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I stand up. “Sorry, I’ll leave you alone.”
“Don’t be sorry and please don’t feel like you have to go.”
“No, I should’ve gone back to work a while ago, only he wouldn’t shut up.” I grin.
She laughs at my joke, then her expression turns serious.
“Thank you for sitting with him,” she says. “I had to go and do some errands. It will mean a lot to him that you came to visit.”
“I’m just glad he’s doing okay,” I say, touched by her words.
“He is, and it’s all thanks to you and Professor Lewin. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us,” she adds, her voice a whisper.
She steps forward and wraps her arms around me, hugging me. I respond awkwardly, caught off guard by her gesture, but then I relax. It feels good. It’s like everything Laura said to me in that hotel room yesterday is validated by this reaction. The gratitude she feels toward me, makes it all worth it.
As I leave work that evening, I spot Laura outside. She has her phone in her hands, but she’s too far away for me to yell out to, so I call her phone. She stares at the screen, and then ignores my call, placing the phone back in her pocket. My heart races. What was that? If I ever needed proof that she’s avoiding me, there it was.
#
I walk around her apartment, feeling lost. It feels weird, leaving like this, but I think it’s the best option. We didn’t really resolve anything yesterday at the hotel, but I got the feeling that she needs space. Then, when she ignored my call… I need to give her the space to work all of this out, and maybe I need it too. I sit down at the kitchen counter to write her out a note. I intend on writing one or two sentences, but before I know it, I’m pouring my heart out. It feels good to just let it all out. I stand up and walk over to the door, where I pick up my suitcase. I take one last look around her apartment before I walk out.I head toward my apartment, but then drive straight past it, because I need to speak to someone. Someone who understands what I’m going through. Someone who was there. Matt met Maya, and Laura is his sister. He’s the only person that can really understand everything.
“Matt,” I call out.
I bang on his door again, this time louder. I’m not sure what I’m going to say to him, mainly because I don’t know what Laura has said. She might not have told him anything. The door swings open and an angry looking Matt stalks outside.
“Can you shut the fuck up,” he hisses.
Fuck.
The baby.
“Shit, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I forgot about Elina,” I mumble, rubbing my head.
He stares at me and shakes his head, his anger turning into concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh, how about everything?” I shake my head and laugh.
“Sit down,” he orders, guiding me down the porch.
I sit down on one of the seats leaning against the wall
“Okay, talk to me,” he says.
I lower my head. “Jesus, where do I even start?” I mutter. “You know who turned up in the ER the other day?”
“Who?” he frowns.
“Abbey. As in Maya and Abbey.”
Matt’s eyes widen. “Are you kidding me? What did she want? Was Maya with her?”
“Nope, but her daughter was.”
“Her daughter?” he asks.
I nod and look at him. “My daughter.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.”
“Yep.”
“Maya died in a car accident six months ago, and Abbey has been trying to find me pretty much ever since.”
“Holy fuck,” he breathes. He shakes his head. “Man, you’ve got a kid. How old is she?”
“Your math that bad?” I smile. “She’s eight.”
“Fuck,” he growls. “You and Maya…” He shakes his head, obviously in shock. “What did you do? What did you say to her?”
“What could I say? My mind is all over the place at the moment. Then, on top of all this, I’m pretty sure Laura is freaking out about it. I thought she was okay. I mean, I know it’s a huge deal, but I thought she was okay. But I don’t think she is.” I look at him like he has all the answers. “I can’t lose her, Matt. I love her.”
Matt looks down at his hands, like he’s avoiding meeting my eyes. I study him for a moment, convinced he’s hiding something.
“What is it?” I frown at him, because he’s holding back on something.
“Nothing. It’s not my place to tell you.”
“Matt, just spit it out,” I say, my frustration growing.
“I thought she would’ve told you by now.”
“Told me what?” I ask.
He looks over at me with what looks like sorrow in his eyes. He leans back, resting his head against the wall, like he’s fighting himself on whether to say something or not.
