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Chapter 1
I saw him today. He still looks the same but grown. His brown hair is still thick and his brown eyes, still pierce my soul. He was coming out of the coffee shop across from my clinic. I had the biggest crush on him in school. He was a grade ahead of me. Once he graduated, I never really saw him. We talked every now and again, but I never actually saw him. We went on one date, and it was my first date. He picked me up, gave me a rose, and we went to dinner and a movie. Things got a little heated after, but I stopped it. I was nervous to go all the way. We talked about it from time to time and he would try to make it special for my first time. He on the other hand was experienced if you know what I mean. I figured we would get there but I wanted to know what to do. I didn’t want him to get bored with me. Well, we stopped once he left.
Maybe 6 months passed, and he messaged me. We started talking again but we talked for maybe a month or two then he would get mad or I sounded dumb and he would stop texting and calling. When we talk, I would send him pictures and he would send me some. We talked about meeting up, but we never did. He never gave me a reason to wait for him or that he wanted to be with me. We would do that for years but today, I saw him. I stared at him as he was walking with his coffee in hand. I closed the clinic and walked around the corner to the house. Luckily, the house was at the top of the hill around the corner.
Well, I know what I’ll be thinking about tonight. He was like the candy everybody wanted. Some stuff went down in school, I still don’t know what it was but all he had to tell me was the truth and I would open my legs for him. He never did, he would always change the subject or something. And me being young I let it slide.
I walked into the house and had to start dinner before he got home. He was always craving chicken nuggets and French fries. I cooked steak and potatoes for me, and we will go out for ice cream afterward. The doorbell rang and in came my little man.
“Momma, look what I made you with CJ.” My son said. “Thank you, CJ, see you tomorrow,” I tell her. She was a college student and she worked with me running around town and she loved watching my little pumpkin.
We ate dinner and he of course couldn’t wait to go out to the main street for ice cream. I cleaned up and he ran to grab a jacket. The ice cream shop was down the road from my clinic. I feel like everybody was after ice cream or coffee, but the weather was changing so more people would be out. I loved living in a little town, but the bad thing was everybody knew everybody. There were no secrets, if you had something going on then the whole town knew. Luckily, for me, I didn’t get out much and I only deal with people that have dogs or cats. Which was most of the town, but they don’t stick around in the clinic since the coffee shop is across the street. Fine with me. Most people were done in the ice cream shop so, Pumpkin walked right up the stool to look in the window to see the ice cream.
“Hey, little man, what kind do you want or your normal?” Mrs. Patty asked.
“Hey Aj, how was the clinic today?” Mr. Patrick asked. “It was good, no serious issues,” I said pointing to the vanilla and chocolate mix. Pumpkin got a little cup, and I got a cone. Mrs. Patty started making ours and a little girl came up and was looking at the window. “Here, little man gets down so this little girl can get up.” She smiled at me, and we paid for our ice cream. I was about to push the door open, but I turned to make sure the little girl wouldn’t fall.
“Thanks for holding to door,” I said but never looking at who it was. We went over to the cornhole board and sat at the tables. Pumpkin played and I watched people. I have to be honest; I don’t like dealing with people. They think it is all about them and sometimes they think they are always right but guess what. Some people care about what people say about them, but others just talk to talk. The little girl came over and sat right next to me and smiled. “I see you got some ice cream, is it good?” I asked her and she looked up at me and she had ice cream all over her face. I gave her a napkin and she wiped her face. I laughed; Pumpkin used to make a total mess with his ice cream. One time we were out, and he had it all over his face, his forehead, all around his lips. My husband, sorry my ex. He would say little man is a mess maker. And little does he know yes, he still is.
“Momma, I have to potty,” Pumpkin said. “Okay, bud. bye, sweetie.” We walked away and I heard the little girl call after her dad. Her sweet little voice. Pumpkin was about her age when we lost my husband, his dad. A story for another day. We walked back home, bathed then bed.
Long day for tomorrow but let’s read a few chapters before bed.
