When it Happened *(Completed) EDITING

CHAPTER 6

I see that Lyla notices him walking in as if he still lives here. She runs toward him, just like she did as a child. Still heartwarming to see.

"Daddy" she expresses with her arms around his neck. My heart drops every time she calls Michael Daddy, even at 22, she'll always be her daddy's little girl.

I then look over to Linda as she's raising her hands saluting him. I have to laugh. Linda had never been fond of Michael, even now after all these years, she still doesn't understand why I married him, knowing I wasn't sexually attracted to him. I walk toward Lyla and Michael as they're hugging each other.

"Nice for you to come, Michael," I say welcoming him with a fake smile. He'll be late for his own funeral just like I always say.

"I'm sorry for being late, last-minute arrangements at work" he stutters and there it is, right away I can tell this is an excuse for him having his regular office round-about sexual activities. I can smell, a woman's perfume on his suit. Nothing's changed

"Daddy come, I want to introduce you to some friends, and A friend," she says as she's glowing, pulling his arm as she's dragging him. He turns to me and whispers "Did she say a Friend?" I guess.

I shrug my shoulders and look over Michael and see Linda giving him the finger. I turn and chuckle.

I think the friend Lyla was talking about is Brad. The young man Joseph, wait, he doesn't like to be called by his birth name, that Joe insisted, I made his day. Why would he even notice, how or why, I made his day? It's strange, how I bump into this young man at a coffee shop who made me so nervous, I couldn't see right and felt a strong energy, show up in my house days later. What are the odds, I keep telling myself? 

 I definitely hit a nerve, when I snapped at him earlier in the kitchen. I could tell, I upset him, that he had to go and use the bathroom. It's ridiculous to think I could have an effect on him so strongly, and yet we're strangers.

It's 10:30, The party is somewhat dying down and relieved to say, Linda and Lexi have managed to leave in one piece. I look around the yard to see if there's any more garbage or food laying out. Everything cleared, just some towels drying on some of the tables I rented. I can get those tomorrow, I say to myself. The weather says it's going to be a sunny weekend. So they'll dry themselves by morning. 

 Despite my latest run-in with Joe, I think It all went according to plan. Another successful gathering, entertaining made easy. Come to think of it, he didn't even say goodbye, bummer! How awkward that would have been. Would he have given me a hug goodbye? I have to laugh at the thought. No Alix he wouldn't have

Michael and I got along, as well as expected. We try to stay civil for Lyla's sake, even though he feels resentment towards me, filing for divorce. But as I said before, the smell of women's perfume, was my answer to all the prayers I prayed for.

Now, it's time for my alone time. I need to meditate. Too much excitement for one week. I'm in dire need for my late-night swim and maybe read one of my favorite books, Wuthering Heights, it's one that caught my interest back in college when Lexi and I took English Literature together.

Lyla is with some of her friends that's stayed behind to keep the celebration going. What can I say, the youth, they can stay up all night and still get up bright and early. I can be jealous at times since I never did I get a chance to experience it. It's never too late, as they always say.

I finished cleaning some more stuff inside the house. I'm exhausted, but I still changed into my swimsuit. I grabbed my towel, wrapped it around my waist and headed back down to the kitchen.