Title: Again

Chapter Two: I heard from a friend today…

Author: Jaycee

*All necessary formalities are in the first chapter – I hate repeating them again and again and again!

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A week later, Josie woke up to insistent knocking on her front door. She moaned and slowly stood up. "Who is that?" she asked herself. "God! It's Sunday. This interruption of my beauty sleep should be illegal!" She giggled at her silliness and grabbed a terry pink robe and went to answer the door.

 "Anita! What are you doing here at…" She grabbed her friend's wrist and looked at the time. "Eight o'clock in the morning?" she asked as she let her friend enter. "Do you have some coffee?" Anita asked, ignoring her question. "You came all the way from your house to here for some coffee?" she asked incredulously as she went to the kitchen and started to make some coffee.

"Nooo… I came here to tell you something." Anita replied as she sat down on a barstool. "Anita! Don't sit there. Go to the living room and sit on the couch. You might fall off." Josie said in alarm as Anita's stool began to titter. Anita rolled her eyes and got off the stool and went into the living room.

"So, what is it that's so important that you have to tell me?" Josie asked as she carried the coffee into the living room. Anita took a deep breath. "You better sit down." Josie looked at her and slowly sat down. "What is it Anita? You're scaring me."

"Okay. Here goes. I just learned last night that Sam is coming here in Chicago." "What? When? How did you know? Who told you? What is he doing here?" Josie asked one after another. "Jos. Jos! It's okay. Breathe! Breathe! You're hyperventilating." Anita said worriedly as she rubbed her back.

"It's like this. You know Roger? The one from op/ed? Well, he's now a writer for the business section, and he told me that he's writing about a New York law firm, which is opening a branch here in Chicago." "So… how does that mean that Sam is coming here… he's not in law…. Oh God…" Josie trailed off as understanding began to dawn on her.

"Lara… Lara's a lawyer…" she continued as the conversation at the Delloser Club three years ago was replayed in her brain. She remembered how Lara bragged about her firm having season tickets to the Met. Her eyes met Anita's. "That means…"

"She's moving here. They're both moving here." Anita finished. Josie stood up and began to pace around the room. "Not now. This shouldn't happen now. I'm not yet ready to see him… no…" Josie whispered running a frantic hand through her hair. "Josie, calm down!" Anita said in a loud voice and stood up to stop her friend from walking around. "You're really making me dizzy."

"I'm sorry." Josie said softly and she can feel the tears that are threatening to escape her eyelids. They slowly sat down on the couch. "How can this happen Anita? I was starting to forget about him." Josie groaned as she placed her head on her hands. "I know sweetie. But that's how it is. Maybe you two can now talk to each other about what happened." Anita suggested.

Josie began shaking her head. "No, I don't think so. I don't want to see him." "But why?" "I'm not yet ready." "Josie, it's been three years. You two should really talk." "No. I don't want to see him. I hope that I won't see him in the near future." Josie said stubbornly, despite Anita's protests.

"It's all up to you, Josie. But I doubt it that you'll never see Sam. Chicago is a pretty small town." "He wouldn't see me, as long as he stays with Lara. I just have to avoid the places that I'll likely to see him." Josie said, as she sunk further into the couch. "Like where?" "The library… um… schools… high schools coz he's bound to want to teach high school again, right?"

Anita slowly nodded. "Why am I even thinking about this? He wouldn't want to see me right? He would have called me in the last three years to at least explain why he didn't come, right? So, I shouldn't worry about seeing him. He wouldn't want anything to do about me right?"

"I don't know Jos. He loves you. There might be a really big reason on why he didn't come that night." "Loves me? Loves me? You must be kidding!" Josie laughed bitterly. "How can you even say that? He doesn't love me Anita. Don't you remember? He didn't come three years ago, and he married Lara. The woman that he introduced to me three years ago. The woman that was telling him to move to New York. I thought that they wouldn't get this far, because that day at the Navy Pier, he told me that he wasn't even sure if he should move in with her at New York. But, I guess, I was wrong. They're obviously in love with each other that they eventually got married."

As Josie started ranting, tears began to fall from her eyes, which she kept on brushing away furiously. "Oh honey. It's okay. Everything will be okay." Anita whispered as she gathered her in her arms and rocked her back and forth. Josie began to cry in earnest.

After a few minutes, Josie pulled away from Anita, as she wiped her face with the sleeve of her robe. "Is Georgia here?" Anita asked. "No. She went to my mom's. She spent the night there." Josie answered. "Oh good. I wouldn't want her to see this tear fest." Anita kidded, as she brushed Josie's hair away from her face. "Are you okay?"

Josie nodded. "Yeah. I am, actually. Thanks again Anita. You might be so fed up with this thing." "What thing?" "This!" Josie gestured to herself. "You keep on comforting me when everything goes wrong in my life. I'm so lucky to have you as my friend." Josie said lovingly, as she kissed her on the cheek. "I'm lucky too. To have you as my friend." Anita replied and Josie can see that she's trying hard to hold back the tears. "Don't cry. I'll start again if you do." They laughed and hugged each other again.

"I love you Anita." "I love you too Josie." 'I just hope that Sam coming to town won't do any more damage to my heart.' Josie thought to herself as she hugged her friend tighter. "Thank you so much." Josie said. Anita sighed. "Your more than welcome." Anita replied as she gently smoothed out Josie's hair. 'I hope everything will be okay.' Anita thought to herself. 'Josie has been through so much already.'