Worth Living For

Chapter 22

Eventually, the coffee shop closed, and we were kicked out of the place. Instead of Gerard dragging me home like I had expected, he led me to the lake.

It was late, so the only light sources were the city lights. We stood together on the empty bridge, leaning up against the side and looking out at where the water met the skyline. I wasn't sure why he had brought me here, but i waited patiently until he wanted to tell me.

"This is the spot where I met Delilah," he told me. There was a long pause, and I waited for him to continue, knowing he wasnt near finished. "I never had any friends, either. Growing up in New York, you would expect that I would be familiar with at least a few people as an adult; but I wasnt. I came here the day before my first day of art school, to try to calm down and plan out what I hoped would happen the next day. Seeing me standing here alone, Delilah approached me. 'Im usually not the kind of person to just walk up to people like this,' were her first words to me. I had asked her why she had to me. She simply shrugged, telling me that she had no idea. And we became best friends." he said, smiling. "Anyway, I wanted to bring you here and tell you this because I wanted you to know that there are a lot of people out there. Ava wont be your only chance at having true friend. After finishing high school, I had convinced myself, and accepted, that I would live my life without any friends or someone to love," he paused, thinking intently about the last statement, before continuing. "Then I met Delilah, and later on, you. I dont have doubts anymore. And you shouldnt either. Have hope, Frank, that youll meet a true friend thats even better than Ava was. Because you will, I promise you."

I sighed. I had been silent throughout his whole speech, just standing there and watching him talk to me. And now that I was given the chance to talk, I had no idea what I was supposed to say. "You make a lot of promises." I spit out without thinking first.

"But I've never broken one." he pointed out. "Do you believe me? That I'll keep the promises I've made to you?"

"Of course." I replied automatically.

"Good." he smiled, taking my hand and leading me off the bridge and back to our home.

~

A few weeks passed, and every second that I wasn't thinking about Gerard, I was thinking about how badly I needed a job. No matter how many times Gerard assured me that he could take care of all of us and that there was no need for me to get a job, I didn't feel complete without having a job. I felt like I wasn't earning my living, like I was being handed everything, which I was. And thats why I needed to work.

I walked into the kitchen one morning, announcing that I was going job hunting that day.

He sighed. "I guess theres no convincing you." he walked over to me and kissed my forehead, pushing a mug of coffee into my hands. "Wake yourself up, and we'll be off."

"I want to go by myself." I stated, surprising the both of us. "I mean, it's nothing against you, of course. It's just-"

"You want to feel independant, like you can do something on your own. I understand, my love." He smiled, assuring me that he wasn't the least bit upset.

"Thank you." I replied. I finished my coffee at the table with him, listening to him tell me how Delilah had left that morning for another last minute trip to Florida, and how she didn't know when she would be back this time. I merely nodded as he explained everything, secretly relieved that we would finally have the house to ourselves for a while.

"If I can't come with you, you've got to at least let me help you get ready." He insisted, following me into the bedroom.

My clothes had found their way into Gerard's drawers and closet weeks ago. Neither of us had seemed to mind it, so they stayed. It made me feel more at home, and he knew that, so my clothes had filled the empty spaces in the drawers that Gerard's clothes did not.