Stuck in the in-between.

Hello again old friend.

I got into my silver Nissan rogue that seriously needed a car wash. Empty water bottles and gum wrappers filled the passenger seat. I pulled out of the complex parking garage, my car read that it was 97 degrees outside.

"Of course today has to be the hottest day," I said rolling down my windows. I drove 10 minutes to the closest CVS.

"I hope they have this stupid tape," I said pushing the gum wrappers off my wallet. I got out of the car and headed towards the automatic doors. The doors whooshed open and I stood looking up at the aisle numbers to find where the tape would be.

"Aisle 7" I whispered to myself. I walked down the aisle looking on both sides to see if they had the tape that I needed. Halfway down the aisle, I looked up to see that the tape I needed was placed on the highest self.

" Wonderful," I said out loud trying to strategize a plan to get up there. I put my sneaker up on the second self in between the magazines and the glues and lifted myself halfway up when I saw a hand reach out in front of me and grab the tape.

"Oh thank you so much," I said hopping down and dusting off my shirt. I put my hand out for the tape and began to look up at the person.

"It doesn't help to be 5 foot 2 sometim...." my words got cut off, my eyes locked eyes with the person, my heart dropped, and my blood got cold.

"AJ?" I said lowering my hand.

"You're welcome," he said holding out the tape expecting me to take it from him.

"You, you're back? Why are you back?" I said reaching out and taking the tape with my left hand

"I got back yesterday, well my plane got in early this morning so I guess you can say today," he said glancing over at my left hand.

"You're engaged?" he said looking up from my hand to stare at my face. He clearly looked like he was in shock.

"Oh yeah, I am" I softly said looking down at my hand.

"Well then in that case I guess congrats is in order," A.J said firmly.

"Thank you," I said looking up at him.

"Last time I heard you were stationed in Japan, are you here visiting your family or something?" I said.

"No actually, my five-year contract is up so I'm here for good now," he said looking past me. Wow, five years already I thought to myself, it went by so quickly, He was staring intently at someone behind me.

"Oh well welcome home," I said turning around to see what he was looking at. I saw a vague image of his mom walking up the aisle to where we were.

"I should get going, I have to finish up packing," I said turning back around to look at him.

"You're moving?" he said in a concerned tone.

"Just down the street to a bigger condo, like the ones that look out onto the water," I said starting to walk away from him.

"I'll see you around I guess," I said as his mother met up to us.

"Victoria?, Is that you?" his mother said placing her hand on my shoulder.

"How are you sweetie?" she said looking at me with a huge smile.

"I'm doing pretty good thank you," I said smiling back at her.

"We miss you, I haven't seen you in a few months, hows that guy of yours, what's his name again, Nick?"

"Noah," I said looking up at AJ.

"Oh yes how is Noah?" she said.

"He is doing well, him and I are engaged now," I said looking back down at her.

"Oh," she said looking up at A.J.

"Well congrats," she said looking back down at me.

"You should come over for dinner one night." She said looking down at my ring.

"You know me and Noah are moving, this week and it's all very stressful, so it may be a little hard to get around to that," I said moving my hand behind my back a little.

"Oh well, you know where to find us, if you change your mind.... Oh and bring Noah too, I would love to see him again." She said taking a step back towards A.J

"I will let you know thank you!" I said through my teeth as I smiled.

"I should get going, nice seeing you both," I said looking at A.J.

"Take care" he murmured. I paid for the tape and walked out of CVS.

The sky was less blue now, it was more of a grey color. The heat became humidity. I unlocked my car and quickly got in. I pushed the start button but couldn't get myself to drive away. I stared out the windshield at all the cars parked in the parking lot as rain starting to fall on the windshield I wiped my cheeks.

" What is this?" I said confused

"I'm crying," I said as more teardrops fell from my eyes. I looked out my side window and saw A.J and his mom walking out of CVS. I locked eyes with him, he stopped in his place. I wiped my tears away, put my seat belt on, and started to drive away. The whole car ride home was a blur, the next thing I knew I was parked in the garage. I grabbed the tape from the passenger seat and slowly walked up the four flights of steps to the front door of my apartment. I saw the movers walking in and out of the door. I put my keys along with my wallet and tape on the kitchen counter.

" Where have you been?, I've been trying to call you," Noah said with an angry tone. I looked at his face and saw that he was talking but I couldn't hear him it all sounded like white noise.

"I'm sorry, what?" I said snapping out of it.

"Are you listening to me, the movers are here we need to finish this last box" he said looking at me.

" Like now!" he shouted.

"Yeah, okay," I said walking over the packed boxes and into the bathroom closing the door and locking it.

"Vic? Vic, I'm sorry I didn't mean to raise my voice" Noah said knocking softly on the door.

"Victoria? Please come out I'm sorry"

"It's fine Noah, just give me a minute, go help the movers put the boxes on the truck, I'll be right out," I said looking into the bathroom mirror as I let the tears fall into the sink, my hands pressed up against the bathroom sink. I looked down at my hand and how the 6-carat ring sat perfectly on my finger, it never moved, it never shifted. It's supposed to be there, he's the one I thought to myself as I lifted my hands to brush off the tears that lingered on my cheeks. I took a step back, took a deep breath and left the bathroom with a bit of uncertainty