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It was just around noon when she left here.But it could have been three a.m.after a night of no sleep, and I could tell she still would have found the strength to dart out her door.
As a military guy, I admire the hell out of that.
I move to my kitchen, shaking my head at the clean counter that doesn’t need my attention, and start scrubbing that little tray that slides out of the toaster that no one ever cleans—anything to fill the time.
After Ava left, I managed to clean my apartment, shovel the fresh inch of snow that fell onto both of our driveways since she left, and I even went to the mall and bought that drone for Nicholas even though I know Ava will kill me.
He’ll love it if she lets him keep it.And if he spies on the neighbors too much, well, we’ll just cross that bridge when we come to it.
I set my perfectly clean toaster back in its corner on the counter.Now, I’ve officially run out of things to do.I hate that.
Instinctively, I know that things are about to change between Ava and me.With this reminder of the priorities of her life, she might not want to muck up anything by trying to meld a guy like me into the picture—a guy who is right now waiting for orders to PCS someplace new in six months.
She thinksshehas baggage?I’ve got my own kind—the kind that makes it pretty hard to start a relationship this close to yet another move to God knows where.
I need to understand that—to honor that she might need a clean break so she can focus on her own life.I won’t like it, but I need to.
When I hear the mail come, I step into the cold to retrieve it from the box, and I exchange a few hellos with neighbors.
Despite the snow on the ground, the bright evening sun that hangs low in the sky always brings out the dog walkers and joggers in this community because Annapolitans like their sunshine, no matter what the temperature.
One approaches me, leading a small marshmallow-fluff of a dog on a leash.I brace myself for conflict when I recognize the woman as the neighbor who clearly disapproved of me at the caroling party.
What was her name again?Charlisa, that was it.
Charlisa.Just who I didn’t want to see today.
“Hey, Charlisa,” I greet her cautiously, awaiting the same evil eye I got from her the other night.“How are you?”
But fortunately, I don’t see it this time.
“Hey, Harris.Have you heard from Ava yet?”
As I pull a small stack of mail out of my box, I stiffen, not sure how to answer.
It’s not my place to announce to anyone that Nicholas is in the ER or that Ava is up there with him now.
I look at her, words failing me for a moment, and I see her features suddenly soften.
“I uh, I already know she’s up at the ER with Nicholas,” she adds quickly.“He texted my son.They’re friends.They text a lot.He told me that Nicholas said his mom was on the way.”
My shoulders relax.“Yeah.She arrived.But I haven’t heard anything since.Want me to ask her to text you?”
“No, no.She’ll be too busy for that.I know she’ll write when she can.Just—let me know if there’s anything I can do that she might not be telling me.She’s not one to ask for help.”
I nod.“I noticed that about her.”
“And um… I’m sorry if I seemed…rudethe other night.She’s a good friend.She deserves happiness.And well, there are a lot of jerks out there.”
I grin.“I’ve known a few.”
“And you don’t seem to be one of them.That said, if you are, your life is in danger if you break her heart.”She gives me a warning smile, just a little insidious, then laughs.
“It’s the last thing I’d ever want to do.”
“Good.Then we’re on the same page.”
Her dog, bored with our conversation, starts to pull her away.
