“It will come, baby. Go into it with an open heart. That’s all I ask. Speaking of an open heart, will you be bringing Parker?”
“Unfortunately not, Mom. He was called to a hotel he is overseeing in Cape May at the last minute, so he left today. He should be gone only a few days.”
“That’s too bad, Olivia. Hopefully he will be able to visit with us soon. I would love to see him. It’s been so long. I always liked him. He was sweet to you,” she continues, clearly in the mood to chat. “How are things going with him anyways? You’ve been seeing an awful lot of each other lately.”
“Things are great between the two of us. They couldn’t be better. I know he would love to see you too. I’ll bring him by the house soon.”
“I would love that, honey. Okay, I need to run. I’m getting my hair done at the salon, so I look my best tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom. See you tomorrow.”
I hang up the phone and exhale. Although my mom drives me crazy at times, she is one of the most loving and giving mothers a girl could wish for. It was hard for her after Dad left, but even then, I knew she was trying her best to make Kate and I feel loved. Some days her broken heart just won out.
I say a silent prayer that tomorrow goes well. I think about going to the beach and watching the waves, but I’m too tired from the weekend and lack of sleep. I decide instead to change into my pajamas and hop onto my bed to write. I pick up my journal from my bedside table and try to pour my thoughts onto paper, hoping it will help me gain perspective. The silence in the apartment is almost eery after having Parker around for the last few weeks.
Three hours later, I’m woken to the sound of my cell phone. It takes me a minute to figure out where I am and that I fell asleep while writing. It’s a Facetime call from Parker and I pick it up immediately, hoping he’s calling to let me know he arrived safely.
The screen lights up with his gorgeous face and I’m immediately regretting that I didn’t at least put a brush through my hair before I picked up.
“Hey baby. There’s my beautiful girl. You are in bed, is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine, babe, I fell asleep writing in my journal. I guess the weekend must have caught up with me. I’m happy to see that you arrived safely in Cape May. How was the drive?”
Parker is shirtless and he’s leaning against the headboard of his bed in his hotel room. His hair is messy and his five o’clock shadow is just the right amount of stubble. He is insanely attractive without even trying. I still can’t get over how good looking he is.
“The drive was good. It was lonely without you, though.”
“I miss you, and seeing you looking the way you do right now isn’t helping.”
“Looking the way I do? What does that mean?”
“You know, your bare chest, your tousled hair, looking all sexy.”
“Sexy, huh? You think I’m sexy?”
“Yes, sexy.” Parker has always been able to bring out my playful side and I love how that feels. I love our banter back and forth. “On a far less enticing note, I talked to my mom and Kate. My dad should be getting released tomorrow around four. Kate is going to pick me up at work and then we will pick up my mom and make the drive.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I promise.”
“I’m worried about you, Liv. I fucking hate that I can’t be there with you.” His eyes reveal a pained expression as he runs his hand down his jaw.
“I know. Please stop worrying about me. Okay, subject change. How’s Cape May? Do you think you’ll be happy living there?”
“It’s definitely not New York. It’s actually a lot like Seaside, just bigger. The streets are wider, the beaches are larger, but still clean and beautiful, and it has most of the stores that I’m sure you like to shop in. You will love it here. There are a lot of other towns nearby too, so there’s plenty to see and do. Maybe you could come with me the next time I have to go for work?”
“That sounds great. But won’t the next time be when you move there permanently?” Without me.
That’s all I can think of when he talks about Cape May, the fact that he will be moving there without me. I look anywhere but at him, hiding the sadness reflected in my eyes.
“Not necessarily. I’m going to put off the move as long as I can. And once I do move to Cape May, I will drive back for weekends so we can see each other.”
“Parker, that seems like a lot of driving. I can’t ask you to do that. It wouldn’t be fair to you to spend hours every week in a car. Or safe, for that matter.”
“I know Reed Point is where your heart is, I would never expect you to leave. I know Bloom is like your baby and I completely understand that you don’t want to walk away from it. I will do what I have to do to make our relationship work. And if that means I come back to Reed Point on weekends and any other chance I get, then so be it. Remember Livy, living in Cape May is a temporary move for me. It won’t be forever.”
I can’t help but wonder if we will ever be able to live in the same city together. Right now, it feels like that is impossible. Could I really live this way for the next couple of years, waiting for weekends to see my boyfriend? I guess I don’t have much of a choice. If I want to be with Parker, and I do more than anything, I’m going to have to suck it up and be patient.