Love Remains The Same

No Good In Goodbye

Where's the good in goodbye?
Where's the nice in nice try?
Where's the us in trust gone?
Where's the soul in soldier on?
Now I'm the lone in only
'Cause I don't own you only
I can take this mistake
But I can't take the ache from heartbreak
——No Good in Goodbye, The Script

September 2018

Between starting classes and work, Cait was insanely busy. She started her days at 5:00 a.m. with a three mile run and ended them after midnight. She hardly ate or slept, but being busy kept the hurt at bay. This was her life now and she was determined to get used to it.

It had taken nearly a month for Wendell Carter to finally track her down, but he was a man on a mission. She heard the voices outside her office one afternoon and the door shot open.

"Dammit, Mama, you're gonna talk to me." The voice made Cait's head snap up from the report she was reading.

"Sorry, boss," Jake appeared behind him. "I told him you were busy but he's a lot bigger than me.  No idea how he got by security."

"I turned down Harvard," Wendell scoffed.  "Not to mention that I was just a lottery pick in the draft, so I'm kinda well known.  If I couldn't figure that out, Mama over there would be embarrassed by me."

"Call off security, Jake," Cait sighed.  "He's harmless.  Can we get you anything Wendell?"

"I don't suppose you got any peanut butter cookies around, huh?" Wendell grinned. 

"Sorry," Cait managed a smile.  "Jake, see what you can do about getting Wendell a snack and a Gatorade.  He likes purple."

"That's my Mama," Wendell beamed and charged around her desk to hug her.

Cait barely made it out of her chair before she was engulfed in the embrace.  Unexpected tears sprang to her eyes, but she swallowed them down.  "Okay, okay," she finally got out.  "Don't break me in half, please."

"Wouldn't be hard to do," Wendell frowned at her.  "You way too skinny, Mama."

"I'm fine, Wendell," she sighed.  "Just busy.  But sit down and tell me how you're doing.  And then tell me why you're here."

He ignored the first part of her direction and narrowed his eyes.  "I'm here," he snapped, "because you don't answer texts or phone calls.  Not from me, or Marvin, or Tre, or Gary.  And we're all gettin' kinda pissed at you."

"I'm sorry, Wendell." Cait ran an hand into her hair.  "I'm just really busy.  And you guys have plenty of other stuff to worry about."

"You sayin' you're too busy for us?" he asked, the hurt evident in his voice. 

"No, of course not," Cait looked at him.  "Wendell, please try to understand.  It's hard for me to -"

"Nuh uh," Wendell wagged a finger at her.  "You and G mighta broke up, which is a subject we'll deal with in a few minutes.  But you can't dump us."

"I wouldn't dump you," she whispered.  "I just need to get myself straightened out.  And you guys have whole new lives to live.  The season is almost here.  You should concentrate on what's ahead of you."