Chapter 18
1321 Words
Lessie's POV
“They’re fine. They even asked about you the other day. Why didn’t you call them? Were you busy?”
Ella laughed, a proud sort of laugh. Before I could ask, she explained.
“No, I wasn’t busy. I just wanted to see if my babies missed me,” she said. “When I asked James if he missed me, that little rascal told me he didn’t!”
I scratched my nose at her words. Actually, I wasn’t lying when I said the kids missed her—Jasmine had asked about her. I could tell James missed her too, even if he didn’t say it. But I kept that to myself, not wanting to spoil Ella’s excitement.
“Well, I’d say your plan worked,” I chuckled, and Ella hummed in satisfaction.
“I miss you, Ella,” I blurted out, my emotions getting the best of me.
“I miss you more, Lessie. You have no idea how much I miss seeing your pretty face,” she replied, sounding emotional too.
“I know my Ella loves me,” I smiled.
“Yes, I do. Lessie… do you think you’ll ever come back to Syracuse?”
I could hear her voice quiver. I wasn’t surprised, she always asked this question, every single call. And I usually found a way to avoid it.
Before I could respond, she added, “Or at least tell me where you’ve relocated. I won’t bother you; I just want to check on you now and then.”
“I’m already back,” I chuckled, quickly answering before she could start pleading.
There was a stunned silence before Ella burst out, “Really? Are you serious?” She shouted so loud I cringed.
“Ow, Ella,” I said, rubbing my ear.
“Sorry, sorry! But did I hear you right? You’re back in Syracuse?” she asked, and I nodded. “Yes.”
“Aaahhh!” She screamed so loudly I almost ended the call.
I’d forgotten for a moment that she wasn’t actually next to me, so no one around me could hear her outburst.
“Ella, please, stop shouting,” I said, feeling helpless.
“Stop? No way! Do you even realize what you just said? You’re back in Syracuse after all these years, girl!”
I didn’t respond, but her excitement wasn’t unexpected. Honestly, I felt a bit guilty for keeping my location a secret from her for so long. It wasn’t her fault, though; Freddie could be ruthless and might pressure her if he thought she knew where I was.
When she finally calmed down, I continued, “I got back a few days ago. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away, I wanted to get a few things sorted first.”
“I should be upset, but I’m too happy to care! This means so much to me,” she said joyfully.
“Did you bring the kids? Did they ask about me? I bet they want to see me! Gosh, my Jasmine—I’ve been dying to pinch those chubby cheeks on video calls. And James, too. I can’t wait!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Ella’s enthusiasm. If I wanted to tease her, I’d say no, but I couldn’t break my poor friend’s heart.
“Of course, of course, the kids want to see you. They’ll get to soon,” I assured her.
“Great!” she replied happily.
“What about you, though? Why did you suddenly come back? I’ve tried persuading you for years, and you never budged. So why now?” she asked.
“Work,” I replied with a small sigh.
Ella picked up on it immediately. “Just work? Are you sure? You sighed pretty heavily.”
I wanted to tell her, but I didn’t even know where to start. So, I could only say...
"Uh, what are you doing?" I asked.
We’d been talking for over twenty minutes now, and if she were at work, this conversation wouldn’t have lasted this long.
"I didn’t go to work today. I’m home." Then, with a serious tone, she asked, "Will you tell me what’s going on?"
"Maybe when we meet in person," I said with a shrug, but Ella pressed on. "No, tell me now or come over."
I paused, unsure of what to say. Even if I explained, I knew she wouldn't really be listening at this point.
"Alright, I'll come over," I finally agreed.
Ella squealed with excitement. "Great! I'll be waiting for you," she said before hanging up.
I was already on the road, so I flagged down a cab. Since Ella hadn’t moved out, I directed the driver to her place.
When I arrived, I paid the driver and headed to the door, but before I could even knock, Ella had already flung it open and pulled me inside.
I wanted to look at her face, but she pressed her soft body against me in a tight hug.
If she were stronger, she might have actually lifted me off the ground with how hard she was squeezing.
"Ella."
"Yay, my Lessie is here!" she squealed, hugging me even tighter.
"Ella, I can’t breathe," I managed to gasp, my voice slightly muffled, and my face starting to turn red.
"Oh, sorry!" she let go quickly, though her face was still lit with happiness.
She finally took a good look at me, and the way she stared made me feel almost self-conscious.
"Can you stop staring? I'm about to melt from embarrassment," I mumbled.
Ella laughed and teased, "Why embarrassed? Come on, Lessie, you’ve changed so much! You look way different from our video calls."
I puffed my cheeks, frowning. "Is that in a good or bad way?" Her words weren’t exactly clear.
"Of course, in a good way! Honestly, you're beautiful. If I didn’t know you, I wouldn't believe you’re the same Lessie from before." Her face glowed with pride.
I stood there, letting her gaze at me with those approving eyes.
It felt nice, being admired by Ella, though I wondered what she meant by "change." Was it my appearance or my style? I used to feel so left out with my old "housewife" look.
"Alright, alright, you can save the staring for later. I need to sit down."
Before she could say anything, I stepped past her and walked into the living room.
As soon as I spotted the couch, I plopped down. Ella was still at the door, probably locking up. She lived alone and liked to be cautious.
When she finally walked in, I was parched, so I quickly asked, "Ella, can I get some water?"
"Sure," she said, but instead of sitting down right away, she went off to get me some water.
After drinking and quenching my thirst, I could finally take a proper look at Ella.
"Wow, Ella, you've changed too! Not just a little, you seem more lively," I said, looking at her in admiration.
"Really?" She didn't sound particularly surprised, almost as if she’d expected me to say that.
"Yes, really." I remembered how she used to be, balancing work with family issues. But now, even though she was still working, she seemed healthier, more vibrant.
I thought about asking her, but I decided to save it for later.
"Lessie, tell me, what's going on? And why didn’t you bring the kids with you?" She paused, frowning as the thought crossed her mind.
I scratched my head and looked away sheepishly. "Oh, don’t worry, next time."
Thankfully, Ella just nodded without pressing further.
"Now, really, what’s wrong? I can tell something’s weighing on you." She sat down and gave me a serious look.
"Actually... remember I mentioned I only just got back a few days ago?" I asked, and she nodded.
"So, what’s going on?"
"Um... Freddie called," I mumbled.
"Hm?"
"I said, Freddie called," I repeated, louder.
- Writer
