The Neighbors

Chapter 16

After the blizzard, I had to try very hard to stop thinking about Harry and how much fun we had when we were snowed in with him and and when we celebrated his birthday. I also couldn't forget how it felt to sleep next to him, like I fit right into him.

There were moments when I just wanted to scream at myself for being so stupid. Why had I let myself fall for an 18-year-old? Was I really that lonely?

No, I wasn't lonely at all. Harry was just really amazing.

I kept telling myself that my feelings would eventually die down, that I wouldn't be attracted to him forever and that I would learn how to just be his friend again.

I knew there was no way I could act on my feelings, even though I was fairly certain that Harry felt the same way. It wouldn't be fair to him. He was young and had his whole life and career ahead of him. It would be good for him to find a woman his age who was just starting out as he was. I couldn't expect him to want a ready-made family like mine.

He hadn't even started college yet. There was so much for him to learn and discover. He would undoubtedly be discovering new things about himself as well. The college years were so formative for me. I could only imagine that Harry would have some self-revelations once he got out from under his father's roof. 

All I could do was to pray that I could keep my emotions in check. I couldn't exactly forbid Harry to come over because he was such a good friend. I didn't want to hurt him and I wanted the girls to maintain a relationship with him. So when he came over, I kept my distance, physically and emotionally. We still talked, but I tried to keep our conversations light.

Rachael turned one in January, and I turned 29 a few days later. I couldn't believe how fast the last year had flown by and how much my life had changed. I got a divorce and learned my ex-husband didn't even want his own children. I met Harold, Charlie and Harry, and Harry became my best friend. My girls were growing like weeds and Aurora would be starting kindergarten in the coming fall. I was quite thankful and content with the ways things had worked out over the past year.

That was until my meager savings started to run out. Eric had never been completely faithful to paying child support, but since he came to visit, he hadn't sent any payments at all. Now it was going on three months without any additional help from him, and I was quickly using up my emergency savings. I was never one to worry about money, but now the situation was getting a little desperate.

Before calling my parents to confide in them, I called my protective pitbull of a brother, Ryan. We didn't talk on the phone a whole lot, but we regularly emailed each other and chatted on Facebook from time to time, so he wasn't entirely unaware of my situation. When we talked on the phone or visited in person, it was always like picking up where we left off the last time.

"Hi, Ry," I said after he answered the phone.

"Hey, Lissy!" He said. I really hated his nickname for me, but I allowed it since it hadn't caught on with anyone else. And Ryan was the kind of brother who would take a bullet for me, so I couldn't complain.

"Hey, so I need some advice," I began.

"Who is he?" Ryan asked, laughing.

"It's not that, you goof. I need advice about Eric. He stopped sending child support payments and money is getting really tight." I was happy to confide in Ryan because, not only was he the most protective big brother around, he was also a lawyer. It was pretty clear that I was legally entitled to child support payments, but I didn't want things to get ugly.

"That son of a b*tch," he grumbled. "Call your lawyer, Lise!"

"I know," I sighed. "I just don't want Eric to get mad at me."