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Gordo sat on the floor, the bathrobe wrapped tightly around him. She was going to let him stay with her. He shook his head. He would not get excited and assume that there was something more there. If he lived in a house like this and a life long friend had showed up on the doorstep soaking wet, he doubted he'd be able to turn them away either.
She was still angry, no doubt, time wouldn't erase that. And she had no pretenses in hiding them from him. On top of everything else, she had a daughter. Lizzie, had her own, sweet little girl. He ran a hand through his damp hair. Standing, he picked up the towel he'd been sitting on and carried it into the bathroom he hung it one a towel rack, then started up the stairs.
He could hear her soft voice reading the story, he partly wanted to go in and listen to it all, but he didn't dare. With as furious as she was, she'd probably throw him out. He looked down the opposite hallway and saw a door open on his left. He quickly walked in and sat down on the bed. The room was nice, fully furbished in the Victorian period pieces, and a rich royal blue being the choice color, and darkly stained oak for the poster bed, dresser and night stand. He crossed the room and looked out the elegantly framed windows. The rain still poured down. He resisted a shiver then sat down on the bed.
He listened to the muffled sound of Lizzie reading, he didn't have any idea of what the story was, but he knew just the mumbled sound of her voice gave him an odd sense of comfort. Her voice dropped off, then he heard the soft click of a door. He quickly stood up and walked into the hallway just in time to see a door being pushed shut. He sighed, then walked over to the door and knocked softly.
The sound echoed in the hallway and was met by silence, as he was contemplating going back to his room, the door slowly opened. Lizzie stepped through the small space, looked up at him, then started down the stairs. He knew that look, it was an unspoken command for him to follow, so he did, back into the living room.
"Lizzie, I wanted to say thank-"
"It's nothing," she stated, her voice still keeping with its monotone flatness. "It was an available room."
He nodded, dropping his gaze to his hands. In the short time that he'd been there, his hands had become one of the most fascinating things he'd ever seen and he was surprise to notice how much of his attention he'd focused on the ten fingers.
"So, will your husband be home soon?" he asked, feeling a desperate need to chase out the silence that hung so thickly in the room.
"He died, David," she stated, her blue eyes focusing on a painting across the room.
"How long ago?" he questioned, a feeling of shock and empathy for her loss filling him.
"When Tori was a baby, about two years ago."
"I'm so sorry."
Lizzie stood up and walked over to the fireplace, she picked up a picture, gazing at it. "Don't be. Tori and I no longer need sympathy. Tori has me, and I have Tori, she's all I need."
Gordo nodded silently looking around the room. He knew she was struggling to be strong.
He doubted she knew, but he'd been at the wedding, sitting in the back. He'd never seen her look so beautiful, gliding so gracefully down the isle. His heart ached as he watched her recite the vows. He had to constantly remind himself that he'd lost his chance. He had no right to infringe on her happiness. She looked so beautifully radiant in front of a fountain, with the sun setting behind them.
He couldn't remember the wedding without thinking about the groom. He was a nice guy, a friend since Lizzie and Gordo had begun college. Gordo had never suspected him of having feelings for Lizzie. But then again, when Gordo had left his role as the boyfriend and took of without a word, he inadvertently opened the door to change.
Even after the wedding, at the reception, Gordo had to press back the desire to walk up to her. Any control he'd had over his emotions would have been lost the moment he was close enough to touch her. It hadn't taken long before he'd left, but he'd wanted to see her. Her beautiful radiant smile, the way her eyes shone with happiness. He looked at her now. She was still at the fireplace, her arm resting on it. He wondered what he would see if he looked in her eyes. "Is she really all you need?" he asked softly.
Lizzie dropped her hear, then slowly turned to look at him. "Of course, the past two years have taught me that."
Gordo nodded, her words were sharp daggers, every hit trying to inflict as much pain as he had when he'd left. She didn't understand, things were different. Living with her was great, college was great, their relationship was great, loving her had been great, everything was great, but everything wasn't. As proud as he was of her being his girlfriend, of having the independence to live together, he fell that compulsion to go. Sighing, he rested his head against his hand and closed his eyes.
"What?" her voice broke across his thoughts.
"Huh?"
"What was that for?" she asked, imitating his sigh.
He shrugged and shook his head. "Just thinking."
Lizzie didn't press for more information, she simply nodded and turned towards the window.
The silence in the room was suffocating him. Here he was reunited with his best friend whom he hadn't spoken to in several years and he couldn't think of anything to say.
"Lizzie, I-" he began, but as he looked upon her face, his words died away.
"You what?" she asked, the edge sliding away from her voice.
Gordo stared at her, wondering what exactly he had planned on saying. He made a face and shook his head. "It's-it's nothing."
She nodded. "I have to go to work in the morning. If you need anything, the kitchen is down that way, the refrigerator is stocked. Help yourself." She turned and hurried up the stairs.
After her heard the click of her door, he fell back in the chair again with a sigh. There was a long, rocky road ahead of him.
