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I snuggle into the covers and fall asleep, hoping when I wake up, I will feel a lot better.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
ICE
I check on Sunny, and she’s curled up with her pillow with her cat lying next to her, comforting her. I gather the plate and cup from her nightstand and take them into the kitchen. On the fridge is a picture of Octavia and Neo. I should call her because it’s been a while since I’ve talked to her. I pull my phone out of my pocket and look for her name, and hit send, hoping she answers.
“Hello?” she breathes out.
“Hey, Octavia, it’s Ice,” I say as I sit down on the edge of the couch.
“How’s it going?” she asks, and I hear papers rustling in the background.
“It’s going pretty well. How’s everything with you?” I relax on the couch.
“Neo is growing like a weed and into everything. Zane is a great father and takes care of Neo and me.” I can hear the smile in her voice.
“That’s good to hear.” I guess I didn’t do too bad after all. Hopefully, she will forgive me completely one day.
“How are you doing? Staying clean?” she hesitates to ask.
“You know it. I don’t want to go back to the way I was before. I like being sober and livin’ the life that I’m livin’ right now,” I smile.
“Still seeing Mom?” she asks quietly.
“I am, and we are havin’ a good time gettin’ to know each other again. It’s better than it was the first time.”
“That’s good to hear. She said that she was happy that you two were taking it slow.”
“We are because I don’t wanna fuck it up again. She’s the reason I’m here today and sober, and I’m not gonna do anything stupid to jeopardize my sobriety or my relationship with her. I’ve been given a second chance to make it right, and I will. I’ve missed way too much because of my selfishness. I thought the drugs loved me as much as I loved them, but they didn’t. Instead, I hurt the ones that loved me the most.”
“I’m proud of you . . .”
“I know you don’t know if you should believe it or not, but this isn’t like the other times. This is the longest I’ve been clean, and I’m staying this way. No more bullshit.”
“I hope so.”
“No hopin’, Octavia. I’m done with that part of my life. I realize that I don’t need drugs and alcohol to have a good life. I don’t need any of that shit. I’m happy without it, and that’s a better high than any drug could ever give me.”
Cries echo through the phone as Neo calls out for his mom.
“I need to go take care of Neo. Talk soon?”
“Yes, I’d like that. I love you.”
“Love ya too.” She ends the call, and I have a smile plastered on my face.
I look around and decide to do some things around the apartment to help Sunny since she’s not feeling well. The apartment is clean, but I know if I don’t wash the dishes, Sunny will do them even with her being sick. I wash and dry the dirty dishes in the sink and look in the cabinets to put them away.
The broom is in the pantry, and I get it out and sweep the floor. I won’t vacuum because I don’t want the noise to wake up Sunny. Within an hour, everything is cleaned and ready for Sunny. I get a root beer I brought with me earlier out of the fridge and sit down on the couch. The apartment has a great view of the city, and I get lost in my thoughts.
This is a position I never thought I would be in. I can’t believe I’m taking care of her and her place while she’s sick. With our history, with my history, I didn’t think she would ever let me back into her life like this. And every day, I will prove to her that I am the man I know she wanted me to be.
I reflect on the conversation I had with Octavia. Things have changed since I got sober, and I’m not going back to the place I was before. It cost me too much in my life, and I like the direction my life is going in right now, especially what’s happening between Sunny and me. I hope I can continue to build my relationship with Octavia because I want to get to know my grandson and be a part of both of their lives.
The crazy jungle cat jumps on my lap and wants me to pet her. I pet her for a little bit, and she curls up in my lap and falls asleep. It seems like she finally approves of me. She was skittish when I first started coming over, but I think the treats helped win her over.
I see why Sunny loves this cat so much. She is a lover and nice to have around when it’s quiet. I feel myself nodding off, so I gently move Nala from my lap and place her on the couch and go into the bedroom.
