7

Back in the house, I pulled off my now wet layers and left them piled on the floor mat. Chilled, I grabbed the lighter off the mantle in the livingroom and started piling logs and old newspapers in the fireplace. A few minutes later it seemed to have caught well. Grabbing the fluffy blanket I kept on my reading chair, to wrap around my shoulders, then went back in the kitchen. I filled the teapot with water and turned on the stove to start it heating. Turning to a dripping mess by the door, I scooped up my wet outerwear and hung it all on the drying rack in front of the fire. By this time, I could hear the teapot starting to whistle and got a mug, a tea bag a honey from the cabinet. The earthy fragrance steamed up out of the mug as I poured the water. Two good squeezes of honey went in next and a spoon to stir as I walked to the now cozy livingroom. I pushed open the green curtains covering the windows that spanned one wall of the room and then climbed into my comfy chair. The chair was an oversized poof ball, so that it swallowed you up as you sank into it, cozy and comfortable. It was situated in the corner of the livingroom between the fireplace and the bay windows, so I could look out the window or at the fire.

Cozy and content now that I was warming up, my mind was left to wander. Jamie. I felt like kicking myself, he shouldn't be the first thing I think of. It felt like I was betraying Charlie, who for almost 100 days now was a constant ghostly companion in my head. I missed him. Ached for him, always wishimg for one more day. One minute more with him.  He was my best friend for the last fourteen years and then suddenly gone. No warning, just there one minute, gone the next. Gone from me forever, never to meet his child. 

"Oh Charlie, I am so sorry," swiping at the tears rolling down my face,"Baby, I miss you so much, why, why?" I asked to the empty room, hunching over in grief and straining to draw breath between sobs. The tea had long grown cold and the fire was only embers when I woke. Checking the clock showed it was 12:42pm. I slept almost two hours! Feeling emotionally drained but a little better after the outpouring of grief, I stirred the fire and put on more wood. Grabbing the cold tea to heat up I headed to make a late lunch of leftover spaghetti.
Jamie continued to be distraction for the rest of the afternoon, interspersed with mental floggings to counter the thoughts about a man who was not my husband. I did not want to be thinking about Jamie but he felt so familiar, I kept returning the the things he said and how he said them. It was difficult to get that mornings encounter out of my head.  Eventually I sat down with a draft of a book I was editing. I had already gone through the copy three times, but a fourth time wouldn't hurt. It was due this upcoming Friday so I had five days.  Most weeks I got through my workload without needing to work weekends so my decision to work the last few hours of my Sunday was made purely knowing that it would fully distract me.
The alarm I set, so I wouldn't work through dinner, startled me from the pages in front of me.  Three hours of work had flown by without any real comprehension and my stomach let out a gurgle to make sure I knew it was time for dinner.  Sunday was pizza night, since most Sundays were spent relaxing before the next work week and pizza was only making a phone call, it fit well.  Grabbing my cell phone from the charger in the kitchen where I had put it on silent, I noticed call from my mom whose voicemail said she was checking in and text from my sister:

"How'd you make out the latest storm? You got enough food? You get cleared out okay? I have tomorrow off and most likely Tuesday too(SNOW DAY!! I guess they need to clear off the roof so it doesn't collapse and smush us all!) if you want to get together?!"
Mom called most sundays and we catch up on the week before so knowing it wasn't urgent I called in  a veggie pizza and then responded to my sister,

"Fin, for a baby sister you worry abour me an awful lot. The storm was pretty small (at least compared to the blizzard last month!) only a few inches. And I didn't have to shovel! I woke up this morning to find a shoveling angel had cleared it away for me! Haha. And I'd love to see you!!"

I pressed send and then went back to the office to tidy up my work stuff. I sent out a quick email letting the office know I work from home Monday and maybe Tuesday and that I was ahead of schedule for the three drafts I was currently proofreading. I shut down the computer and turned off the light. 

As I walked into the kitchen my phone beeped twice to let me know I had a text:

"I always worry, Ames, I love you and miss you! I hate that it has been so long! I actually finished grading this weeks tests an hour ago so if you don't mind, I could grab my stuff and head over tonight? Be there about 9 if that's okay?"

I texted back, "Of course! Leave now! I can't wait two hours!!"

The phone beeped before I could put it down, "I will be in the car in 10 minutes!"

"Yay! Drive safe! See you soon :)"

Excited now at the unexpected surprise, I wasn't sure what to do with myself.