CHAPTER TENLydia’s POV
CHAPTER TEN
Lydia’s POV
It's been three months since I left Eric's house. Sometimes, I feel a sting whenever I remember the drastic decision I made, but I have made the right decision…I think.
One day, when I went to the park with Leo, he piped up “Mommy, why can’t we see Mr. Greene anymore? I miss playing ball with him.” I swallowed several times as hot tears rushed to my eyes.
I explained that I no longer work there anymore, that I now worked with Auntie Kay.
“But now you look sad again,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to visit you at work that day…”
“What day?”
“The day I had my accident” he retorted.
“Wait what? What do you mean?”
“I borrowed Josh’s bike so I could visit you at work. I wanted to see why your work made you so sad…”
I squatted down and hugged him tightly, burying my face into his hair so he didn’t see my tears streaming down.
“Oh sweetie, I’ll be alright,” I lied. “I’m just sad because we don’t have our own place to live in. But we’re ok, right? You like living with Auntie Kay, right?”
He nodded solemnly. My sweet, sweet Leo.
Living with Makayla has been the best so far. She is supportive, helping out with Leo, and forcing me to go on dates with guys who I happily turn down. She even succeeded in creating a Tinder account for me and matched me with a man whose picture looked photoshopped. I stood him up, of course.
We work in the café and, I must say, the business has been doing well. This is the part where I am happy I left Eric three months ago.
Today is like every other day. Makayla and I drop Leo at school in her car, then we drive down to the café. I open the door and flip the open-close sign to open. Then, the customers start trooping in.
We get to work, making espressos and cappuccinos. People buy lattes, too and they go off. The queue is longer on normal days and we both try to serve each customer as quickly as they come.
Makayla nudges me as I pour a cup of coffee from the coffee machine. “Can you watch over the counter? I have something to do at the back.”
I nod and she takes off her apron and disappears. I check the queue again and it seems to be piling up.
“A cup of espresso, please,” someone from the line says. He drops his $10 dollar bill into my hands and I give him his change and a plastic cup with coffee inside. He thanks me and leaves the line.
“A medium cup of coffee. Black and no sugar.” My head is bent, working on the coffee I am about to serve. But I know the voice. I know who drinks his coffee like that: Eric.
I wish the ground would open up and swallow me. I don't raise my head until I've done the necessary ritual for his coffee. I look up slowly, my eyes piercing into his blue eyes.
“Lydia?” he asks. It's like he's lost his voice somewhere.
I don't reply, instead, I take the cash from him. I drag out his change from the box and hand it to him, and he says, “Keep the change.”
He is tempted to stay and talk but he walks off so I can attend to the next person in line.
Throughout the day, I am restless. My mind isn't at rest because I know Eric will be back. I didn't give him a tangible reason why I left so he would be back for answers. I know he will.
I'm cleaning up the coffee shop for tomorrow when the bell chimes. I jump because I know who the person is. I've tried to avoid him for the past three months, but I don't seem to be going anywhere right this moment…
I wipe down the counter with a rag when he walks up to me. “Lydia.”
I look up and my eyes begin to water. “What do you want?” I manage to ask.
“Well, aside from coffee, I want you.”
I snort. “Well, I can make a cup of coffee for you.”
“Then, how do I get you?” he asks.
“I'm not sure that's going to happen, Eric.”
I avoid his gaze and set the coffee machine to work. I pace around and wait until the timer rings. I pour the black coffee into a cup and place it in front of him. He searches his pocket for money, but I turn him down.
“It's on the house,” I say.
“Thank you. Can I talk to you? Please, Lydia, listen. Hear me out.”
I keep quiet and give him the chance to explain himself.
He clears his throat and takes a sip of the coffee. “I was drunk and unhappy that night,” he began slowly.
“Then you revealed that you were the woman I’d been dreaming about for the past 8 years. Because ever since that night, you have haunted my days and my nights.” He paused and put his hand to his brow.
“The revelation that Leo is my son… our son, hit me like a ton of bricks” he swallowed with emotion. “I had been fantasizing how perfect it would be if we were a true family. I love Leo. He reminded me so much of me when I was a child.”
