Charlotte's Story

Ice Cream Date

Renee's POV:

Before Ryder left my condo, he asked me one last question.

"You meant every last word?" Ryder asked, staring at me.

I shake my head, not wanting to ruin this moment with words.

"I have to go," he said, walking to his car on the street. I watch as he walks away from me again; this time, I do not follow.

Daisy is at my condo ten minutes later. "He showed up just like that?" She asks, passing Sophia over to me. She was grabbing her bottle out of her bag.

"Just like that" I watch as Sophia slid the placemat around the table.  Daisy and Sophia had become one of my most popular topics.

I came clean to Daisy after Ryder broke up with me. "A blog?" she asked me.

"A blog," I repeated; the apartment felt empty without Ryder in it. He left the table, and I wondered if he would ever come back to get it.

"And I am in this blog?" she asked, looking at the laptop.

"You have your own section; Ryder had his own section, along with Mandy, Josh, and Luke." I winced.

"A section?"

"If your name is in any of my blogs, you can click on your name on the right-hand column, and all the stories you are ever in will pop up in a list." I watch as she drags the mouse over and clicks on her name. The list covers the screen from top to bottom.

"There are a lot of them," she said, her eyes widening.

"You kind of are my best friend," I said to her; she smiled, shutting the screen.

"You are not mad?" I asked, sitting down on the couch next to her; I didn't know what I would do if Daisy decided to leave me too.

"No, I'm kind of flattered, actually. I always knew you kept a journal, but I didn't know that it was a job, actually."

"Just a job that puts out personal details about all the people I love and care about" I shrugged.

Daisy spent the night sleeping on the couch. She woke me early in the morning. "I love it," she said, sliding into bed with me. "I'm not even halfway through, but this is amazing. You don't write anything horrible about any of us either. The only drama there is or was, is Ryder and you."

I covered my face, not wanting to hear his name. "I support you," Daisy said as she sat in my bed reading my blog.

Fast forward a year later, Daisy gets married to Tom, her college boyfriend, they had dated a year and a half, and she was in love. She was knocked up one month later, and along came Sophia, her pride and joy. There were polls for pregnancy on what the girl's name should be. Daisy loved it. I tribute many blogs to her and Tom.

"What do you think he will do?" Daisy asks now, filling up Sophia's bottle, and then hands it to me. I was Sophia's godmother.

"I don't know," I shrug, tipping Sophia back so I can feed her. "And I finally said yes to George."

"You said yes to a book?"

"Not yes, but maybe."

"That is the same thing to George," she says, laughing.

"I know."

"Do you still love him?" she asks, her eyes meeting mine.

"Of course, but I know nothing about him now. It's been two years, two years I have missed out on."

"Two years he missed out on."

"Doesn't seem like he missed me a lot if he is getting married. And I'm supposed to meet Luke in an hour for ice cream, and I don't know how I am not going to talk to him about this."

Daisy cracked a smile. "At least you have something to blog about now." I throw an unused diaper at her from her diaper bag.

"Thanks, ya jerk."

An hour later, I am standing outside waiting for Luke to arrive for our ice cream date. "Hey," he calls to me.

"Hey"

He waits to say anything until we are in line.

"So, what did you do?"

"What?" I ask, taking a bite out of my plain vanilla ice cream. Luke had a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a billion toppings.

"To my brother?" he smiles. "He is a wreck."

"How do you know it was me?" I ask, offended.

"Because.... The last time he looked this bad was the last day he saw you." he paused, thinking about it. "And if it is you and not his soon-to-be bride causing this, I am happy."

"Why would you be happy over something like that, Luke?"

"Because if Ryder ends up with anyone other than you, I will lose complete faith in Love and will know it is a sham."

"Things don't work out that way."

"Well, they should," he said, throwing his half-eaten ice cream away.

I laughed before falling asleep that night; it would be like Ryder to show up in my life and just leave without resolving it. There was part of me that wished he never showed his face again. It was too hard recalling our first time around.