THE SPACE BETWEEN

Chapter 52

'Sit, sit.' She motioned to the couch and poured me a big glass of wine.

'We've come a long way since the days when we inhaled chips, pretzels and candy bars to counteract the trying times in our lives.' I smiled.

'But never to be forgotten. I knew when I found someone who could simultaneously bitch, cry and laugh that we were going to be steadfast friends.' 

'The good old/bad old days.' I forced a smile at the thought of how history seemed to be repeating itself.

'You didn't elaborate on the phone, but now that you're here I'm going to ask. What's going on?'

'You're so subtle sometimes.' I took a swig of wine and rolled my eyes. 'I mentioned surrogacy to Shannon.'

'Oh good! How did that go?'

'Like a comedic nightmare.'

Chelsea looked at me questioningly.

'He threw a fit and stormed out. When he returned he had a girl with him that he proposed could be our surrogate and I was welcome to join in the conception process.'

Chelsea lunged for a napkin as she tried not to choke on an olive. Her reaction was quite the opposite of what I expected, and I watched as she was consumed by laughter.

'You can't make something like that up.' She gasped for air.

She was right, this really wasn't all that far removed from some of the ridiculous shit I'd been through with my ex, and her laughter was contagious. With all the choking and snorting going on the situation seemed even funnier, but that only lasted a short time before I broke down in tears.

'Now, now. Shannon may turn himself around.' Chelsea squeezed my shoulder.

'He said he blacked out that night, but I can't let go of the thought that he'd already screwed that girl before bringing her home. He just doesn't want to remember.'

'Come right out and ask him then.'

'I'm afraid if I started going off on him that I wouldn't be able to stop. Why add more fuel to the fire? Maybe eventually we'll settle into a place other couples do. We'll simply learn to tolerate each other enough to coexist peacefully. I don't know.'

'Don't try and tell me you don't deserve to be happy. You need more than that. When you lived in your previous situation it slowly destroyed you. Is that what you really want?'

'I honestly don't know what I want anymore. I don't have any interest in anything lately. I just exist. I finally made an appointment with a psychiatrist to talk about my depression and insomnia.'

'See...you knew what needed done. That's a step in the right direction.' Chelsea said sympathetically.

'Was that your phone or mine?' Chelsea stood to find her phone while I dug in my purse for mine.

'It's mine. It's Shannon.' I said as I fished my phone out of my purse.

'Did you make it to Chel's safely?' He wrote.

'Yes.' I replied quickly.

'Is the appointment with a lawyer?'

'WHAT THE FUCK!' I screeched.

'What? What's wrong?' Chelsea practically jumped on my shoulder to read the text. 'Oh Lordy.'

'No, should it be?' I typed quickly.

'Don't send that!' Chelsea scolded.

'Why not?' I snapped at her. 'If that's what he thinks then that's it. If he's done, then I'm done too!'