Yes, it went badly. I was supposed to spend thirty minutes max, but no, the woman decided to keep me for an extra hour and theiry minutes. I spent two fucking hours! Two fucking whole hours sitting in a coffee shop, with an old woman who I haven't seen since I was probably five or six. Now imagine eeveything that has happened in here life since then. She decided it was just the right time to tell me everything that has happened in her life, her make son's life- who is about my age range and her grandchildren life.
I exhaled loudly as I opened my car door and then got out of the car as I made my way back inside the house with the huge brown envelope. I brought out my phone from my back pocket and then dialed my mom's number as I entered into the elevator.
"Hey mom."
"Maria! How are you?"
"I'm fine. I'm good. I already got your envelope." I rested against the wall of the elevator as I pressed the button to the top floor.
"Oh that's great. Thank you!"
"Yeah, you're welcome." I smiled a little.
"You sound so tired, you should rest."
"I will."
"Bye darling."
"Bye mom."
I put my phone into my back pocket as the elevator let out a ding sound at the same time the door opened. I carried my tired body kit of the elevator as I opened the locked door.
I threw the enevelope somewhere in the living room couch as I plopped myself on the largest couch. I brought out my phone from my back pocket as I set an alarm to wake me up in the next thirsty minutes. I'll just take a short nap and will start writing once I wake up and then check on the kids and Jane.
Yeahhh, no. I didn't wake up in the next thirty minutes. I slept for three hours. Yes, three hours. Immediately I woke up I regreted taking the stupid nap. Truth be told, I knew I was not going to wake up in theity minutes but there was this stupid tiny voice in my head just telling me to take the nap. And I heeded.
I exhaled loudly, running my hands through my face and then sat up on the couch. I took my phone to see three missed calls from Jane and a texk message from Jake. I decided to call Jane first before checking the message Jake sent. It rangvtheice before she could pick up, making anxiety crawl around my stomach. What if something bad happened?
Oh God.
"Maria?"
"Hi." My voice sounded hoarse so I cleared my throat before speaking again, "Hi Jane. Sorry, I slept off and lost track of time. I missed your call? Grayson and Arielle?"
"They are both okay and asleep right now. I was just worried that you haven't checked up on them. Then laster, Jake told me you were probably asleep already."
"Oh." I nodded my head as I rubbed off the sleep from my eyes, "what time should I come and pick them up?" I asked.
"Oh, there's no need for that! They can stay here, Jake said he has something planned for you this night anyways. Although, he didn't tell me what it was about."
Really?
"Oh. Okay. Thanks Jane."
"No problem. Bye."
"Bye."
Jake didn't tell me about having anything planned. Maybe it's a surprise. I was already getting excited on the inside until I remembered what transpired between us this morning making me frown. I opened the message he sent and it read,
My mom called, she sounded worried but I told her you were probably asleep. And a love emoji at the end.
Still nothing about anything he planned. Maybe he just said it to make me rest for this evening from the children's troubles. I stood up from the couch walked into the kitchen with my bare feet and then opened the fridge as I poured myself a cold cup of water. I downed it all in a few seconds and then another one. I gripped the edges of the counter as I exhaled loudly.
I climbed up the stairs and then went into my bedroom. I took off my cloth, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My stomach has been looking bloated this past few weeks. It looks bigger and it normally is. Probably why Jake is not attracted to me anymore? I would not blame him though. I gripped the extra fat in my belly with a sad smile on my face. I changed from my clothes into one of my own large tops before changing my mind and then wore one of Jake's own instead.
I don't want to admit it to myself, but I do miss him. I miss what we had when our relationship started. I mean, I know he is busy with work and I am busy with the kids and writing but it feels like the connection is not there anymore. I am overthinking again aren't I? I guess it's just the way my mind works.
I sat on the bed, legs under me as I opened my laptop and the picture Jake and I took one time on the bed stared at me as I opened my Microsoft document. I checked the outline I had written before I started writing the book and imagined the next scene in my head as I started typing.
Four hours of typing, obviously with breaks in between them and I'm trying to read over and edit what I have written. My mind immediately went to Arielle and Grayson. I picked up my phone and then called Jane.
"Hi Jane."
"Evening Maria."
"How are the kids?" I asked.
"They are doing fine. I'm feeding them presently."
"Oh, that's good."
"We should switch to video call yeah?"
"Okay."
Soon I was staring at a smiling Jane from the other end of the phone. She later turned the camera of the phone towards my twins. They were both stuffing food into their mouth, well, not everything went into their mouth, some on their bip or the side of their cheeks. Grayson was trying to feed Arielle out of his food but he could not reach her because they were a bit far from each other, Arielle then crawled to meet him and got the food into her mouth. She grinned at her junior brother who in turn smile widely at her.
My heart.
"They are so cute." I cooed.
"I know right? I am happy I get to spend time with them." Jane turned the camera back to herself.
I chuckled, "sometimes I do think you love them more than Jake and Philip."
She laughed, "I was like that with Jake once. But he's all grown up now and he has you." She smiled.
"Yeah." I murmured.
"He will come around. He has been like that with everybody."
"Like how?" I asked feigning confusion.
"Busy. Not having time. I can not even remember the last time we both had a proper conversation."
I smiled nervously as I played with my hands, "I was beginning to think he does not like me anymore."
"Nonesense. He still most definitely loves you."
Then why has he not proposed yet. It's not like I'm exactly in a rush or anything, I just thought that with the amount of time we've been together he would have popped the big question by now. Unless he is loosing feelings?
Ugh! Stop overthinking things.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
I changed in my head over and over again.
"I love him too."
I heard her husband voice in the background, he was cursing about something, probably the food. Jane laughed and then gave me an apologetic look,
"It's fine. You should go take care of him." I gave her a reassuring smile.
"Thank you."
"Extend my regards to him."
"Sure. No problem. Have a nice night Maria."
"And you too Jane."
I stood up from the bed and then made my way downstairs. But before doing that I told Jake to pick up dinner from anywhere because I feel too lazy to make dinner this evening. I opened the refrigerator poured myself a cup of orange juice and then took a bag of chips. Not heaithy, I know. But I still don't care.
I took a seat on the couch and then put on a random show on Netflix as I munched on my chips and my focus on the screen of the television. After about an hour to the movie that was playing I heard the door open.
Jake.
I paused the movie and then stood up from the couch as I dusted the crumbs of chips on the shirt I was wearing.
"Hey baby." Jake smiled as he pulled me closer to him and then placed a kiss on my lips. My eyes widened a little at the gesture, he looks happy today, than he normally is and he is back from work four hours early.
"You're back. You're back from work early." I held onto his shoulders.
"Yeah, I had to come back early. For you."
"For me?"
"About this morning and this past few weeks." He looked guilty and I hate that he feels guilty.
"It's fine Jake." I tried giving him a smile, placing my hands on his chest.
"I know I have been saying I will make it up to you for a long time but this time I mean it. I will make it up to you?"
"How?"
"I'll work from home for a week. I'm all yours baby."