Chapter 37.
In the days that follow, my time is filled with nning programs for library users. Programs including
storytime for children, book clubs, and conducting researches for school works. There are times where
I work myself nonstop till midnight which can be threatening to my health ording to mom''s analysis.
She doesn''t know it but giving myself a break from work can be threatening to my health because
here''s the thing about time, it doesn''t give a hoot about you. It doesn''t care if you''re grieving and need
a break from everything.
It just keeps on moving and asking you to get up on your ass to move along with it.
So I will.
"Happy anniversary guys," I walk into the kitchen where my parents are and turn on the coffee maker.
It''s my parent''s wedding anniversary today and I''m proud of how they''ve still stuck together like glue for
thirty-two years and counting. Through ups and downs, family issues and conflicts, it''s good to know
they''re still going strong.
"I''m d you remembered," Dad smiles at me.
"I did. You reminded me yesterday like six times."
"You know your Father is quite the character," Mom chuckles as she sets a breakfast of pancakes
before him.
"I never got to hear the story of how you both met. What was the meet-cute?"
"It was on a rainy day on the 12 of October 1978..." Dad begins.
"When you still had hair on your head." Mom adds.
"... I was at a fresher''s party back in College, your mom was there too. She was sitting alone at a
corner of the room..."
"No, I wasn''t. I was with dandruff Danny."
"That''s what I want to remember Judith. No one cares about your weird ex-boyfriend who gave you a
jar filled with human teeth for a birthday gift," Dad says. "Now where was I?"
"You were at a fresher''s party." I chip in.
"Ah yes. My friends dared me to go talk to your mom because everyone knew how antisocial I could
be. So I man up and walked over to her, shed her my million dor smile and said: ''My Robert name
is hi''"
"And it worked?"
"You can say it did after three grown-ass children and four grandbabies." He beams.
"Ok, it''s time to tell my own part of the story..."
I gulp down thest of my coffee. "Here''s my cup of care— oh look, it''s empty."
I hear her begin to protest but everything bes muffled when I close the door behind me and hurry
to get to the bus station. Lucky for me, my bus hasn''t arrived yet when I get there so I stand at the bus
stop, enjoying the wind as it dances on my face and hair.
My heart still breaks a little anytime I open my phone and get no texts or calls from Maverick. Every day
and each night, I try to imagine himying beside my bed and smiling. I can still see his beautiful eyes.
I can still smell his skin. I remember how good it felt to be held by him.
I wish he was here.
I feel my phone vibrate in my pockets and with a sigh, I bring it out and unlock my phone.
My heart stops when I see His name as the sender of the message that reads;
''Can we fix this? I can''t lose you.''
Immediately, the phone on my hands starts ringing, also with his name on the caller ID. My heart is
hammering loudly against my chest and all I can do is stare at my phone.
This was what I wanted, for him to return my calls. Then why the hell aren''t I picking up the phone??
I force my fingers to click on ept call on my screen as I shakily ce the phone to my ear.
"If I tell you to forgive this stupid bastard for walking out on you, what would you say?" The voice I''ve
missed for almost two weeks says in my ears.
"I''ll say I''d wait for the stupid bastard even if it''s a year."
"Well, it''s good to know I didn''te to New Jersey for nothing," My mouth drops open as I struggle for
words to say. "Jim told me I had toe to your hometown if I ever wanted to see you again."
"Where are you right now?" I say, already walking fast-paced away from the bus stop.
"Somece called Hamilton Park."
"Don''t fucking move where you are. I''ming to you." I push my way past the people on the bustling
streets as my heels click loudly against the floor when I begin running down to the park with my phone
still held up in my ears. He didn''t end the call yet.
"April, I fell in love with you the first day you kissed me at that club, looking all pimped up and glittery,"
He''s only just starting and I''m already a crying mess. I can tell he''s struggling to get the words out too,
ovee by emotions but he''s stronger than me.
"I couldn''t get you off my head after that night but then you showed up on my doorstep, it was a dream
as I fasten my speed to wherever he is. "Agreeing to your thirty days get-fit n was the silliest thing
I''ve ever done but it brought us together. I knew your pain and your sadness and I always did wanted to
This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.
make you smile but every time you do smile, I fall a little more in love with you."
The parkes in view. My eyes impatiently search for him around the area. "Where are you?!"
"Turn around."
I do. I see him standing opposite me in all his glory. It''s not my imagination or an illusion, he''s really
there, staring straight at me like I''m the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.
I notice the eye bags under his eyes and I figure he hasn''t been getting sleep as much as I haven''t. He
shoves his phone back into his jacket.
"I gave it all up." I hear him say, loud enough for me to hear. "I don''t care what my mom thinks. It''s not
your fault my Dad fucked up. She can''t tell me who not to love so I gave it all up. I just want you."
"Will you kiss him already or you''re going to make mee do it," We both turn our heads to the
direction of the voice and I see Amanda sitting alone on a bench in the park.
"What are you doing here?"
"Minding my business until you two showed up. Don''t mind me, get along with what you guys were
doing. Just pretend I''m one of the grasses on the floor."
I turn back to look at Maverick and I see him already walking closer to me. "I want you to forget the
pain, forget the hurt from the past, forget everything, and everyone who''s made you feel sad. I can''t
promise to wipe away the bitter memories but I do promise to never be the reason for a frown on your
face." He reaches out to hold my tiny hands in hisrge ones and slips a ring into one of my fingers as I
stare up at him.
"You see that look over there? That''s the one that did it."
"Did what?" I ask.
"Had me falling. I''m asking you to hold my hand as we start a new chapter of our lives...The one that''s
titled forever— Will you?"
My eyes shine with unshed tears when I grin. "You have a ring, I have a finger. Let''s do this shit."
"Now this is the part where you both kiss. It''s not that hard," Amanda''s voicees in again.
"The kid wants it, so why not?" He smiles as he presses his lips against mine. Instinctively, my hand
reaches up to his hair to glide my fingers through them and deepen the kiss. It''s like everything around
us doesn''t exist anymore when my lips meet his including Amanda who''s squealing.
If you had told me I''d find love again after Tony, I would have called you deranged. I was broken,
damaged, depressed, but still managed to keep up with the curve balls life kept throwing at me all with
the help of the man after my own heart.
That doesn''t mean life is going to get easier though, in fact, there''ll be more problems toe. It''s
inevitable.
So here''s the thing, don''t fall in love because of the idea of being in love. I tried that once, it didn''t end
so well for me. Instead, wait for the guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who will lie under the
stars just to listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep. Wait for the guy who
kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you''re in track pants, who holds
your hand in public, who thinks you''re just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly
reminding you of how lucky he is to have you, the one who''ll confidently turn to his parents and say
''That''s her''.
It really is a wonderful feeling finding happiness in one person, my gym instructor, my tutor, my
therapist... my Mr. WRight.