I watched as Luka stood motionless on the sidewalk. A few seconds later, he
began to walk towards the car. He stopped outside the door, taking in a
breath. I opened the door, my eyes on him as I got out.
"Abby..." He said, his voice came out small, like a little boys" I held my arms out to him. It was ironic, wasn't he just doing the exact same thing for me a few hours ago? I looked up at him, trying to remember why we had grown apart in the first place. Before I knew what I was doing I lifted my head up and brought my lips to his. I felt him tense up for a moment but then relax. It felt like fireworks were going off inside of me. Kissing John had always been thrilling but it had never felt like this, this was incredible. We pulled apart, Luka opened his mouth to speak but I spoke first.
"No, it's okay. I, I wanted to kiss you." Luka looked at me like I was insane. I guess I am, well, just a little. Luka smiled. God, his smile was amazing, I hadn't realized how much I missed seeing it until that moment.
"Well" he began. "Lets go back up to my apartment. I'm going to call county and see if I can just bail on my shift today." I nodded my head, it sounded good to me. I was tired. Jonathan was awake now, so I took him out of the car and the three of us went inside.
Once were inside, Luka gestured for us to sit down and I did, gratefully. I gazed around the apartment, with Jonathan sitting quietly on my lap. I looked at the framed pictures that hung neatly on the walls and at the photographs they contained. Most were of some abstract object, a sunset on Lake Michigan, a snowy park. My eyes fell on a picture of Luka and Nicole. It was a professional portrait that looked like it had been taken recently. I studied the expressions on their faces, Luka looked truly happy but as my eyes lingered on Nicole, I got the distinct feeling she wasn't. I think it was her eyes.
"That was taken three months ago." I jumped as I heard Luka's voice. I turned my head toward him. "I don't have to go back into work." he paused a moment. " Are you guys hungry?" I opened my mouth to say something but Jonathan spoke first.
"Yeah! Do you have peanut butter?" I watched Luka smile, then laugh. Jonathan got up as Luka walked over to me. He held a hand out. I smiled as he helped me up off the couch.
"Follow me." Jonathan and I followed him into the kitchen, sitting down at the table. It was a pretty large kitchen, bright and airy. I watched Luka move around the kitchen, grabbing bread, peanut butter, a knife. Luka paused a moment and turned toward Jonathan.
"Just peanut butter?" he asked " and let me guess, no crust?" Jonathan nodded his head as he giggled. In a minute he had made the sandwich and had it on a plate.
"Why don't you watch some cartoons?" I told Jonathan, I wanted to talk to Luka alone and I hoped that the cartoons would be a good distraction for Jonathan. I looked at Luka, silently asking him if it was okay, he quickly nodded his head and I got up to find something on the TV for Jonathan. I watched as Abby took Jonathan into the living room. He was such a good kid. A moment later Abby returned. She smiled as she sat down.
"Blues Clues...he loves that show." I laughed.
"I think I watched that once, I was home sick from work." Abby laughed.
"It's a stimulating show isn't it?" I watched as she shifted in the chair, her hair had fallen into her eyes and she pushed it back with a swift movement of her hand. I walked towards the fridge and opened it. There was hardly anything in it, some eggs, a few cartons of old chinese food, some TV dinners and a tupperware container that was growing something unidentifiable in it.
"Want something to eat?" I asked her, holding up a TV dinner. "Swanson's chicken fingers." Abby shook her head, an amused look on her face.
"You never were one to actually cook, were you? No, I'm not really hungry." I shrugged and put the frozen dinner back in the fridge.
"Coffee?"
"That would be great." A few moments later I sat down at the table with two cups of coffee. I slid one cup toward Abby.
"It's decaf." I told her. "Do you need sugar or anything?"
"No, I'm fine." We both sat there for a while in silence, then both spoke at once.
"I was wonder..." I began.
"Why did..." she said at the same time. We laughed and I motioned for her to speak.
"Why did we grow apart? I mean, do you think we could have worked out?" I was thinking the same thing. I had forced myself not to think of Abby, to push her to the back of my mine. She was Carter's but now that she was back here in front of me, I could feel all the old feelings coming back. Even thought I love Nicole, I'm starting to think I could love Abby more. I looked at her as I replied.
"I don't know, maybe. I think that we just got together at the wrong time." She looked thoughtful.
