Come and Talk to Me by June Kramin

talking to a couple of tourists at the front door, he shouted for him to come over.
    “What’s up, boss-man?” Van asked, leaning on the passenger window. Troy tossed him the bag. Van chuckled as he caught it, clearly not understanding what it held; he was still high on the news. Troy hated to be the one to burst his bubble. Van’s smile instantly faded as he looked in and saw the box. “What the…why? What is this shit, Troy?” He reached in and pulled out the box. His hands trembled as he opened it, as if he couldn’t believe what they held. “Fuck!” Van crumpled the bag and slapped the side of the truck.
    “Take it easy, man.”
    “Take it easy? Why the fuck do you have these?” Troy had never seen Van so angry. His nostrils flared as he spoke.
    “Don’t shoot the messenger. Get in. I’m taking you to her. I have an idea of what she’s doing.”
    After jumping into the truck, Van slammed the door. Troy cringed, waiting for more yelling.
    “What the hell, Troy? Why would she change her mind like that so fast?” Again Van opened up the bag in disbelief.
    “I have a feeling, but you need to talk with her.” Van smacked his hand flat against the dashboard, causing Troy to jump. “Settle down. Stop taking it out on my truck. It’ll be okay. You two just need to talk.”
    “Where are we headed?”
    “I’m pretty sure she’s going to the airport. I saw a suitcase.”
    “Shit!” Van ran his fingers through his hair. It was something he did a lot but this time, Troy noticed a lot more force behind it.
    “It’ll be okay, buddy. We’ll catch her. I’m taking sugar cane roads. Don’t split a vein on this. You’ll fix it.”
    “What’s going on, Troy?”
    “She needs to tell you that, buddy. It ain’t my place.”
    ~*~
    They did beat her to the airport. By the time she was pulling into parking and getting a ticket, Van was running over to her car. She cursed then pulled the car into the first open spot and climbed out.
    “Where are you going? Why did you give me this back?” Van held up the bag. “What happed in less than an hour that changed your mind, Reg?”
    “I just can’t marry you, Van. I’m sorry. It was silly to think I could. I…I got carried away.”
    “I’ll carry you away.” He picked her up, hurrying toward Troy’s truck as she squirmed to be released.
    “Put me down!”
    “Not until you tell me what the hell happened.” He walked her over to the truck and put her down by the driver’s side door. “One of you is going to tell me what the hell is going on!”
    Troy climbed out of the truck. “I’m going to get a soda. You two can talk in the truck.” Stopping in front of her, he whispered. “Tell him, Reggie. He deserves a chance to make up his own mind.”
    They climbed in the truck and sat sideways facing each other. “What is it?” Van asked. “Why won’t you marry me?”
    She exhaled. “I’ve been married before, Van.”
    He was only slightly taken aback. “So. Are you divorced?”
    His reply shocked her. She managed a soft, “Yes.”
    “So what’s the problem?”
    She had a hard time forming the words but they finally came pelting out. “I can’t have kids, Van. I can’t. You want kids and I can’t give them to you. Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? I’m not marrying you. I’m not going to marry you or anyone…ever.” She grasped the handle of the door to try to escape, but he removed her hand from it.
    “That’s it? You’re leaving me because you’re afraid I want kids more than I want you? You couldn’t be more wrong, Reggie.”
    “But when you left…you said…” She began to cry.
    He pulled her tight to his chest. “I know what I said. I was caught up in the whole moment. I wasn’t thinking. I said what I thought you wanted to hear. You know? You’re gorgeous and you said you’d be mine. I guess I went crazy.”
    “But you want kids and I can’t give them to you.”
    Van found some napkins in the pocket of the truck’s