No Strings

Chapter 40

He always gave yellow daisies to apologize. I don't know why. Perhaps they were cheap. I found them on my hotel doorstep. I told him where I was staying. The note said, "I love you."

This was, of course, not enough to win me back, but I thought the gesture was sweet.

By evening, I found chocolates on my doorstep. They were the good Godiva kind that people raged about on television. The next message read, "I'm sorry. Forgive me." I wanted to forgive him. I barely had enough money to stay in the hotel for a few more days. I was finding practical limitations. I didn't know that battered women shelters also took emotional abuse victims. But then I didn't know it was emotional abuse. I was still normal.

I found myself on a bus checked out of the hotel heading back for him holding the yellow daisies and half-eaten chocolates. I was running out of money. I didn't have a choice with five hundred dollars in my bank account there wasn't much else I could do.

I found him at home. He hugged me in his arms. It felt good. I forgot all of the anger. All of the times that he threw something at me.

"I want to be able to protect you sweety," he whispered in my ear holding my side. "I missed you. I'm sorry."

The sorries sounded like the sam as Ted's, but that didn't occur to me. I was living in the now. I could put it behind me and forgive him.

He had dinner delivered. Anything I wanted, I could have.

"I'll get better. I'll bring you out to that French restaurant you were eyeing. The expensive one."

I hadn't wanted to go there. I was more interested in what the name of the restaurant meant. I was told it was something cute by a friend, but never found out the meaning.

He kissed my neck. I turned towards him. I was ready to forgive him.