Heck of a kiss

Chapter Five

2 years ago

            The morning after the break-up, I dragged myself downstairs to fix breakfast for Lesley and tried to busy myself with work so I wouldn’t have time to think about Jabe,

After breakfast, I put on pale blue scrubs, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and put on a little makeup to hide the dark circles underneath my eyes. When 7:30 rolled around, I was in the truck driving the 20 miles into town. Impatiently, I turned on the radio hoping that I would hear something that would distract from my thoughts. Imagine the irony when the song that came on was Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss singing “Whiskey lullaby”. Slamming my hand down on the off button, I cut the song off. Hearing a song about how the girl hurt the guy so they both killed themselves by drinking too much was the last thing I needed to hear. Suicide could not be an option.

Finally I got to the hospital where my other life was. After signing in, I found Tasha my partner already filling out paperwork. Her black curly hair was scrapped on top of her head, her exotic coffee tone skin glowing beneath the curly halo. When she looked up, her chocolate eyes met mine and they crinkled as she smiled widely. “Hey girl, how is life treating you?”

Taking the clipboard she offered I plopped down onto a chair, running a hand over my face. “Terrible, I broke up with Jabe last night.”

Tasha grabbed my hand, “Oh girl, I am so sorry, what happened? Did you fight?”

Glumly I nodded. “Yep, I realized that we didn’t know each other without Chad. And last night everything just came to a head.”

“Did he take it well?”

Again I shrugged remembering Jabe’s stunned and hurt expression. “As well as can be expected, I didn’t handle it well.” With a sigh of frustration, I realized I was crying again. “In all my life I don’t think I’ve cried as hard as I have in the past two days.”

Squeezing my shoulder sympathetically, Tasha sat quietly while I surreptitiously wiped my eyes. “Man, you would think that I was the first girl who ever had her heart broken.” After sitting for a couple more minutes, we roused ourselves and began to work, spending the rest of the day working to help people heal after injuries.   

At the end of the day, I made my way home. When I pulled into the drive, my cell phone began playing Taylor Swift’s ‘you belong with me.’ Gritting my teeth I picked it up and gazed at Jabe’s smiling face. Savagely I punched the ignore button and threw the phone onto the other seat watching it bounce to the floor. Soon my phone chimed that I had a new voice mail and before I could stop myself I picked up the phone and pressed the voicemail button.

“Hey Amy, I’ve been hoping that last night was a bad dream and that what we said didn’t actually happen. I’m sorry for whatever I said that made you mad. Call me back……I love you.” The tone started and I slowly brought the phone away from my ear. Everything inside me wanted to pick up the phone and call him back but I steeled myself and put the phone in the cup holder, grabbed my purse and went inside before I changed my mind.

Inside, Mila was sitting on the floor coloring a picture of a teddy bear bright blue with pink polka-dots. Lesley was sitting at the kitchen table typing on a black laptop with notes spread around her. Looking up both sets of faces held the same question. “How was your day?” Lesley was the one who asked the question and immediately Mila sat up looking at me intently. Slowly I put my purse on the couch and went into the kitchen, looking inside the refrigerator deciding what to eat for dinner. “It was okay. Have you eaten?”  Lesley put her hands on the table and nodded. “Yep, Casey came over with macaroni and cheese; it’s in the blue bowl.” Quickly spying the food, I took it out and placed it on the counter along with two bottles of water. ” I’m going to be riding Dancer after I eat. Do want to go watch?”  Lesley considered a moment before nodding.    “Definitely I wouldn’t miss it. We’ll have to come back in at bed time though.”

Taking a big bite of the salty food I grinned for the first time that dat.  “Of course, otherwise we will all pay.”

Maybe my life wasn’t over after all.