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SIXTY-EIGHT
NOW, SUMMER
I sat on the couch, long after Marion and Haven left, staring at the box but not able to open it. It feels pretty light, but I wouldn’t let myself shake it to guess what’s inside. Eventually I set it on the coffee table and stared at it some more.
David just got here. He greeted me with a hug and a kiss on my forehead which gave me some strength I didn’t know I needed. I’m standing in the kitchen now, and I keep glancing over to the box on the coffee table as if it’s about to come to life and run away. David is standing in the kitchen with me, looking at me like he knows there is something off.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks. I look away from the box to him, a glass of water in my hand.
“I don’t know,” I say.
“Is today a hard day?” he asks gently.
I think about that for a minute before saying, “Yes.” He nods understandingly, giving me the time and space to share if that’s what I want to do right now.
“Hayden’s mother and sister came over today,” I say, then look up at him.
“What did they want?” he asks.
“To apologize for Marion’s words that night, for not answering my phone calls. For pushing me away.”
David’s brows furrow and he looks almost angry for a moment before it’s replaced with concern. “How did the conversation go?”
“It was rough,” I say. “I was brutally honest at first. But…I forgave them.”
He looks down at me and then a small smile forms on his face. “You did?”
“Yeah. I’m sick of holding onto everything, it’s getting too heavy,” I whisper.
“I’m glad you did what you had to do, what was best for you.” He smiles.
I smile back, “Me too.” I open my mouth to continue but then I close it again. David waits patiently. “They gave me something, something they found in storage. Something from Hayden…for me, I guess.”
“What is it?” he asks.
“A box.”
David smiles gently, “I’m guessing you didn’t open the box yet?”
“You guess correctly,” I try to joke, but it falls flat.
“Do you want to open it?” he asks. I look over to it again. David follows my gaze.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I’m kind of terrified to.” He nods, understandingly. “I’m afraid it will undo all of the progress that I’ve made lately.”
“I understand why you would feel that way,” David says. “But I don’t think it will. Maybe it will be hard at first, maybe it will hurt, but maybe it’s what you need also. Maybe it will help with the last of the weight you’re carrying?”
I nod, knowing he’s probably right. “What if it breaks me?” I say, looking at him, afraid.
“Nothing can break you, Ana Reyes,” he says with a smile, and my heart lurches at my full name. “That I know for a fact.”
I look up sucking in a mouth full of air and blow it out slowly. “Okay.”
“Do you want me to go?” he whispers.
I look at him. “Please don’t. I’m going…I’m going to go to my room though, and open it.”
He nods. “Okay. I’ll be right here,” he promises.
