Imperfect Perfection (Sequel to The Light in the Dark)

Hard days

"Holly pick up the phone" Zach says in his voicemail.

"I'm sorry" I whisper into the phone. I went to the store earlier and bought a butt load of stuff for Tyler including clothes, formula, and other necessities.

Tyler starts crying from the other side of the room of the hotel.

"Even I can't cry that much." I say as I reach into the fold up crib and pull Tyler out. "And I know how to cry. I promise." I say as I rock Tyler back and forth. I sit on the bed and then check the time. 1:45. I wonder if Zach would still be up? If he would be okay if I called him? Isn't California a different time period?

"God help me." I whisper holding Tyler and then letting myself cry slightly. "Here. Please go to bed Tyler. I need sleep and then I need to get a flight in the morning please. Please." I beg the kid that can't even understand me. "Deal?" I say holding him up to face me. I see no form of understanding but I put him in the crib anyway.

       I lay in the bed sobbing childishly. Abby had been my only friend for the time that I was in California now somehow she was in Georgia dying making sure her last wishes were to take her son I didn't even know she had.

•••

"come on." I whine as I attempt to pull out my luggage and hold Tyler in the pouch on my chest that I find the handiest. I walk into the airport with my bags that I haven't unpacked since Seattle. I had to leave some of the stuff id bought for Tyler like the car seat but there isn't a way I could've fit that on the plane.

        I go up to the front counter and ask the man. "I need a flight to California please?" I ask more of a question then statement.

       "No can do ma'am the next flight is Wednesday." The man says perkily.

       "Tomorrow?" I ask.

       "Next Wednesday."

        " So your saying there's no flights to California for a week?!" I say exasperated.

       "Nope." The man says popping the 'p'

        Where's someplace I can go and stay a while? Even if I have to rent an apartment or something. I wonder into my thoughts and Seattle comes across my mind. But I wasn't sure id want to be in the same city as Zach. Surely he'd know where I was if I was there.

       "Ma'am there's a line." The guy says.

       "How about Seattle?" I ask nervously.

       "Planes about to leave hurry." He swipes my credit card and I race to the gate that was about to close. I got a seat in the far back beside the bathroom, where nobody else would want to sit.

       "I'm sorry but it's gonna smell back here." I warn Tyler who only giggles and tucks his head into the dip in my neck. Then he tucks his feet up so he's curled in a ball. I sit in the two seated row with nobody near me.

        "Don't wake me up please." I whisper to Tyler and lean my head on the head rest.

Zach's POV

"I'm not coming back next week. I've told you that Garry." I tell the- I'm not even sure anymore.

       "The families like you being here." Garry argues.

       "I need a break." I interrupt and walk into the locker room. I strip from my shirt that I wear for the kids. It has one of the new cartoon characters that I have to act like I know. I change into more casual clothes. I walk out of the hospital and call a cab down to my apartment.

I flick on the lights and examine my empty apartment. It shouldn't be empty. It's barely even my own apartment without her. I lay down on my bed with my phone in my hand.

Hollys POV

"We are gonna be fine. Im going to be fine. Your going to be fine. We gotta visit s friend right now though." I talk to Tyler which I guess is close to talking to myself. "I think we can leave soon though. I've just got to get a flight but we are going to make it."

       "My shoulder hurts let me take this off." I say and somehow make it so I'm just holding Tyler up to my chest. "But as I was saying," I continue. "I wanted to just rent an apartment but it's too late and i told the taxi guy to take us here so now I can't go to a hotel." I sigh. "So we're going to a friends house." I smile sadly.

        "And by the way I know how your life can suck in the first few minutes of your life. You may not know it but your life sucks right now. And I'm only talking this negative because I know you won't remember this when you get older."

        I breathe outwardly when I see the apartment building ahead of me.

        "Shall we try this?" I whisper and then ring the doorbell. I knew it was three o' clock in the morning but I was hoping to still get a response. I look away and when I loom back the door starts to open.

        "Holly?" Zach asks in disbelief while whatever sleepiness washed away with surprise.

        "I know I don't deserve this and I know I'm stupid but I just need to stay here for a few nights maybe? He won't sleep and she doesn't want him in an orphanage so I'm stuck with him. He doesn't cry but he doesn't sleep and I know you work with babies and stuff and I couldn't get a flight from Georgia to California. And then I just lost one of my best friends today and it's just been a really hard day." I say and without meaning to I started crying sometime at the end, letting my emotions just slip out.

         "Here come in its starting to rain." Zach says while placing a hand on my back and guiding me in the apartment where I'd recently left Zach.

        He steps out and grabs my bags and pulls them in.

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Authors note!

Wow... Mind blown.