Love Remains The Same

It's Not Over

I was blown away
What could I say?
It all seemed to make sense
You've taken away everything
And I can't do without
I try to see the good in life
But good things in life are hard to find
——It's Not Over, Daughtry

March 2019

Cait dragged herself to work every day, but she was exhausted.  And sick.  And emotional.

She felt worse than she had in a year.  But she kept telling herself that she needed to get over it.  To get over him. 

She knew that if Grayson had proposed to Vanessa, he must be in love with her, their moment of pure insanity in Cabo notwithstanding. She, of all people, knew that Grayson wasn't going to rush into marriage.

And why shouldn't he want to marry her? She was beautiful. She was attentive to him. She could give him a family. And, as Grayson had pointed out, she hadn't left him.

Cait told herself that she had to find a way to move on. It was over. It would get better in time.

But it wasn't getting better.  If anything, she felt worse.  But she kept pushing herself.

She was in her office when the nausea hit again and she knew there was no opportunity to get to the bathroom, even though she had a private one.  She grabbed the trash can and emptied the contents of her stomach.  The sound had Jake poking his head in.

"Jesus, you're still throwing up?" he huffed.  "This has been going on for over a week."

"Just a stomach bug," Cait wheezed.

"No stomach bug lasts this long," Jake frowned. "And you look like hell. Not to mention that you're actually being somewhat nice to me, which means you must be dying."

She tried to shoot him a glare, but she really wasn't up to it. And she wondered briefly if it was really possible to die from a broken heart.

"I'll be fine," she grumbled. "You aren't lucky enough for me to kick the bucket."

But when he heard her again, Jake took matters into his own hands. And made a phone call.

*****
Cait was once again curled up in misery in her apartment when the doorman buzzed. She forced herself over to the intercom and was informed that her stepmother was there to see her. She frowned at that. It was late. She wasn't aware of any plans and Jake hadn't mentioned anything. If he'd forgotten to put something on her calendar, she was going to kick his ass.

She opened the door for Joan, who took one look at her and frowned.  "Jake was right.  You look like hell."

"Glad to see you too," Cait mumbled.  "And Jake should mind his own damn business."

Joan pushed her way in.  "What's wrong with you?"

"Just a stomach thing," Cait muttered.  "I'll live."

"I'll be the judge of that," Joan told her.  "Are you throwing up?"

Cait sank down in a chair and nodded.  She obviously wasn't getting out of this and she didn't have the energy to argue.  "For over a week.  And I'm really tired."