AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Friday morning,I checked the message on my phone again.
CINDY: Let’s meet for coffee - Starbucks at 7:30?
I’d felt like putting all things Benson behind me and getting on with my life, but I’d agreed because Cindy had always been nice to me.
Last night had been the first night I’d gotten three hours of uninterrupted sleep all week. The decision to move on had been hard, but empowering in a way.
Ramona emerged from her room and closed the door behind her. “I say you’re being a chicken.”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“You shouldn’t give up so easily.”
That was easy for her to say. She didn’t have to look at the people at work and know the problems I’d created for all of them.
“You just don’t want to lose your Saturday babysitter,” I shot back.
She and Billy had definitely both benefited from having Dennis around.
“You’ve never been one to run from a fight. I still say you should go and give him a piece of your mind before you give up.”
“It’s different when I know I’m right, but this time I’m not. I told you, I’ve made up my mind. I’m moving on.”
“To another Ed?”
“That’s not fair.”
There was no comparison between Ed and Dennis. They were one letter away from each other in the alphabet I guess, but they couldn’t have been more different.
“Just saying, take a look at what you’re walking away from.” She turned and opened her door again. “Hey, Bill, time to get moving.”
Her calling him Bill was another reminder of the impact Dennis had had.
Billy now did his homework before asking to turn on the television. And all it had taken was a comment from Dennis about it.
I found my purse. “I’ll be back in a while.”
* * *
The M&Mgirls were at their familiar table.
“Got the day off?” Mona asked as I walked up.
“Something like that.” I’d been so busy at work that I’d only been able to stop in to see them on Wednesdays since moving upstairs.
There were three cups on the table, and the extra one had my name on the side.
I sat at the chair with my cup. “This is nice of you. How’d you know I’d be by this morning?” I asked.
“It wasn’t me,” Martha said, nodding her head toward the corner. “It was him.”
Dennis walked our way.
I froze in place. The fight-or-flight response got my heart racing, and the only alternative here was fight.
“Good morning, Angel.”
The words slipped off his tongue almost as if he meant them.
