The Longest Goodbye

Four

                           James

As I drive down the highway, I and Clare enjoy the silence that fills the car. It seems like it's been years since we've heard silence, and it just might have been. So having it is like music to our ears.

After an hour of it, Clare looks over at me with a frown. "Did you notice how tierd Jade looked?"

I think back to when she had walked into the kitchen and talked with us. As I study my picture of her in my head I do realize that she had dark circles under her eyes that her makeup couldn't hide, and she had appeared to lost some weight.

"Come to think of it, she did look a bit off. Maybe it's stress from work. Jacob told me that she was having trouble with one of her employees."

Clare straightened. "Like what?"

"He told me that while he was up there with Robin's cat, he could hear Jade yelling at someone in her office. The whole waiting room heard it, and it didn't sound too pretty either."

"Wonder what it was about."

I shrug not sure myself. "I don't know, Jacob said that he just decided to leave it alone."

Clare leaned back in her seat to think. "You know, Lisa mentioned something to me about taking her dog down there, and noticing that Jade looked like she had been crying."

I glance over at my wife. "Why would she be crying?"

"I have no idea, and Lisa told me that she had asked Jade if something was wrong, but you know how Jade is. She never talks about anything personal."

I sigh, knowing she's right. "At least she has Drake to talk too."

Clare's smile breaks. "Of course she does. I don't know why they don't just get married. They love each other and don't even know it."

I shake my head. "You women are just too complicated."

"What do you mean?" Clare gives me that look that says, 'you better word this right'.

"I mean that when y'all feel something, you always keep it inside until it explodes into our faces. Like Jade's keeping her love from Drake, and when it comes time for it to surface, he's going to get all confused and react wrong and mess everything up and then Jade will take his reaction wrong. That's one thing I've never been able to understand about y'all. You keep your feelings hidden."

"Well that is true, but you men always push your feelings away. Instead of hiding them, you don't want to feel them at all."

I think about this for a moment. "I guess you're right on that one."

She reaches over and grabs my hand. I love the familiar feel of her smooth hand in mine. "Do you remember what you told me on our first date?"

It is a random question, so it takes me a minute to think about it. "I believe so; you asked me if I believed in true happiness."

She smiles at me. "Yep, and what did you tell me?"

I smile remembering how she had kissed me after I had answered. "I said, Yes everytime I look at you."

"You know that's the moment I fell in love with you."

I pull her hand up to my lips and kiss it. "I fell in love with you at first sight."

She giggles. "You were so shy when we first met. Do you remember when you were driving me back home that night, and the truck ran out of gas?"

I laugh. "Of course I do. I still have knee problems from pushing that thing all the way to your house."