Gordo sat on the floor, the bathrobe wrapped tightly around him. She was going to let him stay with her. He shook his head. He would not get excited and assume that there was something more there. If he lived in a house like this and a life long friend had showed up on the doorstep soaking wet, he doubted he'd be able to turn them away either.
She was still angry, no doubt, time wouldn't erase that. And she had no pretenses in hiding them from him. On top of everything else, she had a daughter. Lizzie, had her own, sweet little girl. He ran a hand through his damp hair. Standing, he picked up the towel he'd been sitting on and carried it into the bathroom he hung it one a towel rack, then started up the stairs.
He could hear her soft voice reading the story, he partly wanted to go in and listen to it all, but he didn't dare. With as furious as she was, she'd probably throw him out. He looked down the opposite hallway and saw a door open on his left. He quickly walked in and sat down on the bed. The room was nice, fully furbished in the Victorian period pieces, and a rich royal blue being the choice color, and darkly stained oak for the poster bed, dresser and night stand. He crossed the room and looked out the elegantly framed windows. The rain still poured down. He resisted a shiver then sat down on the bed.
He listened to the muffled sound of Lizzie reading, he didn't have any idea of what the story was, but he knew just the mumbled sound of her voice gave him an odd sense of comfort. Her voice dropped off, then he heard the soft click of a door. He quickly stood up and walked into the hallway just in time to see a door being pushed shut. He sighed, then walked over to the door and knocked softly.
The sound echoed in the hallway and was met by silence, as he was contemplating going back to his room, the door slowly opened. Lizzie stepped through the small space, looked up at him, then started down the stairs. He knew that look, it was an unspoken command for him to follow, so he did, back into the living room.
"Lizzie, I wanted to say thank-"
"It's nothing," she stated, her voice still keeping with its monotone flatness. "It was an available room."
He nodded, dropping his gaze to his hands. In the short time that he'd been there, his hands had become one of the most fascinating things he'd ever seen and he was surprise to notice how much of his attention he'd focused on the ten fingers.
"So, will your husband be home soon?" he asked, feeling a desperate need to chase out the silence that hung so thickly in the room.
"He died, David," she stated, her blue eyes focusing on a painting across the room.
"How long ago?" he questioned, a feeling of shock and empathy for her loss filling him.
"When Tori was a baby, about two years ago."
"I'm so sorry."
Lizzie stood up and walked over to the fireplace, she picked up a picture, gazing at it. "Don't be. Tori and I no longer need sympathy. Tori has me, and I have Tori, she's all I need."
Gordo nodded silently looking around the room. He knew she was struggling to be strong.
He doubted she knew, but he'd been at the wedding, sitting in the back. He'd never seen her look so beautiful, gliding so gracefully down the isle. His heart ached as he watched her recite the vows. He had to constantly remind himself that he'd lost his chance. He had no right to infringe on her happiness. She looked so beautifully radiant in front of a fountain, with the sun setting behind them.
He couldn't remember the wedding without thinking about the groom. He was a nice guy, a friend since Lizzie and Gordo had begun college. Gordo had never suspected him of having feelings for Lizzie. But then again, when Gordo had left his role as the boyfriend and took of without a word, he inadvertently opened the door to change.
Even after the wedding, at the reception, Gordo had to press back the desire to walk up to her. Any control he'd had over his emotions would have been lost the moment he was close enough to touch her. It hadn't taken long before he'd left, but he'd wanted to see her. Her beautiful radiant smile, the way her eyes shone with happiness. He looked at her now. She was still at the fireplace, her arm resting on it. He wondered what he would see if he looked in her eyes. "Is she really all you need?" he asked softly.
Lizzie dropped her hear, then slowly turned to look at him. "Of course, the past two years have taught me that."
Gordo nodded, her words were sharp daggers, every hit trying to inflict as much pain as he had when he'd left. She didn't understand, things were different. Living with her was great, college was great, their relationship was great, loving her had been great, everything was great, but everything wasn't. As proud as he was of her being his girlfriend, of having the independence to live together, he fell that compulsion to go. Sighing, he rested his head against his hand and closed his eyes.
"What?" her voice broke across his thoughts.
"Huh?"
"What was that for?" she asked, imitating his sigh.
He shrugged and shook his head. "Just thinking."
Lizzie didn't press for more information, she simply nodded and turned towards the window.
The silence in the room was suffocating him. Here he was reunited with his best friend whom he hadn't spoken to in several years and he couldn't think of anything to say.
"Lizzie, I-" he began, but as he looked upon her face, his words died away.
"You what?" she asked, the edge sliding away from her voice.
Gordo stared at her, wondering what exactly he had planned on saying. He made a face and shook his head. "It's-it's nothing."
She nodded. "I have to go to work in the morning. If you need anything, the kitchen is down that way, the refrigerator is stocked. Help yourself." She turned and hurried up the stairs.
After her heard the click of her door, he fell back in the chair again with a sigh. There was a long, rocky road ahead of him.