Her Best Man

Chapter 13: Diamond Lake

*Hey guys! Just wanted to say thank you for all your support so far and that if you are reading this you are amazing!!! Don't forget to comment and vote..thank you loves! :)

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It was five in the morning, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I had fallen asleep on the living room couch, and tried closing my eyes for two more hours of needed rest. It was useless.

I had dreamt that night of Cody. We were in the hockey rink, or at least that's what it seemed like. He was talking to me, but I couldn't hear the words. It was warbled, but all I remembered from the dream were those eyes. Those eyes were haunting me, both awake and in my dreams.

I got up and saw that Danielle left a note explaining that she had gone to work. I told her that she could stay with me for a while, being that she lived with Martin. And I was not going to let her near him anytime soon.

There were a few missed calls on my cell phone. They were all from my mother. My mother Joanne lived in Florida and had retired two years ago. She lived with her boyfriend Nick, to whom she had been with for the last fifteen years. Neither of them saw the need to get married, but their relationship was about the closest thing to a married couple as it could get.

They argued, they fought, but at the end of the day they sat out on the ocean side dock, drinking their martinis and laughing at each other's jokes. They were great for each other, and ever since her and my biological dad divorced years ago, I could see that she was finally happy again.

I headed to the bathroom, dialing her number in the process. I knew she would already be up, as I had inherited the "early bird" gene from her. As I surveyed myself in the mirror, she picked up.

"Aurora! I tried calling you last night. You know I hate it when you don't pick up dear. It makes me feel like you've forgotten about me."

I laughed, and shoved my toothbrush in my mouth.

With a mouth full of toothpaste I responded.

"I've had a crazy week. Possible job promotion." I spit out my toothpaste.

I headed out to the balcony, wrapping myself in a fuzzy bathrobe, before opening the sliding doors to the cool, morning air.

I loved the sound of the city in the morning. Everything seemed as if it slowed down, and the sun cracked through the clouds. Down below, people rode on bikes, walked and read the newspaper, made their ritual coffee runs. It was the promise of a new day.

"Job promotion? That's great dear. I know you'll be editor in no time. Anyways, we'll chat about that later because I really need to talk to you about visiting. I feel like we haven't seen each other in ages! I'm worried I'm loosing you." She spoke, her voice as sweet and concerned as ever.

She always spoke like that. Ever since I graduated high school and went to college, she avoided the reality that I was growing up. I had a full time job now, and I lived hundreds of miles away from her.

"Mom, I don't know if that's possible any time soon. I'm really busy for the next couple weeks. Maybe in June I can fly over there and visit you?" I sounded hopeful.

There was long pause and a sigh.

"Sometimes I forget you have a full time job honey. June sounds wonderful. Tom is in the process of hiring people for the new pool addition. It could be ready when you come!"

Oh yeah, and they were really rich. Tom was a stock broker and made big bucks down at Palm Springs. He still worked for a living, and would be working for a living until he reached his seventies. He also was one of the reasons why I had made it into Columbia University in New York City. Although I only agreed for him to pay half my tuition. I was still working on paying off the second half, which was still a lofty fortune.