Page 86 of The Leaves In Autumn
“Great choices. Coffee?”
“Yes. Two.”
When she walks away, I change the subject from Aargon to my trip.
“Speaking of Huckleberries, I want to buy a bag of the saltwater taffy to take on the flight. Think they sell it here.”
“Forget the huckleberries. I’m not finished with the interrogation.”
My sister leads with love for me. My counsel and protector wants my happiness as much as hers. We are just like that. From the start.
“Tell me about the birthday he’s planning for you. Has he told you any details?”
“Nothing yet. Except for the fact it might go into the night.”
I drop that surprise bomb knowing it would explode.
“Wait! What?”
“Yep.”
“You two are gonna get it on again.”
“Get it on? Okay, Boomer.”
We laugh at ourselves.
“I love that phrase. Picked it up from Aurora and Gaston. It’s groovy, right?”
“There will be no getting it on or getting it any other way. Off, over, under. Nope.”
“Why?”
She looks disgusted with my refusal to get it on.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little playtime before you head for your adventure?”
“Not really. I’m way past playtime with Aargon. It would only make things worse for me.”
“I guess you know your own mind, but I don’t see the harm.”
“This way, we’ll say goodbye as friends. So, whenever I come back, it will be easy to pick up where we left off. And who knows? Maybe when I do, he will be in a better place emotionally.”
She studies my face.
“Is that what you tell yourself?”
“I’m trying to.”
“I think it will be harder than you’re letting on.”
“That may be true, but I have no other option. I’m going to be in another country, living my dream. I can’t be thinking about this one that has no chance of being real. It’s only inmymind.”
“Just a hypothetical. What if he feels the same as you do?”
“He doesn’t. And besides, he told me he is trying to heal. What sort of love would I have with a man still dealing with the past?”
“Love again?”
