Survivor

Chapter Four

I meet Lea at Dunkin's.

With my iced coffee and hash browns in hand, I sit across from her.

"Hey," she says through a mouthful of her doughnut.

"Hey."

I didn't go to college. I didn't have to with my parents being vets and running their own clinic. It's a family business and since I didn't want to be a vet, I work as their 'assistant.'

I did take a graphic design course though and that is where I met Lea. We bonded instantly. And being the small world that it is, Lea works in the graphic department in Cole's office. He's a sales representative at an advertising agency. They bonded instantly too.

"I spoke to Cole," Lea starts. "He told me what happened."

"Of course he did," I say, slightly miffed. "And whose side are you on?"

She glances down at her brightly colored nails. "I'm on common ground."

"Then look me in the eye," I say, now extremely miffed.

Her blue eyes meet mine. "What do you want me to say?" She begins. "You guys fought. Like one of the first fights you've ever had so far in your relationship. It's weird."

"It's not weird. Couples fight all of the time."

"Not you and Cole though. Your relationship is perfect. It's literally like the epitome of relationship goals."

"Things change," I say, bitterness creeping into my voice.

"I can see that."

I take a sip of my iced coffee, hoping that this conversation is done and gone.

"You don't want to talk about it?"

I keep her gaze. "No, I don't. If I did I would've said something, right?"

"I guess," she says softly, spinning the straw in her milkshake round and round. "So how's things going in general?"

"It's ok. Emma went back to school today. I'm kind of worried for her. The chemotherapy she's receiving is on the stronger spectrum and really taking a toll on her. She's been so nauseous lately. It's awful."

"Poor thing."

"Yeah," I sigh. "She's too young to be going through this."

"Yeah."

We both focus on our food and I rip open the ketchup packet, adding it to my hash browns.

"So how's it going with Mark?" I ask as I bite into one of the hash browns.

She frowns. Did I say something wrong? "We broke up months ago. Where have you been?"

Pretty occupied clearly. "Sorry, it's been kind of crazy lately since Emma got diagnosed."

I'm surprised to find Lea leaning across the table so she can place her hand over mine. Her skin is fair, like Emma's. "I know, I'm sorry I shouldn't have been so harsh. You know it's just been so hard moving on from him. I really thought he might be the one." Well, I didn't. I always thought he was too old for her. Though people say age is just a number.

I place my hand on top of hers, so now our hands are stacked like a stack of pancakes, and give her a weak smile. "Would you consider getting back together?"

"Heck no," she says a little too loudly, making the couple at the table over glance our way. "The jerk cheated on me. After seven beautiful, romantic months of dating, he goes and cheats on me. The nerve!"

"Yeah, what a jerk," I agree. And then with a smile, I add, "Should we go egg his place?!"

"Would love to. But he's a cop, remember? And I would rather not end up in jail anytime soon."