Chapter 49 Autumn
Autumn
Isee him sitting there.
I can’t tell if he saw me, too, but that is my luck. A short visit home, and I see him on the first day, again.
I can’t help but keep looking at him as I come around the path.
I probably shouldn’t, but I tell myself I’ll say hello if he’s still sitting there once I make my way to the other side.
It would be more awkward to just look at each other as I walk by and not say anything at all, right?
Just pretend like we don’t know each other. Right?
I turn away from the pond and pause for a minute, letting the August sun tattoo my skin. I can’t just walk by him and act like I don’t know him. I never could.
Once I make it over there, he’s still in the same spot staring at his phone. As I get closer, he looks up and smiles. I approach him with a quick, awkward hug.
“Hi,” I say.
“Hi,” he says back.
“How are you?”
“Doing really good, actually. You?” He asks.
“Good. I’m good too.”
We both smile. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him at first, but since we’re here and alone, I’m going to get something off my chest.
“I’m glad I ran into you. I just want to say I’m really sorry for all that stuff I said to you. For the whole thing. You really don’t deserve to be unhappy forever, and it wasn’t all your fault. I hope none of that stuff I wished on you actually happened.” We both laugh awkwardly.
“No, it’s okay. I understand. I’m sorry too. You didn’t deserve any of that either. I’m happy to hear you’re doing good.”
A high-pitched voice breaks the uncomfortable silence that follows. “Daddy!”
A small child runs past me, brushing up against my leg. It’s a little girl with blonde pigtails, and coming up slowly behind her is Jimmy’s brother holding another little girl about the same size.
“Hey sugar,” Jimmy says in such a small, sweet voice. A voice I’ve never heard him use before.
My eyes are wide with both shock and delight. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. He leans down to pick her up. “Did you have fun at the playground?”
“Yes. I went down the slide fifty-eleven times.”
He laughs, then looks at me, “This is Emery. Say hi, Emery.” The little girl waves.
“Nice to meet you, Emery,” I say.
She holds up all five fingers on her hand. “I two now." Jimmy and I both laugh.
“Well, well, well, I recognize that voice,” Will says as he leans in for a hug. “Back again so soon?”
I laugh. “No, actually not at all. Just visiting for my dad’s birthday. Trying to visit them more this go around.”
“Well, it’s good to see you.” He says.
“You too,” I respond.
I look at Jimmy laughing and tickling his little girl. My heart swells. He looks so happy. And I genuinely feel happy for him. Fatherhood looks good on him. Will breaks the silence again, probably noticing I’m staring.
“So, you still living the high life, travelling all around?”
I shake my head. “No, actually, I stopped traveling. I uh, met someone in one of the cities I was working in and decided to stay there for a while. We’ll see what happens.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Jimmy looks up at me, then at his brother.
“Nice.” Will continues. “So where are you at now?”
“In New Jersey. It’s nice. I like it there. This is the first time he’s been out of the state, so it’s kind of fun to feel like a tourist in my own hometown.” We all laugh.
“Oh, he’s here? What’s up with that? You hiding him from your old friends?” he antagonizes.
I laugh. “No, he’s actually in a Zoom meeting for a couple of hours back at my mom’s. I just decided to get out and enjoy some fresh air. We’re only here until Sunday morning.”
“Brought him back to meet the parents, huh? Must be serious.” He winks.
“Yeah. Actually, I think it might be.” I shyly smile and see Jimmy do the same. I quickly change the subject to make my way out of here. “Well, I don’t want to keep you guys.” I say, “It was so good to see you both, though.”
They both say you, too, and I share a quick hug with each of them. I wave to Emery and the other little girl, then we all take our leave. They go the way I came from, and I continue walking the path I was following. I turn back to look just one last time.
Jimmy is chasing Emery, and when he catches her, he effortlessly swings her up in his arms. They spin in a circle, and he sees me looking.
We share one last goodbye smile before turning back in our opposite directions.