The Callahan Dynasty

Reunite

But I soon realized that what was inside wasn't in fact my food processor.

Surrounded by a whole bunch of bubble wrap was a familiar stuffed animal.

I picked it up tentatively with one hand before quickly dropping it back in the box before Alex saw it.

But I wasn't quick enough.

"Did you seriously just get another elephant from your ex?" Alex asked angrily he looked up from his phone.

I picked up the stuffed animal again, this time with both hands.

I studied it almost too carefully.

Every single part of it.

"It's the same one." I finally concluded as I dropped it back into the box.

Alex stood up and walked towards me. He studied the box Eddie the elephant had come in.

"What's up with this guy anyway? Is he obsessed with you or something?" Alex asked.

I sighed as I walked over to our bedside table to grab a pen and a piece of paper.

I scribbled three words; Stop it Dixon!

We had been going back and fourth like this since I had left with Alex.

I sent Eddie the Elephant to him before I came to Florence as a sort of goodbye because saying goodbye in person would be too hard.

A week later he mailed it to me.

I mailed it back with a note telling him that he should have it since he's the one who won it.
He mailed it back two weeks later saying he wanted me to have it.

And here we were.

"What does he want from you anyway?" Alex asked distastefully as I searched our drawers for a stamp.

"I guess he just wants me to talk to him." I muttered honestly as I grabbed some masking tape and walked back to the box.

"So why don't you?" Alex asked curiously. "You did say he was one of your closest friends, right?"

I sighed.

Why didn't I just call or text or email Dixon?
The same reason I didn't tell him that I was leaving Seattle.

"He wouldn't understand... His always been really headstrong." I explained.

And that was an understatement.

If I had told Dixon I was leaving Seattle with another guy, he would have freaked out and done everything in his power to try and make me stay.

I couldn't blame him. If he had told me he was leaving town with some girl he had barely known for a year, I would freak out too.

But Dixon just wouldn't understand what a ghost town Seattle had become for me.

"Well it kind of looks like he's not going to give up on you anytime soon. You really think it's a good idea to send that thing back?"

"His name is Eddie." I spoke with indignity.

Alex shook his head. "Okay... Well maybe you should... I don't know... keep Eddie?"

"No." I responded immediately.

Alex looked at me in confusion. "Okay, Kate, is it that you're not over this guy?"

"What? Of course I am."

And I was. Dixon and I were a stupid high school couple and our relationship lasted only five months.