City Of Dreams

Sixty-Eight

The sun started to disappear behind the buildings as it set.

We climb down the fire escape and onto the ground.

"Thank God. Darren was made for several things but sitting on a roof isn't one of them."

Darren mutters.

Addie smiled.

I made an effort to focus on her eyes.

After about five minutes of trying to look at them without looking insane, I caught her eyes.

They still sparkled.

After all the shit she's gone through, she's still got the spark.

Some flames never burn out.

I chuckle softly to myself and look back at the ground.

I don't hear Addie when she asks me about the other night.

Her voice is one of the loudest in my head, but when she actually speaks I can't hear a word she says.

I suck in a breath and ask her to repeat herself.

"Are you ok? From....the other night?"

I never told her who brought me home.

She would get upset.

I don't want to upset her anymore than I already did.

"Yeah."

I say, so quietly I'm sure she didn't hear me over the volume of people around us.

My hands journey to my jacket pockets and nestle in them.

I jump out onto a limb and say something I wasn't going to.

"I'm sorry about the blanket."

I cringe in on myself, taking the hands out of my pockets and wrapping them around me.

Chris gives her a look, but she is calm.

"It isn't your fault."

I say something else I wasn't going to say.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here."

She shook her head.

"Charlo-"

I stop walking.

The number of people around us simplifies to only a few.

"No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you lost your kids. I'm sorry I wasn't here when Oak asked for a divorce. I'm sorry I wasn't here to flip off the cameras that asked about you guys."

I motion to Addie and Chris.

"You don't need to a-"

I pull my jacket tighter around me and continue.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you lost your baby. I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you needed me."

Her eyes are sad, but the spark still lingers.

"I'm sorry I almost stayed away."

The leash she's holding slips from her grasp.

Darren jumps down and grabs it before the dog runs off.

He picks up the creature and pets it's head.

"I'm sorry wasn't here for either of you. I'm sorry I left you alone. I'm sorry that I was a terrible friend and a terrible wife. I just wanted to he-"

Addie does the thing like in the graveyard the other day where she interrupts me to hold onto my neck.

One thing I've learned about Addie.

She always hugs up around your neck instead of your waist.

"This was perfect. Let's keep it that way. Ok?"

I nod into her pink hair.

Darren puts Usher down and he skips happily to Addie's side.

She giggles sadly and lets go of me to pet the dog.

"Don't apologize. I understand. You couldn't have known."

Couldn't you have?

Tell her the truth, Charlotte.

Tell her about your dad.

Tell her about Marcus.

Tell her about us, Charlotte.

I groan, but pass it off as a cough and lean down to pet the dog.

The voices in my ear get so loud, I don't hear the other three talk about getting dinner.

"....think, Charlotte?"

I manage to catch from Darren's mouth.

Usher sneezes again.

I nod.

"Uh yeah. Sure that's cool."

Usher is pulled away by his leash and starts walking away.

I notice the sun is gone and the stars are out.

I stand up and get dizzy again.

"Charlotte? Are you ok?"

I nod.

"Stood up too fast."