the backseat once again waiting for help to get out of the car.
“Thank you, and keep the change” Alex added before the man walked back to the car leaving Alex at the doorway. He tentatively raised his knuckles to knock on the old cherry wood door and waited for someone to answer, although he was surprised to find that instead of seeing Janie open the door it was his three year old daughter.
“DADDDDYYY!” Adelia all but screamed. A smile lit up her paint covered face and Alex felt tears fill his eyes.
“Adelia! What did I tell you about answering the--- Alex?” Janie stopped where she was, her hands moving from where they were placed on her hips to cover her mouth. The too familiar tears instantly streamed down her face.
“W-what are you doing here?” She finally got out after taking a long calming breath.
“You said you couldn’t come back to me, so I decided to come to you.”
“Alex” Janie sighed “you just coming here doesn’t make everything right again.”
“I know” he agreed.
“I mean we’re still gonna have to talk about this and work everything out. We can’t pretend that nothing happened.”
“You’re right.”
“It’s going to take time” Janie pressed, as if she were testing him.
“I love you Janie. I’d rather spend years waiting for you than live a second without you. I’m not giving up on you, on us. You’re it for me, and I love you”
Janie couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face as she took in the words that Alex spoke.
“I love you too” she whispered loud enough for him to hear “forever and always” They both said together, and for that brief moment it was like nothing had ever changed, like nothing had ever come between them.
Notes
Thanks for the comments guys. I really appreciate all of the feedback.<3 Katy
i will not cry i will not cry i will not cry i will not cry
and that's a lie
10/11/14