My Old Friend

Chapter 17

TIM POV: Audrey is wasted. We sit on the edge of the dock with a bottle of wine, and talk about everything under the moon and stars. What I'd give to make this moment last forever...

"I want to have another kid." Audrey slurs slightly, shooting me a drunk smile. I smile back at her, feeling a little tipsy myself. 

"Oh really?" I ask. She laughs. 

"Absolutely. I mean, Addie's the best thing that has ever happened to me. That experience is just... wow... I want to feel that again." She says, getting deep. She takes another swig of wine straight from the bottle. 

"I never got to see any of it." I admit. She looks over at me with a frown. 

"Let's have a baby." Audrey suggests quickly. My eyes widen at her request. 

"What?" I ask, stunned. 

"Let's have a baby. I mean, you never had that experience, and I want to experience it again..." She explains. I smile helplessly. 

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" I laugh. Her face becomes more serious. 

"I mean, a little..." She says, looking out onto the lake. The moonlight reflects off of it, lighting up her face. 

"How so?" I ask, still joking a little. I clearly haven't gotten the hint that she isn't very happy right now. 

"I just used to be so naive, and now... I don't know. It's like everything I thought I knew has been thrown in a blender. I mean, I had this huge plan for my future, and now I have no clue what I'm going to do." She says. I see a tear fall down her cheek. 

"What was your plan?" I ask softly. She looks over at me and laughs through her tears. 

"I would go to college, get my degree, marry you, have a few babies, and settle down." She says, looking down at my hands before looking back out onto the lake. We sit in silence for a moment, until she speaks up. "What was yours?" She asks quietly. I feel myself become numb as realization hits me. 

"My plan..." I stumble a bit for words as my head freezes. "It was to be with you..." I admit. She looks over at me, her blonde curls cascading over her shoulder. She smiles a small bit, then bites her lip, making me lose control. 

"Really?" She asks. I nod. 

"Yeah... I never really dreamed of anything else. Everything I wanted... I wanted because of you." I say. Her smile fades as she nods solemnly. 

"Shit, Tim..." She says, beginning to cry. I turn to face her completely. 

"No, but think about it... I wanted to become a lawyer to support you, I wanted to have kids because they were going to be with you, I-- I wanted to build a big house for you, I wanted to go to college so I could be with you..." I say. She looks away from me. "I wanted to fall in love, because I wanted to fall in love with you..." I touch her arm. She looks back over to me with tears clouding her hazel eyes. I wipe them away, and touch my forehead to hers. She gives up an exhausted laugh. 

"I don't know what to do, Tim..." she cries. She buries her head in my chest, and starts to weep. I rub her back and then whisper in her ear. 

"Let me back in..." I plead. Her arms wrap around me, pulling me closer to her. I feel her pain and anxiety, yet I feel so calm and at ease with her in my arms. I don't feel like this with anyone else. 

"You're getting married..." Her cries are muffled into my shirt. 

"But, I'm not married yet." I say. I bite my lip before spitting out what is really on my mind. "As far as I'm concerned, I was married to you first. You know that just as well as I do." I whisper. She trembles in my arms and begins to sob.