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“It’s alright. Exhausting.”
“How’s it feel to be essential?”
“Essential?” I scoff. “Who the hell is essential?”
She groans and rolls her eyes again.
“I don’t know why no one considers construction workers essential. Like, how else are we going to get from place to place? I sure as hell am not walking everywhere,” she complains, making me laugh.
“So you think construction workers are important?”
“Of course. They do more than we think,” she nods.
For the first time since getting the job, I feel a sense of pride. I have never heard anyone speak highly of construction workers, not even the guys at work. They just talk macho about how they’re better than the other crews.
“So I’m an essential worker?” I ask, half-ass joking and half-ass serious.
“Yes. Without a doubt,” she replies. “When everything went on lockdown, construction workers were still out there. Why? Because the world relies on them. Whether the world wants to admit it or not.”
“Are you part of the construction workers' fan club or something?” I tease.
She flips me off and laughs.
“Just so you know, I’m president of the club,” she smiles. “You can be vice president or treasure.”
“Are there snacks or anything at the meetings? I mean, what do I get out of being the VP or treasure?”
“Greedy ass,” she laughs.
“Thank you,” I whisper. She cocks her head to the side and stares at me confused. “I’ve been questioning the importance of this job. It seemed pretty shitty. Like I was scraping the bottom of the barrel.”
“Oh,” she replies faintly. “It’s definitely not an easy job, but I wouldn’t ever consider it the bottom of the barrel.”
“You always know the right things to say,” I lean over and kiss her.
“Not always,” she whispers. Her eyes fill with tears.
“Ashlynn, what’s wrong?” I ask, scooting over and pulling her into my arms.
The minute her head rests on my chest, she comes unglued. Tears after tears flow from her eyes. It’s like someone broke a dam, and there’s no stopping it.
“Baby. It’s going to be okay,” I say, attempting to soothe her. She just continues to cry. “Ashlynn, talk to me. What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”
“Why couldn’t you choose me, you big jerk?” She hits my arm several times with her fist. Not hard at all. Just enough to get my attention.
My heart breaks. She’s talking about our last conversation before we broke up. The conversation that ended everything. The conversation that I still regret to this very day.
“I’m so sorry, Ashlynn,” I kiss the side of her head, and she sobs uncontrollably. “I swear I wanted to choose you. You were and still are the best thing to happen to me.”
She doesn’t speak, only cries. With each tear she sheds, my heart shatters more and more. I hate hearing her cry. And knowing that I’m responsible for the tears makes it a thousand times worse.
A woman like Ashlynn deserves the world. She’s the sweetest, most caring woman on the planet. There’s no one more deserving of a happily-ever-after than her.
“I’m so sorry for ever hurting you, Ashlynn.” I hold her tightly. “If you tell me to walk out the door and never come back, I’ll do it. Just say the word.”
She quickly sits up and glares at me. Tears are still streaming down her face.
“Would it be that easy for you to just leave me again?” she snaps. “Just walk out of my life with no regrets. Must be nice.”
