Decades

Dreams Unwind

Lindsey took one of the parking places at the far end of the lot. He'd already finished grabbing the things he needed from the grocery store. Right now, he had a lot on his mind and just needed to take a second to tackle the bout of nervousness he was feeling. He did a mental inventory to make sure he had everything prepared. Lindsey knew that getting this right was a must.

Stevie's condo was only a couple of minutes away. He considered calling ahead but figured it would be useless. He only had her mobile phone number, and that hadn't worked when he'd tried her over the last couple of days.

Whether she was still keeping her mobile phone nearby was a mystery. He'd called several times, and she hadn't answered. He'd left voicemails but wasn't sure if she'd listened to them or if she even knew how. He sent text messages as well. Though it was anyone's guess whether she'd received them or not.

Eventually, his calls went straight to voicemail, so he didn't have high hopes that she was getting them. Once he began getting a recorded message telling him that her mailbox was full, he realized that voicemails were probably not the way to get in touch with her.

They'd communicated an awful lot on the telephone before moving into the house to record. She was always responsive and easy to reach then. She'd kept her phone close in case Lindsey called or messaged. He was one of the only people who knew she even had a mobile phone, so keeping it close was for his benefit, and he couldn't help but be flattered.

But since she left and wasn't responding to him at all, he couldn't be sure she even had the thing anymore. Over the years, it had been hard to track down the right email address or the correct phone number to get in touch with her. She'd padded in a lot of insulation between herself and people who might want to reach her. Putting the phone away would be her first line of defense against communicating with him, he thought knowingly.

There was a chance she would have left town. That would be just like her. But, this time, her putting physical distance between them wasn't going to work. This time, he wouldn't stop until she was in his arms again. He didn't care where he had to chase her.

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Stevie saw the first few text messages Lindsey had sent her. He was doing a lot of apologizing. She wasn't angry at him anymore, though he didn't know that. Mainly, she was just sad. She'd made a mistake yet again, leaving her heart vulnerable. She should have known better. Those few weeks together had been beautiful, but she'd be paying dearly for them as she tried once again to move on. After all these years, she was still somehow willing to trade a big piece of herself for a small piece of him.

That first night, she read and reread his messages. Karen helped her listen to the voicemails he had left her, and they further shattered her heart. His voice was tender and loving, and she wanted nothing more than for him to come to her and make their stupid, doomed relationship work once and for all. And she probably would have given in had the instinct for self-protection not kicked in.

After all of these years of hurting him and being hurt by him, she knew she must let it go. She'd done fairly well for the past several years when they were apart. Sure, it had hurt, but she'd gotten used to that pain. And the lack of communication helped her to disconnect some. Out of sight hadn't exactly meant out of mind, but it was easier to love him without it hurting so much if she never saw or heard from him.

This pain was fresh and new, and it brought with it painful memories from the past. And she didn't want it anymore. She'd been hurting all of her life. This time, it felt like they actually had another chance. But she knew better. She'd known better for years now. She needed to put out the flame that hope had once against started within her. Hearing Lindsey's voice and reading his words was not going to help her do that.