50 Days Of Grey (#Wattys2015)

{ o n e } : coffee

Please do not copy any of my work, please?  Everything I write is under the copyright law besides the vocabulary words at the beginning of each story and I get that from Merriam Webster.  Please and thank you.

i: Destiny

❝something to which a person or thing is destined❞

Day [-1]

I was lounging at our favorite coffee shop the day I found out. I hadn't been in that coffee shop in awhile. I hadn't been there since we parted. It's the one at fifth avenue, the same one that you called your own personal haven. I went there for the first time in two years and it felt good, it almost felt like you were there... Laughing with me again, it felt like those times when this weird, sweet sensation filled every inch of me, the feeling that filled me when I heard your melodic laugh. The laugh that sounded like my favorite type of music, the music they often played on that radio station we loved, and only we loved.

I was sitting there when my phone rang. It displayed the familiar line of numbers that constructed your mothers number. It intrigued me, it had been awhile since she had chatted with me and the possibility of you dialing my number on her phone had flashed through my mind for awhile before I dismissed it. I didn't know why I had picked the phone up that day 'cause usually I'd avoid anything and everything that reminded me of you but I guess it was fate.

"Hello?" I breathed into the receiver, my voice flushed from my clouded mind, at the last ring.

"Sweetie?" Aunt Lisa's familiar but wobbly voice rang. A string of unwanted memories flooded into my mind from the familiarity of the motherly voice that brought tears to my eyes.

"Sweetie, are you still there?" Her uncertain voice called out.

"Y-Yes, Aunt Lisa... I-I'm here." I hurriedly replied. I guess some part of me yearned for some familiar voice. A voice I'd shut out with all the things I'd shoved away since the break up.

"H-Hi Sweetheart h-how are you?" She had asked.

I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath, "I've been fine, Aunt Lisa." I said an unintentional coldness added to the ring of my voice.

She sobbed from across the line, a sob that never failed to make me feel guilty, "Aunt Lisa... What's wrong?" I asked uncertainly from across the line.

"Your mom, Julie... She has cancer." Those few words had sent shivers down my spine, sobs racked my body, tears streamed down my face, I didn't believe her. I didn't believe her that moment, I didn't want to believe her... But I knew. I knew she was right. Something told me she was right... Something at the pit of my stomach was telling me she was right... The little things I'd been curious about were finally coming together. The need to go to the drug store every week, my fathers guilty expression every time I'd called her, more money was being sent to her every month, my father wanting to talk to her.

I didn't know what to do... But before anything registered in my mind I'd already set off typing 'airline ticket' on the search engine.

Hours [-4]

On the plane to Edmond, Oklahoma my stomach had started to grumble. The issue I had with motion sickness was long forgotten as I'd hurriedly packed my bags to get on the nearest flight to Oklahoma. I'd threw my clothes into the largest suite case I'd found under the bed and if it wasn't for Ingrid I would've forgotten to bring much needed footwear. Dad had pleaded to take me to the airport but I was too enraged and frustrated to even be in the same room as him. Kate had kissed me goodbye before I entered the cab making me promise to call her when I landed.