Page 98 of For a Goode Time Call…
He wrapped me up. “What did I do to deserve you?”
I laughed as we found each other yet again. “I don’t know, but I’m excited for our future.”
“Me too.”
Our future held love, days of it.
At the waterfall, at the cabin. In the woods. Outside by the pond.
His home.
My home.
Our home.
Home.
I was home.
Epilogue
Charlie
My phone rang. I peered at it, grunting an unladylike curse. 3:33 a.m.
Lexie.
Why was she calling me at three in the morning?
Why was she calling me at all?
She never called.
I answered it, rolling to my back, putting it on speaker and tossing the phone on my chest. “Lex? What is it?”
“Charlie, god, thank god you answered. I…I’m sorry. I couldn’t call Mom. I didn’t know who to call.”
“What’s wrong, Alexandra?”
A sniffle. “I’m in trouble, Char. I…I need help.”
This from the most independent human being I’ve ever met. The girl who was cooking herself breakfast by four, packing her own lunches by kindergarten, had a job at fourteen, a car at sixteen, and despite her ostensibly hand-to-mouth existence, better credit and savings than me.
She never needed help. Had always refused it.
“What kind of trouble, Lex?”
A sob. “Not over the phone.”
“Oh geez, honey. It must be bad.”
A sob. “Yeah. It’s bad. I’m a terrible person. I’m a sinner, and I’m going to hell, and I’m in serious trouble.”
“Drugs, the law, or babies?” I asked.
“Charlie,please.” I’ve never heard such a raw, broken plea from anyone before.
“Where are you, and what do you need?”
