Crazy Little Thing Called Mate

\TWO/

- Caleb -

After all of the deeds were signed over to myself, I now held my mother's keys, had her money in my account, and I didn't want any of it.

"Is there anything else, I gotta get ready for work." I said a little more brash than I had intended.

I'm sure these people suspected I only desired my mother's possessions and now that I have them I couldn't be bothered to dwell on her any longer, the evidence was in my trying to run out of their office.

This couldn't be further from the truth though.

"We're all done Mr. Gibbons." My mothers attorney announced with a sad smile.

"Caleb, please...it's just Caleb."

He nodded and shook my hand, I always hated to be acknowledged by my last name, that is my father's last name, he was Mr Gibbons, not me.

After I left his office I pulled open my truck door, I got in, put on my sunglasses and began driving toward work.

I took a more scenic route and noticed all of the various differences the town now held.

A few people noticed me and smiled, who they were? I couldn't tell you. Simply friendly passerby's I suppose.

I was almost to work when I did notice a familiar face.

I pulled my truck to the side and parked it next to the curb.

She saw me and her face told me that she wished she hadn't. I watched as she gathered her bags and held them in front of her just a little more tightly.

"Jessica."

She pasted in a friendly smile, "Caleb, long time no see."

I nodded, then that awkward silence grew as I now stood face to face with the girl who had made me fall in love the first time...she would later be the same person who broke my heart as well.

"So um, s-sorry about your momma."

I shook my head, "please don't be, she was sick."

"I talked to her on a couple of occasions, she talked of you often...told us how you were doing really good down in Hollywood."

I remained silent, despite how much Jessica had hurt me, and I knew I didn't need her like I once thought I did, there was still something there, maybe there always would be.

"So you asked about me?" I smirked.

This time she shook her head, "no, Paul did...we ran into her when we were registering for our baby shower and he couldn't help but ask about you."

Her confession had my head spinning, I was being given too much information all at once and I was finding it hard to digest, it was suddenly getting a little harder to breathe.

"Caleb, are you okay?" Jessica asked in a panic, she dropped her bags and I could now see that she was using them to shield her growing belly.

I recoiled from her touch and looked at her as if she were a stranger.

"Caleb?"

But there was nothing to say as my eyes remain glued to her pregnant form, memories from years ago bombarded me, memories that were ours, and now I was looking at her once more...Paul has the life I should've had.

I shook myself out of my mindset and kept moving back away from her and soon I was back in my truck.

"Caleb!"