Chris walks back up the walkway.
"I didn't mean to ruin them," I say sadly, now knowing he had to throw away a few dozen roses he gifted to me.
"What?" He asks, clueless.
"The flowers. I didn't mean to throw up. I was just overwhelmed and the flowers were right there. There's so many of them. It would be hard to miss."
"Casey and I got them all cleaned up. Don't worry about it," he assures me, keeping his composure. He continues past me on the porch, continuing to respect that I asked for space.
"Chris?"
"Yeah?"
"What is 1,825?" I ask, staring out at the yard.
"No clue," he replies. I don't even have to look at him to know he is lying. He still have the same verbal clues as he always did.
I turn to look at him.
"You didn't sign the card but I know they are from you." I confront him.
He shrugs. "Wasn't me."
I shake my head. He is still lying. Why?
He grabs the door handle and pulls it open. "It's the number of days we were apart because of my stupid mistake." He pauses. "Five years."
We stare at each other in silence for a moment before I find the words I want to say. "You didn't have to do that to make it up to me," I smile.
"All I have ever wanted to do is to make it up to you. I won't stop until I have." He opens the door and smiles before going inside, leaving me alone again.
I play with my lip and replay the morning in my head. The confusion I felt about the roses. The anger I felt for having almost two thousand roses consuming my home and life. The hope I felt for Darren and me. The confusion I felt when I found out they were not from him. The confusion I feel about Chris.
I pull my hand away from my lips once I realize what I am doing
I pull out my phone and text Darren back.
To: Darren
If there is no chance of reconciling this relationship, please tell me now. I can
not keep waiting for you to call.
I sigh, clicking send. That was not too bad.
He replies almost immediately this time. I wonder if he was waiting for my reply.
From: Darren
Has your decision changed
about the baby? It's not too
late to adopt.
To: Darren
I am not giving up my
chance to be a mother, Darren.
I sigh, I know what his response is going to be. I can feel it in the pits of my stomach.
From: Darren
Then my decision has not changed either.
YOU ARE READING
Shattered
RomanceThey let her fall to the ground and shatter like a vase full of flowers. She was left alone to pick up the pieces. Now they are back and she's afraid of being broken again.
