Love Conquers All

Chapter 2 -- Running Home

"Christopher? Christopher!"

"Yes momma?"

"You're not happy with the pheasant?"

"What? Oh no momma, the bird is fine"

"You seem to be a million miles away"

"No, I'm fine momma"

"So you've been here three days Christopher. Do you want to tell me why? And don't tell me because of the Company because the plant is closed for the holiday. You did this when you were a kid. You'd hole up in your room or stay on the island all day moping."

"So what's her name? Don't look at me like that Christopher. This is about a woman isn't it? You haven't been home for Christmas for years and you call me then just show up."

This was a stare down that Christopher LaSalle was not going to win.

"Her name is Sonja momma. I screwed up momma and there's no fixing it. She's moved on and I let her go."

"Are you sure son?"

"Yes momma – that ship has sailed.

"Why would you say that?

"I never told her how I felt. Actually I would never allow myself to act on how I felt. She wanted to see if there could be something and I just shut her down.

We went through a bad stretch in our professional and personal relationships where she got mad at me and didn't want to be around me. King finally called her on it. She came around. It got better but we never were able to fully recover the closeness that we had.

Our co-workers noticed and got drug into the mess. Then she just disappeared. She came back for a while, but it was obvious she wasn't happy. After she almost died in a case, she finally just folded her hand and walked away.

Gregorio lost it. I withdrew and put everything into the job. I started to hold up at the house or drinking too much.

Pride getting shot pulled our attention away from her absence but once he came back we started to notice how much of a void there was in the office and with the team.

So here I am momma. I thought that the change of scenery might help. But it's just given me more time to realize how much that I really miss her and how badly I really screwed up."

"Have you tried contacting her son?"

"What would I say momma? Hey Percy, this is the country hick that told you a year ago to get lost?"

"Be honest son. Let her know that you have had a lot of time to think and that you were wrong. Ask her if you can come see her or at the least converse and try to re connect as friends."

"Okay, I'll think about it Momma."