Alexis was sitting at one of the tables by the café window when I arrived. I was twenty minutes early, yet he was already there. When he saw me, a smile lit up his face, but it faded when he noticed my distressed expression and the two suitcases I was dragging with me. He immediately stood up, and, like an old-fashioned gentleman, helped me carry them to the table.
I sat across from him, looking out the window and taking my time to speak. Alexis didn’t say anything for a while, even though he was dying to know what was wrong with me. I must have had horrible dark circles, was pale, and thinner than usual. I took off my glasses and left them on the table, then gave myself a gentle massage over my eyes.
"What happened?" Alexis inquired softly.
"I’m going back to Texas," I said quickly. "I
