One More Minute With Him

Tides part 1

I tried walking to my door unseen. That didn’t work.

“Ari?”

I stopped.

“Yes.”

I looked to the owner of the motel.

“You had someone call looking for you. He said he was your father. Should I inform him you’re here?”

“Oh, yes that’s fine.” I smiled at him.

“You’re not some runway are you?” He asked.

“Oh goodness, no I am not a runway.”

“Okay well I’ll give him a call back.”

I watched him walk into the office. I moved over to my car and put the gas into the tank. It was only one gallon so it wasn’t going to get me far. But it would hold tell I’m able to get back to the station.

I unlocked the door to my room and moved in. I just next a fast shower and a quick nap then I could be on the road and back to my house.

The hot water heated my skin. It was like a welcoming call to my body. Over the last few week once we learned Gale couldn’t find the photos my body gave up on everything. And now that I think about it my mind was now doing the same.

I moved down to the tub and sat there. Should I cried or just sit here.

What was there to cry about?

Brandon?

No.

My life?

Maybe.

Just because?

Why not?

But I couldn’t bring myself to cry.

I was in the shower longer then I thought. The truth is I could stay here forever but the water was cold now and I was chilled to the bone. I slow turned the water off hoping that the hotness would come back and I could sit down again.

Once the water was off I moved to the bed forgetting to put on clothes I moved under the sheets.

I had another dream about Brandon. This time we were around our fifties and sitting on our porch. It was a warm sunny day. You know like in moves were you can tell that it is without feeling it. That how this dream we.

“I love you.” I heard him say as he craved deeper into the wood work he was working on for I would guess our grandson.

“I know that you do.”  I teased him.

“Really know?” He laughed.

“Yes. So what are you giving him this time Grandpa?”

“A bear. He saw one last week when we were hunting and couldn’t stop talking about it.”

“You know by the time he is ten, his going to need a house just for your woodworks you give him.”

“Ah just means I have three years to get my butt working if that’s going to happen.” I laughed at my husband.

I woke up crying. Before everything that happened I’m sure that, that would have been us. But now it wasn’t.

But that’s not what woke me; there was a knock on the door.

I moved just to feel that I had nothing on. All at once the door opened and there stood Gale.

I moved a sheet from the bed to cover me.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to- it’s just that umm- I’ll be out side.”

I nodded. “Kay.”

I pulled my clothes on and moved to my shoes. Once I had them on I walked outside to see his truck next to my jeep. Man it was a monster.

I looked around for Gale and came eye to eye with him.

“How did you find me?” I asked.

“Called every hotel and motel asking. And man that was a lot. You’re not even in Colorado anymore so that just made it hurter.” Yeah sorry after what happen I ran.

I looked to him. Does he know what happen?

“Yeah, I just-“ I didn’t know what to tell him.

“It’s okay, s**t happens and he an ass for what he did.”

Yep he knows.

“What happened after I left?” I was scared to hear the question but needed to.

“Well he went after you. Kind of I mean you were long gone. He jumped in his jump in his Jeep at lunch. After you ran he acted like it was nothing but as the day went on he asked for my help in finding you. When we did I told him but he put off like he didn’t care.”

“Maybe he doesn’t.” I didn’t like the way I said it.

“Ari, you know that he does.”

I yelled.

I throw my hands in the air.

“He chooses her! You think his care if he choose her?”

He pulled me into a hug. “Stop yelling okay Ari?” He side into my ear sending goos-pumps down my back.

“I lost him and it’s my fault. It would be different Gale if I –“ I was crying again.

“If you what Ari?” He asked.

“If I didn’t tell him that we couldn’t be friends. Because I thought I was doing the right thing and hiding how I really felt.”

“No you can’t plan yourself for that. It was back in seventh grade.” I looked at him confused.

He understood my unasked question. “Well I first moved here and start hanging out with them Brandon got drunk one night at his house and pulled out a photo book. It had a lot of pictures in it of you and him. When I asked him about it he told the story of how you called off the friendship. He known that what he said to you was the wrong thing but he was a boy, nothing much came to mind with that kid.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore I had what I asked for at the beginning of the year. I just thought it was going to last longer than this.”

I move out of the hug.