CJ pulled into her driveway and noticed Toby sitting on her porch. She
parked the car quickly and jumped out of the car.
"What happened?" CJ ran over to Toby.
"Nothing," Toby looked up at CJ. She could see the redness in his eyes.
"Why are you here?"
"Because I wanted to apologize for my attitude earlier," Toby said quietly.
"It's okay," CJ sat next to him and grabbed his hand.
"It wasn't. I acted like a jerk."
"Toby, a lot happened today. I didn't expect you to be okay. Not after seeing Sam, and remembering about your father," CJ put her head on his shoulder.
"I still should have, I don't know, handled it better."
"I think all of us are handling it the only way we know how. I think you're doing fine." She smiled at him.
"What about you?" He looked down at her.
"I've had my cry. Many times," She said. "But the person I was worrying about was you," She looked at him. "I didn't know what you might do to yourself."
"I'm fine," He looked at her.
"No your not. None of us are," She patted Toby on the back.
"I should get going. I told Josh I would pick Sam's mom up at the airport tomorrow." Toby stood.
"You want me to come?"
"It's okay. I can do it."
"I know you can do it," She gave him a look. "You know what I meant."
"I know."
"What time are you going?"
"Her plane is scheduled to land around noon. I'm going to get there about an half hour early," Toby said as he saw CJ looking up at him. "I'll pick you up at eleven."
"Okay," She stood and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Toby looked at her.
"Yelling at you and hitting you when you told me about Sam," CJ said.
"Don't be sorry," He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep tonight."
"Only if you promise to do the same."
"I promise," He smiled and started to walk back to his car.
"Toby," CJ yelled.
"Yeah."
"You know I love you, right?"
"I know," Toby smiled a little. "I love you too." He waved and then got in his car. CJ watched as he drove away. She saw the pain that he had in his eyes. She knew that he wouldn't sleep tonight. He was feeling too much; he would never be able to calm down enough to sleep.
CJ walked back into her house and sat in her couch. She looked around and noticed how empty her house looked. She was hardly ever home. And when she was, she never really looked around at the things that she had. It was empty. Not just with objects, but there was also an empty feeling that was there. She smiled when she remembered the time Sam came over to drop off some papers for her and mentioned that her house looks like she just moved in. He would make fun of her because of the way she kept house.
"I miss you Sam," CJ said to herself.
"I miss you to CJ," A familiar voice said behind CJ's chair.
"Sam." CJ jumped up and looked at her friend.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Sam smiled.
"You think!" CJ looked at Sam like it was for the first time.
"What?" Sam asked with a smile.
"I'm having one of those nervous breakdowns, aren't I?" CJ felt like she was about to fall over, until Sam ran over to her and helped her balance out.
"No, I promise you're not." He smiled.
"Oh Sam," CJ hugged Sam with all her might. Not caring that she was crying uncontrollably.
"It's okay," Sam brushed her hair his fingers.
"I don't understand," She looked up at him.
"I don't mean to confuse you CJ, I was given a chance to say goodbye to my friends," He said while wiping away her tears.
"You just missed Toby," CJ pointed outside.
"I know, I'll see him later. I'm sorry I had to go this soon."
"So am I Sam, you were a great friend," CJ said. "Are a great friend." She corrected herself.
"It's okay," He smiled. "I tried to fight, but I wasn't strong enough." Sam said. "But I'll always be here CJ. I'll be always watching."
"I'll miss you so much Sam," CJ hugged him again.
"I'll miss you too," Sam kissed her forehead. "Goodbye CJ."
"Goodbye Sam," CJ closed her eyes. When she opened them, he was gone. She was still crying, but now she felt a little better. She got to see him one last time and she got to say goodbye. In her heart, that's what matters.
TBC
"What happened?" CJ ran over to Toby.
"Nothing," Toby looked up at CJ. She could see the redness in his eyes.
"Why are you here?"
"Because I wanted to apologize for my attitude earlier," Toby said quietly.
"It's okay," CJ sat next to him and grabbed his hand.
"It wasn't. I acted like a jerk."
"Toby, a lot happened today. I didn't expect you to be okay. Not after seeing Sam, and remembering about your father," CJ put her head on his shoulder.
"I still should have, I don't know, handled it better."
"I think all of us are handling it the only way we know how. I think you're doing fine." She smiled at him.
"What about you?" He looked down at her.
"I've had my cry. Many times," She said. "But the person I was worrying about was you," She looked at him. "I didn't know what you might do to yourself."
"I'm fine," He looked at her.
"No your not. None of us are," She patted Toby on the back.
"I should get going. I told Josh I would pick Sam's mom up at the airport tomorrow." Toby stood.
"You want me to come?"
"It's okay. I can do it."
"I know you can do it," She gave him a look. "You know what I meant."
"I know."
"What time are you going?"
"Her plane is scheduled to land around noon. I'm going to get there about an half hour early," Toby said as he saw CJ looking up at him. "I'll pick you up at eleven."
"Okay," She stood and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Toby looked at her.
"Yelling at you and hitting you when you told me about Sam," CJ said.
"Don't be sorry," He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep tonight."
"Only if you promise to do the same."
"I promise," He smiled and started to walk back to his car.
"Toby," CJ yelled.
"Yeah."
"You know I love you, right?"
"I know," Toby smiled a little. "I love you too." He waved and then got in his car. CJ watched as he drove away. She saw the pain that he had in his eyes. She knew that he wouldn't sleep tonight. He was feeling too much; he would never be able to calm down enough to sleep.
CJ walked back into her house and sat in her couch. She looked around and noticed how empty her house looked. She was hardly ever home. And when she was, she never really looked around at the things that she had. It was empty. Not just with objects, but there was also an empty feeling that was there. She smiled when she remembered the time Sam came over to drop off some papers for her and mentioned that her house looks like she just moved in. He would make fun of her because of the way she kept house.
"I miss you Sam," CJ said to herself.
"I miss you to CJ," A familiar voice said behind CJ's chair.
"Sam." CJ jumped up and looked at her friend.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Sam smiled.
"You think!" CJ looked at Sam like it was for the first time.
"What?" Sam asked with a smile.
"I'm having one of those nervous breakdowns, aren't I?" CJ felt like she was about to fall over, until Sam ran over to her and helped her balance out.
"No, I promise you're not." He smiled.
"Oh Sam," CJ hugged Sam with all her might. Not caring that she was crying uncontrollably.
"It's okay," Sam brushed her hair his fingers.
"I don't understand," She looked up at him.
"I don't mean to confuse you CJ, I was given a chance to say goodbye to my friends," He said while wiping away her tears.
"You just missed Toby," CJ pointed outside.
"I know, I'll see him later. I'm sorry I had to go this soon."
"So am I Sam, you were a great friend," CJ said. "Are a great friend." She corrected herself.
"It's okay," He smiled. "I tried to fight, but I wasn't strong enough." Sam said. "But I'll always be here CJ. I'll be always watching."
"I'll miss you so much Sam," CJ hugged him again.
"I'll miss you too," Sam kissed her forehead. "Goodbye CJ."
"Goodbye Sam," CJ closed her eyes. When she opened them, he was gone. She was still crying, but now she felt a little better. She got to see him one last time and she got to say goodbye. In her heart, that's what matters.
TBC