Stronger (Smosh) (3)

20 Unrealistic Hope

WES

TWO WEEKS LATER

She entered the apartment in a rush through the glass sliding door and tossed her purse onto the table, calling, "Alright." A rough sigh escaped her lips as she leaned against the counter and observed the crowded room. I flashed her a shy smile, "The child is taken care of and I am ready to start." She said quickly, placing her hands on her hips as she took a few steps toward the cluster of boxes that I stood in.

"You seem excited," I said hopelessly and turned away to look at all of the boxes crowding my feet, asking gently, "Do you have the key?"

She nodded once, her smile fading as she met my eyes, "Apartment 6A, it should only be a few doors down."

"Are you sure about this?" I asked as I stepped toward her, mentioning Jillian, adding, "She may not handle it very well."

"She will have to," She told me quietly and my heart dropped lower in my chest. I forced myself to nod once, my eyes turning away. We agreed that we didn't want the company while moving out, not needing the judgmental glares from our friends as we passed on the sidewalk. We aren't married or together, she was right, but it still hurt. The spark was gone. I wanted her, but there was nothing to keep. Jillian was holding us together, but also preventing us from moving on.

For the next few hours, we transported the boxes back and forth. Most of Jillian's furniture remained at my house, but her toys were packaged and sent a few doors down, "You've got a nice place," I said to her, observing that the rooms were slightly bigger than in my apartment, "We will have to have dinner together some nights," I suggested, adding quickly, "for Jillian."

"Yeah, we should do that for her," She said quietly, a light huff escaping her lips as we moved through the boxes and into Jillian's future room. She described what she wanted it to look like and we traveled to the store, spending a few hundred dollars on baby furniture and walking the heavy boxes up the stairs of her apartment.

We left it unassembled and returned to my apartment, "I'm exhausted," She said, glancing at the clock to notice that the day was almost over.

"You should go relax," I suggested, motioning to the stairs, "With Jillian at Ian's, we have the night to ourselves. You should take a nap and enjoy the quiet for a little while." There was a quiet pause, one where she hesitated to speak, and I continued, saying, "Is there anything I can do to make the transition easier for her?"

"She's tough," Eden told me with a shy smile on her lips, adding, "She's been asking for a Barbie dream house." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully as she took a step in my direction and I smiled.

"Of course," I said, slightly rolling my eyes, adding, "I just purchased a whole new set of furniture, but the baby bird gets what the baby bird wants." I smirked at her and she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around me and resting her head on my chest. I paused for a moment before wrapping my arms around her, holding her firmly against me as I shut my eyes.

The scent of her perfume sent me back to that night in the cabin. I was lost in thought as she stepped away from me, calling softly, "Thank you for everything, Wes," She said with a shy smile pulling at her lips and I nodded, watching as she turned to walk up the stairs.

I cooked dinner, her favorite, and had it on the table by the time I walked upstairs. She was dressed in an oversized shirt with her pajama pants sitting low on her hips. Her hair was tossed into a messy bun and her eyes were only half open as she stumbled into the bathroom, "I look hideous," I heard her say through the closed door and let out a slight laugh, "I can hear you!" She exclaimed, opening the door to glare at me for a moment.