She
wanted him to be there at Christmas.
“ That’s a
good idea,” she said. “I know they’ll be happy to see you.”
Sean left three
days before Christmas, early in the morning. Marla got up as he was
packing his suitcase. She got him a cup of coffee, which he drank
while he got ready. And then he was out the door, gone for a week.
Marla couldn’t believe how much she was going to miss him.
Marla kept the
shop open for one more day after Sean left, then she closed it until
after New Year’s. It was the only time of the year that she closed
the shop. Normally, she relished the time off. This year she felt sad
because of Meredith and lonely because Sean was gone. Sean had texted
her as soon as he made it to Atlanta. “I’m here,” he texted. It
was the first of many texts he sent her while he was gone. He texted
her several times a day, and on Christmas Day, a big Merry Christmas!
Marla went to her parents on Christmas and spent the whole day with
them. She kept her phone in her jacket pocket listening for the sound
that let her know a text had come in.
“ Is that your
phone?” Cynthia asked her once when Marla’s phone made the text
signal.
“ Yes,”
Marla said. “I forgot to turn it off.” She didn’t want to turn
it off, but she did so her mother wouldn’t ask questions.
It was a sad
day. Her mother had managed to put up a tree but she only strung the
lights and left it undecorated. “When I opened the box with the
ornaments in it, I just couldn’t put them up,” she told Marla.
“There were all these ornaments you and Merrie made when you were
little. I just couldn’t put them up this year.”
“ It’s okay,
Mom,” Marla said, touching her mother’s arm. “This is a hard
year.”
Marla stayed at
her parents until almost nine that evening, before going back home to
her apartment. Sean had texted her several times during the day, but
she hadn’t checked her phone. After she fed Lucy and put on her
gown for bed, she read through the texts. Mostly, they said “Are
you there?” and “Hope you’re having a good day,“ and finally,
Catch you later.” She texted Sean back. “I’m here, back home.
Been at my parents all day and turned phone off.”
A few minutes
later, Sean texted back. “I was wondering where you went,” he
wrote. And then before she could respond, he wrote, “I’m coming
back tomorrow. I’ve been gone long enough.” Marla was elated when
she read that text. Elated. “I look forward to seeing you,” she
texted back. Was that too much? To say she looked forward to seeing
him? She didn’t understand the feelings she was having about Sean.
Sean didn’t text back right away and she thought her text was too
much after all. But a few minutes later—an eternity—he texted,
“Me too.” Relief flooded through her. “Be careful on the
drive,” she texted. “K,” he texted back. Marla put her phone on
the bedside table and pulled the covers up to her neck. She turned
out the light and a few minutes later, she was asleep.
The next
morning, Marla woke up early. After a cup of coffee, she started to
clean the apartment from top to bottom. She washed all the dishes,
scrubbed the counters, and mopped the floors. She straightened the
living room and stripped the beds in her room and Sean’s and took
all of the towels out of the bathroom. While they were washing and
drying, she swept the floors and dusted. Sean texted around eleven
saying he was about to get on the road. Marla estimated it would take
him about six hours.
She dressed in
jeans and a sweatshirt and drove to the grocery store. Tables of
Christmas decorations and candy were set up in front of the store,
everything seventy-five percent off. She bypassed the tables and went
to the vegetable section where she bought leaf lettuce, Bartlett
pears, three lemons, and fresh broccoli. She pushed her shopping
cart along the refrigerated part and got a package of goat cheese.
Turkeys were half off in the meat
wanted him to be there at Christmas.
“ That’s a
good idea,” she said. “I know they’ll be happy to see you.”
Sean left three
days before Christmas, early in the morning. Marla got up as he was
packing his suitcase. She got him a cup of coffee, which he drank
while he got ready. And then he was out the door, gone for a week.
Marla couldn’t believe how much she was going to miss him.
Marla kept the
shop open for one more day after Sean left, then she closed it until
after New Year’s. It was the only time of the year that she closed
the shop. Normally, she relished the time off. This year she felt sad
because of Meredith and lonely because Sean was gone. Sean had texted
her as soon as he made it to Atlanta. “I’m here,” he texted. It
was the first of many texts he sent her while he was gone. He texted
her several times a day, and on Christmas Day, a big Merry Christmas!
Marla went to her parents on Christmas and spent the whole day with
them. She kept her phone in her jacket pocket listening for the sound
that let her know a text had come in.
“ Is that your
phone?” Cynthia asked her once when Marla’s phone made the text
signal.
“ Yes,”
Marla said. “I forgot to turn it off.” She didn’t want to turn
it off, but she did so her mother wouldn’t ask questions.
It was a sad
day. Her mother had managed to put up a tree but she only strung the
lights and left it undecorated. “When I opened the box with the
ornaments in it, I just couldn’t put them up,” she told Marla.
“There were all these ornaments you and Merrie made when you were
little. I just couldn’t put them up this year.”
“ It’s okay,
Mom,” Marla said, touching her mother’s arm. “This is a hard
year.”
Marla stayed at
her parents until almost nine that evening, before going back home to
her apartment. Sean had texted her several times during the day, but
she hadn’t checked her phone. After she fed Lucy and put on her
gown for bed, she read through the texts. Mostly, they said “Are
you there?” and “Hope you’re having a good day,“ and finally,
Catch you later.” She texted Sean back. “I’m here, back home.
Been at my parents all day and turned phone off.”
A few minutes
later, Sean texted back. “I was wondering where you went,” he
wrote. And then before she could respond, he wrote, “I’m coming
back tomorrow. I’ve been gone long enough.” Marla was elated when
she read that text. Elated. “I look forward to seeing you,” she
texted back. Was that too much? To say she looked forward to seeing
him? She didn’t understand the feelings she was having about Sean.
Sean didn’t text back right away and she thought her text was too
much after all. But a few minutes later—an eternity—he texted,
“Me too.” Relief flooded through her. “Be careful on the
drive,” she texted. “K,” he texted back. Marla put her phone on
the bedside table and pulled the covers up to her neck. She turned
out the light and a few minutes later, she was asleep.
The next
morning, Marla woke up early. After a cup of coffee, she started to
clean the apartment from top to bottom. She washed all the dishes,
scrubbed the counters, and mopped the floors. She straightened the
living room and stripped the beds in her room and Sean’s and took
all of the towels out of the bathroom. While they were washing and
drying, she swept the floors and dusted. Sean texted around eleven
saying he was about to get on the road. Marla estimated it would take
him about six hours.
She dressed in
jeans and a sweatshirt and drove to the grocery store. Tables of
Christmas decorations and candy were set up in front of the store,
everything seventy-five percent off. She bypassed the tables and went
to the vegetable section where she bought leaf lettuce, Bartlett
pears, three lemons, and fresh broccoli. She pushed her shopping
cart along the refrigerated part and got a package of goat cheese.
Turkeys were half off in the meat
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