The Everlasting

Twenty Four

Her bowl of Captain Crunch sat untouched as she sat on the couch. She could feel Ivan's eyes on her from his place in the kitchen, but she couldn't lift her eyes from the cereal.

    He sighed heavily and went to pick up her abandoned bowl.

    "I was going to eat it eventually," she said halfheartedly.

    Ivan placed the dish in the sink and came to sit with her.

    "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

    She plastered on a smile and shook her head. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I promise."

    He didn't seem convinced, but let her press herself into him as he turned on the tv for a movie.

    An hour and a half later, she watched in utter bewilderment as the credits rolled by. She hadn't even remembered what the movie was about. She hadn't noticed one scene of the movie.

    She hadn't seen Eli in a week, but she didn't think she could stomach it if she had.

    Ivan placed a hand on her knee. "Hey, what's going on?"

    She gave him her best smile. "It's nothing−"

    "Rose," he stopped her.

    She sighed heavily.

    "I never told you about him. His name's Eli. I knew him back in Weber, but . . . he left. I liked him," she said quietly.

    Without looking at Ivan, she continued, "And then he just shows up here, and  . . . and he tells me why he's here, and what brought him. In one day my life shattered, and I'm not sure how to pick up the pieces."

    She dared a glance at Ivan, but he was expressionless.

    "I'm sorry," she whispered.

    He pulled her into his arms. "I'm not upset with you, Rose."

    She pulled away to look at him. "You're not?"

    "How could I be?"

    Rose felt guilty. He still didn't understand how much he should've been.

    "Let's go out," Ivan suggested.

    "Out?"

    She remembered the last time she went out and how that ended.

    "We can go see a movie, and maybe you can actually see what it's about."