Part Six:
He woke up the following morning to the sounds of their shower running. He thought back to last night and the way they had made love. It had been slow and sensual, but filled with vulnerability and a desperate need for normalcy. She emerged from the bathroom minutes later pulling him from his thoughts. He noticed that she was dressed and ready to go out. “Morning, Red.”
She jumped at the sound of his voice, thinking he was still asleep, “You startled me, Bo. I thought you were still asleep.”
He sat up in bed, slipping on his boxers before climbing out of bed, “Going somewhere?”
She looked down at the simple suit she was wearing and back up at Bo, “Yeah, I thought I’d go into the office for awhile today. I haven’t been there since the accident.”
“Are you sure you’re ready.”
She looks down at her watch avoiding his question, “I’ve got to go, I told Jessica I would be coming into the office this morning, and she was going to come in early and help me get things up and running again.”
“Just don’t overdo it okay.”
She stands up and finishes fastening her earrings, “I’ll be home later,” she says quickly kissing him on the cheek.
He shook his head, realizing that she was pulling from him once again. Despite what had happened between them the night before, she was still closing herself off, shutting down. He turned and walked into the bathroom and prepared for his day.
She walked into her office twenty minutes later. Jessica was already there sorting through the pile of mail that had accumulated in the past month and a half.
Jessica walked over to Nora and handed her a stack of messages, “Here are your messages, Aunt Nora. I, um I placed the urgent ones on the top.”
“Thank you, Jess,” she says with a small smile, “Bring me in whatever mail I need to see and then you can go ahead and take off. I think between the messages and the mail, I’ll have enough to keep me busy.”
“Are you sure? I mean I don’t mind staying if you need me to.”
“I’m fine, Jess. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jessica leans in and kisses her aunt goodbye, “Love you, Aunt Nora.”
“Love you, too, Jess.”
Jessica handed her the mail and left a few minutes later. Nora walked into her office and closed the door. She dropped the mail and the messages onto her desk and walked over and sat down on the couch. She leaned back against the arm of the couch and stared out the window at the traffic below, people getting on with their every day lives.
She thought back to the night before and how it felt to be held in Bo’s arms. She needed to, for just one night, remember what it was like before the accident. Would thing in their lives always be divided into before and after the accident. She looked back down at the activity below, closing her eyes for a moment before grabbing her purse and keys and walking out the door.
She walked through the park finding a bench under a tree she sat down. She wanted to try and find a place to clear her head, but that wasn’t in the cards for her today. Every where she turned she saw a scene that broke her heart, a mother walking with their child, one pushing a stroller, another pushing a child on a swing. Before she lost it completely she stood up and left the park, walking towards no where in particular; with no destination in mind.
He walked into the house just after six that night, expecting to find her there. He had called her office several times during the day and kept getting her voicemail. She wasn’t answering her cell phone either. He called Jessica and she told him that she hadn’t seen Nora since that morning. He stopped by her office and found her car still in the parking garage.
He walked over to the phone and hit play on the answering machine, hoping she had called home at least. He checked his cell phone one last time, but there were no messages there either. He turned when he heard her keys in the door.
She walked through the door, stopping suddenly when she saw him standing there, “Hi, Bo. I wasn’t expecting you home by now. You’re usually home much later.”
“Where have you been?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been looking all over town for you. I must’ve called your cell phone and your office at least a dozen times.”
She shrugs, dropping her purse and briefcase down on the desk, “I went for a walk.”
“All day?”
“Yes, Bo, all day.”
She walks over to the bar and picks up the decanter of brandy. She grabs a glass and pours herself a drink. He crosses the room and takes the glass from her just before it hits her lips, “Not tonight.”
She reaches for another glass and pours herself another drink, never taking her eyes off of him. She stares at him, quickly downing the drink. She sets the glass down on the top of the bar, their eyes still locked.
He picks up the decanter of brandy and walks into the kitchen preparing to dump it into the sink. He sets the decanter down on the counter and walks back into the living room when he hears the front door close, finding it empty. Her purse and her keys were no where in sight.
He sighed and ran over to the desk, grabbing his own keys. He drove to the Country Club, The Palace, finally making his way to Rodi’s. She hadn’t been at either place. He decided to drive onto the diner. He saw her car parked outside of the diner. Breathing a sigh of relief, he parked his car beside hers. He walked in through the first door, looking into the restaurant through the other door, noticing her sitting in a corner booth.
She looked up when she heard the bell ring on the diner door. She began to gather her stuff as he made his way over towards her booth. She started to walk around him, but he took her arm, turning her around, “Stop running.”
She pulls her arm out of his grip, “I’m not running. I was hungry. I ate; therefore I’m no longer hungry, so now I’m going home.”
“Fine, let’s go home.”
They both walked into the house in silence. She dropped her keys and her purse down on the desk and walked up to their bedroom. He followed her upstairs, taking them two at a time. He walked around her standing in between her and the door, “Out of my way, Bo.”
“Why did you take off like that?”
“I’m tired, Bo, I just want to go to bed.”
He looked at her, knowing nothing was going to change until she finally decided to let him in, “Fine…I’m not going to fight you on this. I thought after last night maybe things could go back to normal.” He reached behind him and opened the door, “I’m going to the station; maybe I can do some good there.”
She stood in the hallway, watching him turn around and walk down the stairs without another look back…
TBC…