Another Day

Chapter 24

A couple more days passed as good as the first. I didn’t think about things, avoided them instead. I knew that wasn’t exactly a healthy decision, but I was willing to do anything to forget the pain.

Linda was careful not to mention anything about Paul, and I really appreciated it. The best times were back when it was just us and the diner.

But in the back of my head, a certain lead guitarist lurked constantly. Whenever he came to the front of my mind though, I pushed him away.

If Danny was lying to me for two years and I didn’t know it, what guarantee did I have that George wasn’t going to do the same exact thing. I don’t think I would be able to handle going through that same turmoil twice.

At home it was more difficult, but I found that staying out later helped, that way I didn’t have to deal with the loneliness and I’d just fall into bed. Turning on a record helped too, but since I had broken my favorite ones it didn’t help as much.

Two weeks after my birthday I got a letter from my mother. It had been too long she said, and she wanted to wish me a happy belated birthday. It was surprising to hear from her, we weren’t exactly on the best terms since I started seeing Danny.

The second I got her letter I wrote her back. The next day after work I grabbed my jacket and headed for the post office, the letter in my pocket.

It was a pleasant day, the kind that made it easy to feel good. It was miraculously sunny with a nice breeze, lifting my hair just off my shoulders as I walked.

The nice weather had an effect on everyone, complete strangers were smiley and polite on the sidewalk. As I walked past the park, it was pleasant to hear more children then normal scurrying about.

The walk was too short, and soon I found myself outside the post office. It wasn’t very busy, a few people milling around, but quiet.

My hands in my pockets I fingered the open flap of the envelope. I always leave them open until the last second in case there’s anything else I needed to add.

I hadn’t included anything about George, but I told her I was living on my own now. She would be happy about that. Neither she nor Dad liked Danny very much, especially since they thought he was too old for me.

As I made my way to the letter box, I took it out of my pocket and scanned it, making sure there wasn’t anything I forgot. I licked the envelope and let it fall in the slit in the wall.

Mum had said she was proud of me, something she never said much. Even though my job as a waitress wasn’t anything impressive, she liked that I went out and made some money on my own instead of depending on a man.

I turned to leave, and as I did, I bumped straight into man standing right behind me. A little flustered, I started to apologize.

The words caught in my throat as I looked up and a pair of hazel eyes met mine.