Our Time Will Come - An After Story

21

Tessa

All as I can say is, Thank god it's Friday. I have gotten off of work early today having finished all my meetings. Being my own boss does have its perks. I decide to pick little Auden up from school to save him from having to catch the school bus that he despises so dearly. "Hey mom" he beams as he climbs into the car. "Hey baby, how was school" i tickle his cheek. He tells me about his day as we make our way home. I love hearing this little guys stories about what he learned, he's growing up to be so smart.

It's been five whole days since I've seen Hardin and today's the day I get to see his face again. Even if it is only for two days. He started his week off in Nashville, he boasted over the phone about how drop dead gorgeous the hotel he stayed at was and how much I'd love It. After three book promotions in Tennessee, Paul and him flew to Philadelphia to repeat the same process. I don't envy the jet lag that my poor husband must be suffering from right now.

What a week it has been, I love my job but fifteen new clients in one week is a little too much. I know what Hardin will say, it's my own fault for taking so many clients on, but I can't help myself. I love the feeling of being in control of the best day of people's lives, i just don't love the workload.

I hope Emery is home by the time Auden and I are. She's been hanging out with her friends each day after school, which is unlike her as she's usually eager to get home after a long day. I didn't think anything of it, I just shrugged it off that she's getting older and is going to start wanting to see her friends more. That's until Wednesday, when she was supposed to go home with Addelyn to Landon's house. I had meetings with clients until six that day so Landon and Nora arranged for Emery and Auden to have dinner at their place.

Landon was forced to call me when Addelyn returned home, without Emery. Addelyn insists that she tried to get Emery to come back to the house with her, but she was having none of it. She seems to think that these people Emery has started to hang out with are bad influences and has even tried to warn her to stay away from them but Emery is just as stubborn as her father and has continued to hang around these people. Addelyn could be wrong, these kids could be harmless and having never met them, I'm in no position to judge them. But... there's something at the back of my mind that tells me they're not just harmless kids. Emery's attitude over the last couple of days has changed dramatically and something or someone has to have influenced her.

Auden is eager to get inside as we pull into our driveway. I swear that child has separation anxiety from that IPad of his. He bursts through the door and I laugh to myself as I gather my belongings from the car. I'm surprised when my phone starts to ring and it's Hardin. He should be on the flight by now, I wonder why he's calling.

"Babe.. is everything okay?" My voice is shaky. "No, not really" he grunts. Oh no, what's happened. My heart begins to thud. "You're not going to want to hear this" he warns. "Babe, you're scaring me what's the matter?" I force. "You're not going to believe this, but our flight has been cancelled.. there isn't another flight back home until tomorrow night" his voice is weepy and I feel like he might be crying.

"You mean tomorrow night as in Saturday night? When you have to leave here first thing Sunday morning for Cleveland?" I scoff. I can't fight the tears that are falling as realise that I won't see Hardin now for another week. As if this week hasn't been hard enough.

"Babe, I'm sorry, I tried to find another way to get home but it just wasn't possible" his voice is small. I can sense the panic in his voice and I hate that.

"It isn't  your fault sweetheart, I was just looking forward to hugging you so bad" I'm trying my best to reassure him but I can't deny that I'm wounded right now. "I know baby, me too. It's the only thing that's gotten me through this week" I hear the sniffles that he's trying to hide. I don't want him to beat himself up about this, it really isn't his fault. It just sucks so much. I want to tell him about Emery and her antics but I know that no good can come of that, Hardin will probably hit the roof if he finds out what she's been up to.

"Please try not to stress, I'll be home this time next week and it will fly by and I swear I will call you everyday" he promises.

"..Okay" I pause before letting out a dramatised sigh.

"I love you Tessa" he is practically whispering at this point.

"I love you.. Hardin, take care my love" the emotion is clear in my voice.

I let Hardin hang up the phone and hear him hurl a load of abuse at Paul before he does. "It's all your fucking fault" he screams. I don't envy that man right now.

Hardin

"It's all your fucking fault" I yell in my managers face after leaving my poor Tessa heartbroken. "I only agreed to this stupid fucking tour under the condition that I could go home every weekend, yet here I am stuck in fucking Philadelphia of all places. It's the first damn weekend and you've already let me down!" I hurl. I am raging and I'm pretty sure everyone in this damn airport can see the steam that is emerging from my ears.

This week has been a whirlwind to say the least. I'm not an emotional guy but have you ever been to a place that you're supposed to love and all you can think about his home? If so, you'll know how I feel right now and I've just been told that I can't go home to see my pregnant wife and children who I made a promise to, to come home every weekend. "Fuck!" Before I can stop myself, my fist is colliding with the wall in front of me.

"Hardin buddy, calm down" perfect Paul huffs. "I'm not your fucking buddy" I scoff, while stalking off. I don't know where I'm headed, but if I don't remove myself from this situation, someone is going to get hurt, either that or airport security will call the police and I'll spend the night in a cell for criminal damage. The air is awfully bitter for a spring day and the wind pierces my cheeks as I start to sprint. Hell, I don't know where I'm going, I don't even know where I am or what I'm running from, but I run as fast as my legs will take me.

I eventually stop to catch the breath that has been stolen from me. I take in my surroundings and find myself gawping at the lively building before me. My sight is blurred and I have to squint to see that the building is a bar, the sign reads 'The Franklin Bar'. I try to listen closely to the music that is playing and.. it's familiar. It's the fray, of course it's the fucking fray. I am suddenly weak and I don't know if I have strength to stop myself from entering that god damn bar and drinking myself into oblivion.

Before I know it, I'm sat on a bar stool leaning on the  slab of wood before me. I don't even recall my legs taking me here. I Click my fingers at the scruffy looking bartender who in return, flips me off. "Jack and coke, make it a double" i bark.