Olivia Graham was twenty-two when she started a whirlwind romance with charismatic Jakob overseas.
By age twenty-five, Liv was back home and checking off the widowed box on paperwork. With zero plans, Olivia and beloved dog Snuggles find themselves...
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Once I am off work on Monday afternoon, I decide to find the courage and go to Olivia's house. Thankfully, Sean's car is not in the driveway.
Standing on her porch, trying to summon courage. Come on, come on, come on. Ring it. Okay.
I ring the bell and wait on pins and needles. When she opens her green door, I give her a gentle smile.
"Hi, Liv."
She blinks at me, but she gives me a tentative smile hello anyway. "Hi, Chris. What are you doing here?"
"Um, you look nice," I offer, eyeing her jeans and black v-neck shirt. She has her hair pulled up high and is wearing silver hoop earrings and a green gemstone pendant that I know Mia gave her.
I know everything between us has been screwed up for months and that it's my own fault, but I need her. She has my whole heart, and with all the tenderness I still have buried deep in my cold exterior, it's all for Olivia Graham.
She gives me another smile. "Thank you."
I clear my throat, rubbing the back of my neck. "I mean, beautiful. You're so beautiful, sweetheart. And I'm sorry for so much. I'm getting ahead of myself."
She shakes her head a little. "Thank you. So, um, what's up?" She leans against the doorway.
"I'd like to have a long talk with you. Can we have dinner together?"
Her eyebrows are pinched together at my request. "What would you like to talk about?"
I reach forward to touch her warm palm with my fingertips. "A lot of things. Your family, my family, Jakob, Sean, Casey. Please, can we talk?"
Her eyes are filled with tears. I step forward, brushing hair away from her face. "Honey, what's? What's wrong?"
"I don't know who to trust anymore, Chris."
Her voice is tremulous, and the Bat-Signal I have for her in my heart lights up. Whatever she is trying to express about trusting people, I can tell it's something I don't want her ever to feel.
I lace my fingers through hers, holding our joined hands up by her shoulder. "I will tell you the truth. Even if it hurts."
"I'm thinking of leaving here."
No. Not the answer. "Please. Let me come pick you up at five-thirty, and we'll have dinner together. Don't be sad," I encourage. "I will tell you anything you want to know about the accident."
She nods, a gentle smile for me still, and sniffles once, blinking tears away furiously. I kiss her hand. "I'll be back at five-thirty."
She's still standing in the doorway as I back away from her porch. My drive home is spent rehearsing the things I want to say. I continue my speech in the shower. Then in the mirror, as I get dressed.