“I was overcome with emotion, and the bottle of wine I drank didn’t help. I was digesting everything you said and I was happy, yes, happy that at last, I had found you and Leo.” He took a step towards me.
“When you asked if I loved you, my heart leaped and it was at the tip of my tongue to tell you how much I love you. To take you into my arms and kiss you, but my brain was numb. I opened my mouth but could not speak. Strong emotions were washing over me.”
He pauses and I can see in his face that he is trying to get the upper hand over his emotions once more…I take off my apron and walk around the counter to wipe down some tables, getting ready to close the shop.
I can feel his eyes following me.
“After I recovered from the shock of what you had told me, I went to knock on your door, but there was no answer. I heard the shower running, so I figured you were taking a shower. I decided to do the same and then go to see you, but I fell asleep.” He smiled deprecatingly.
“When I woke up to speak to you, Pattie told me that you had left first thing…I am sorry, Lydia. Sorry for not telling you how much you mean to me, how much I love Leo,” he swallows hard, trying to overcome his emotions.
“I was in jail” he starts again. “I spent the past seven years rotting in jail for a crime I didn't commit. No matter how bitter I was, I always thought about you. I wondered what I would do if I were a free man.”
“Before I met you, I used to pick up girls at the bars, have one-night rendezvous with them and never exchange names or private information. You see, money complicates things. It’s hard to distinguish whether the women I date are attracted to me or my money” he says bitterly.”
“But you were different. You enjoyed talking, being with me. You listened to my points of view and countered them with yours, not in a self-righteous way, but just expressing your views.”
I finished wiping down the tables and came to stand before him.
“I was strongly attracted to you from the first and almost broke my rule of not exchanging names. After our night together, I longed to spend quality time with you, ask you to date me, and maybe even move in with me.”
“But fate didn't turn out like that.” He paused, a reflective sigh escaping his mouth.
“I got out of jail and I had nothing of you. Only a vague memory. Even my thoughts had degraded during my jail time, because I didn't remember exactly what you looked like.”
“You probably remembered me but kept quiet, but at our first momentous encounter in the hallway, I had a sense of deja vu. Somehow, you seemed familiar even if I couldn’t place who, where or when.” He looked down at the coffee cup he held in his hand.
“Do you love me?” I ask him again.
He doesn't hesitate. “Yes, Lydia. I do. With everything in me. I love Leo too. I am here whenever you want me.”
What he plans to say next gets caught up in my kiss. I kiss him with the longing of seven years. I cry as I kiss him, I smile as I kiss him. I remember Eric from seven years ago. The one that filled my heart with joy. The one that made me long for the night to come.
I hug him and get lost in his strong hands. He strokes my hair gently and cups my hand in his. “What about Leo?”
“He's at home with Makayla. And…he’ll be thrilled to see you again. He misses you.”
A smile, soft and longing, forms on his face and I can detect the glisten of tears in his eyes.
“I miss him too,” he says.
We exchange another hug and he kisses me with a fervor I remember from that night long ago.
“Do you want to come over to my place? It's the weekend, so there's nobody there.” I’m assuming he means Pattie.
I hesitate. “I'm not sure about that. Maybe we should take things slow.”
“Slow it is, my lady,” he says. He takes my hands and kisses them. “Lydia Reid, would you like to go on a date with me? Maybe Burger King.”
I smile. “Yes, I will.”
I quickly close up the coffee shop.
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips. “Remind me to thank Max for suggesting I should visit this coffee shop three months ago.”
“Three months ago?”
“Yes, but I disregarded his suggestion because he’s been on my shitlist since then….I’ll explain later…Thing is, my coffee maker broke this morning, so I decided head over here. Thank God I did!”
The longing look he gave me melted my heart and made my knees go weak.
He takes my hand in his and we walk out of the coffee shop hand in hand. My heart is full. Knowing now that he loves me and Leo, that all the misunderstandings are behind us - I am filled with love, a sense of belonging and excitement of what the future will bring.
It's a new start. For both of us.