"Yeah. I..." Abby didn't finish her sentence because a shattering of glass and scream from Jonathan came from the living room and sent us both running.
"Abby..." He said, his voice came out small, like a little boys" I held my arms out to him. It was ironic, wasn't he just doing the exact same thing for me a few hours ago? I looked up at him, trying to remember why we had grown apart in the first place. Before I knew what I was doing I lifted my head up and brought my lips to his. I felt him tense up for a moment but then relax. It felt like fireworks were going off inside of me. Kissing John had always been thrilling but it had never felt like this, this was incredible. We pulled apart, Luka opened his mouth to speak but I spoke first.
"No, it's okay. I, I wanted to kiss you." Luka looked at me like I was insane. I guess I am, well, just a little. Luka smiled. God, his smile was amazing, I hadn't realized how much I missed seeing it until that moment.
"Well" he began. "Lets go back up to my apartment. I'm going to call county and see if I can just bail on my shift today." I nodded my head, it sounded good to me. I was tired. Jonathan was awake now, so I took him out of the car and the three of us went inside.
Once were inside, Luka gestured for us to sit down and I did, gratefully. I gazed around the apartment, with Jonathan sitting quietly on my lap. I looked at the framed pictures that hung neatly on the walls and at the photographs they contained. Most were of some abstract object, a sunset on Lake Michigan, a snowy park. My eyes fell on a picture of Luka and Nicole. It was a professional portrait that looked like it had been taken recently. I studied the expressions on their faces, Luka looked truly happy but as my eyes lingered on Nicole, I got the distinct feeling she wasn't. I think it was her eyes.
"That was taken three months ago." I jumped as I heard Luka's voice. I turned my head toward him. "I don't have to go back into work." he paused a moment. " Are you guys hungry?" I opened my mouth to say something but Jonathan spoke first.
"Yeah! Do you have peanut butter?" I watched Luka smile, then laugh. Jonathan got up as Luka walked over to me. He held a hand out. I smiled as he helped me up off the couch.
"Follow me." Jonathan and I followed him into the kitchen, sitting down at the table. It was a pretty large kitchen, bright and airy. I watched Luka move around the kitchen, grabbing bread, peanut butter, a knife. Luka paused a moment and turned toward Jonathan.
"Just peanut butter?" he asked " and let me guess, no crust?" Jonathan nodded his head as he giggled. In a minute he had made the sandwich and had it on a plate.
"Why don't you watch some cartoons?" I told Jonathan, I wanted to talk to Luka alone and I hoped that the cartoons would be a good distraction for Jonathan. I looked at Luka, silently asking him if it was okay, he quickly nodded his head and I got up to find something on the TV for Jonathan. I watched as Abby took Jonathan into the living room. He was such a good kid. A moment later Abby returned. She smiled as she sat down.
"Blues Clues...he loves that show." I laughed.
"I think I watched that once, I was home sick from work." Abby laughed.
"It's a stimulating show isn't it?" I watched as she shifted in the chair, her hair had fallen into her eyes and she pushed it back with a swift movement of her hand. I walked towards the fridge and opened it. There was hardly anything in it, some eggs, a few cartons of old chinese food, some TV dinners and a tupperware container that was growing something unidentifiable in it.
"Want something to eat?" I asked her, holding up a TV dinner. "Swanson's chicken fingers." Abby shook her head, an amused look on her face.
"You never were one to actually cook, were you? No, I'm not really hungry." I shrugged and put the frozen dinner back in the fridge.
"Coffee?"
"That would be great." A few moments later I sat down at the table with two cups of coffee. I slid one cup toward Abby.
"It's decaf." I told her. "Do you need sugar or anything?"
"No, I'm fine." We both sat there for a while in silence, then both spoke at once.
"I was wonder..." I began.
"Why did..." she said at the same time. We laughed and I motioned for her to speak.
"Why did we grow apart? I mean, do you think we could have worked out?" I was thinking the same thing. I had forced myself not to think of Abby, to push her to the back of my mine. She was Carter's but now that she was back here in front of me, I could feel all the old feelings coming back. Even thought I love Nicole, I'm starting to think I could love Abby more. I looked at her as I replied.
"I don't know, maybe. I think that we just got together at the wrong time." She looked thoughtful.
"Yeah. I..." Abby didn't finish her sentence because a shattering of glass and scream from Jonathan came from the living room and sent us both running.