I drove to my old apartment where Cora was still living. I grab my suitcase from my car. I walk up the stairwell to the second floor. She slings it open screaming and hugging me. She grabs my suitcase from me. And pulls it to the middle of the floor."Lola this is LarryMy boyfriend." I pull her by the shirt into the kitchen. I ask her in a low voice so he can't hear me "What happen to Timmy?"
"Oh that Weiner I caught him cheating."I start laughing Meme had visited a few times after Johnathan left constantly referring to him as Weiner. " nice to meet you, Lola. That one day I was joking with you I am sorry about that."He holds his hand. I reach to shake it he pulls it back and starts chuckling. "Stop fooling with her babe." Cora shoves him. "Oh look Lola he fixed the
machine for me you want a coffee?"
"Yes, I would love one." "Well, honey I am going back to my apartment see you tomorrow love you, babe."He grabs her and kisses her goodbye. She walks him out the door. I hear them giggling outside the door. Larry still seemed strange to me but I didn't know him that well. But Cora seemed happy." I am so happy you came up . Since tomorrow is your birthday. I will call the girls so we can do a girl's night out ok?" she disappears into the bedroom.
"Cora I really am not in the mood to go out."
"Don't be silly, girl it is our tradition to go out and party you old hag."I start laughing"I missed you, Cora ."I jump upsetting on the countertop."I am so sorry to hear about Meme. If I could have taken time off from work I would have come up. So what else has been going on?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
"try me?" I hand her the DVD and the letter falls out of my purse."What is this an x rated movie?"
"And dang girl, was you that bored without me down there a love letter all in one day.
"You are too funny girl Not." I pull the letter from her hands and push it down to the bottom of my purse.
"I am gonna go lay in my bed and watch care to join me?"
So I follow her and crawl into the bed and lay there and watch with her.
"Can you believe she lied to me my whole life?"
"Yes I can understand why Lola. Meme and pepaw loved and cared for you deeply and I guess she and pepaw were probably afraid if they told you, you would have pulled away. Lola my dearest friend you have a terrible habit of shutting people out of your life. But I love you . But think she never abandoned you and who is this Tad guy she must have thought highly of him to have left you to him?"
"He is a pain in the rear is what he is his name is Tadpole."
"Uhoh!That is why you are running away does he know how you feel?"I pick up a pillow and hit her in the face with it, "Cora you have no idea what you are talking about."
"Tad and Lola sitting in a tree. she starts singing."I climb on top of her and cover her mouth. She mumbles the rest of the song with my hand covering her mouth. "Ok I have to get to bed I have work in the morning. goodnight. You can sleep in here or go get on the couch?"
"I will take b for three hundred, Larry? You are not kicking me on the floor."I pull the blanket and pillow from the hall closet. And lay down and fall asleep. I laid there listening to all the voicemails he had left. So I sent him a text" I am ok goodnight". I start laughing at his reply"Is your feathers calmed down now since you left me.goodnight sexy."
The next morning Cora wakes me up slamming doors. How I didn't miss her morning antics. I got up and decided to treat myself after all it was my birthday twenty-six years old today. I get up and make myself a cup of coffee. My phone dings with a text alert. I grab my cup of go juice and sat down on the couch to read it."Happy birthday beautiful wish you were here.😗💕💕Have a great birthday. I decided to text him back but my phone starts ringing it was him.
"Hello" I answer it.
"Well good morning sexy Happy birthday."I smiled he can be so sweet when his foot wasn't getting stuck in his mouth."Thank you, Tad. That is sweet of you."
"When you coming home I miss you?"I clear my throat"I don't know Gotta go I love you bye."I hang up realizing what I had said "Oh shit dumb, dumb. I hit myself in the head with my phone. I hope he didn't hear that. I finish my coffee and go shower her doorbell rings as I step out of the shower. I wrap a towel around me and go answer it. I open the door to a dozen of red roses." Lola Fitzgerald?" the delivery girl asks.
"Yep, that is me."She starts singing happy birthday to me. I started laughing.
Larry opened his door and yelled, "Shut up or take some singing lessons!"He slammed his door shut. I giggled and I thanked her and shut the door. I got dressed and decided to go walk the campus. Which was a bad idea it made me feel old watching the younger generation running around acting crazy.I decided to treat myself to a mani and Pedi. I pick an ultraviolet color with single long stem roses on them.I stop by the corner market and run in "Hey Jackie!"She jumps across the counter"Dang who taught you how to do laundry you smell good?"
"Haha girl.How have you been doing?"
"I am good come over here and give me a hug?"I walk over and hug her."How long you back forBirthday girl?"
"I amm not sure, I see Cora done called you."
YOU ARE READING
The Abandoned Gift
RomanceLola Fitzgerald is a twenty-five-year-old freshly out of college. Her boyfriend since high school has dumped her to take a job in Chicago. When her grandmother who raised her from an early age shows up and needs her back home. She packs up and heads...
