Silence. Silence was all that pervaded the room that was once filled with my voice, my story. Taking a chance, I briefly allowed my eyes to glance upward. Apparently, Nanci had taken the kids elsewhere, because I was alone now with David. Keeping my eyes on my hands which were now twisting uncomfortably in my lap, I waited for him to speak.
When what felt like hours of silence had past, but in reality was only a few minutes, I slowly got up from my chair.
Testing my voice, I said as calmly as possible, "I... I guess I'll go now." As I started to walk towards the door, I heard David's soft voice.
"Come here." He drew me toward his chest, without giving me a chance to say no. My entire body stiffened. He moved my head down to his shoulder, wrapped his arms around me, then forced himself to go very still. I couldn't break his hold.
"David, I don't want this."
"Tough."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you need it." He rubbed my back. It took almost three minutes until I relaxed. There would be plenty of times for questions and answers later. His biggest obstacle was getting me to trust him. "You're an obstinate man." He smiled into my hair.
"So my wife tells me quite frequently."
I tried to move away again and he simply shifted his hold. "David, my coffee is going to get cold." I tried to avert his attention to the drink that Nanci had given me before I had revealed my entire life story.
He let me turn in his arms and retrieve my cup. "Better?" He brushed my hair back behind my ears so he could see my face. My head lifted as I gave him a rueful smile. "Yes." The first tear fell... and then another. Finally, I was crying, purging myself of all my past hurts and rejections. Really letting myself feel pain. Only this time I had the support to let me cry. And I wasn't afraid.
Finally, I felt David lead me over to a chair as he pulled another up next to me. Nanci had come in as well, without the kids, and stood behind David, hands on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Jaidyn. I am sorry that you had to go through all of that... stuff. No one should have to go through that." David's voice finally brought my eyes to his, which happened to be brimming with tears of their own. Nanci had a similar expression on her face.
"Look, I know that you don't know us very well, but I think what you said warrants an invitation to try to do so." David looked at his wife for confirmation before continuing. "Valencia is about an hour away from UCLA. Nanci and I could drive you down and get you settled into your dorm and we could leave you with our phone number and address. You could come here on the weekends or breaks... whenever you just need to chill."
Speechless I stared at him. "But... I... You don't even know me. Why would you do that for me? I pretty much just confessed to obsessing over you and you are letting me come stay with you?"
David offered a soft smile. "Hey, I am used to people obsessing over me and-"
Nanci interrupted David with a smack across his shoulder. "What my overly cocky husband is trying to say, Jaidyn, is that, yes, we would love to have you stay with us. We can get to know you. And, since your passion is screenwriting, perhaps David can take you to the set to meet some of the writers? Maybe you can even shadow them for a few days. Nothing like learning from a pro, right?"
"I... okay... I guess."
Both David and Nanci offered a smile. "Great," David was the first to speak, "Now, how about we go see that car of yours. We'll get some gas put into it and then you can follow us to good 'ol UCLA. Nanci, will you call the babysitter?"
"Sure, give me five minutes."
While Nanci called the babysitter, I opted to go stand on the porch to wait. I had just experienced a repertoire of emotions and I needed a few minutes of quiet. The fresh air had done me good, and when David came out and slapped his hand on my back, asking "Are you ready, squirt?" I responded with a giggle and a nod. "Do that again," David said.
Confused I responded with a questioned look and a "What?"
"Giggle."
"I can't giggle on demand."
Thankfully he dropped the subject when Nanci came out from calling the sitter. Nanci and David drove me to pick up my car and we put five gallons of gas in it to make it to the nearest gas station. Then we were on our way to grad school.
Thankfully, I had a room to myself and everyone else was too interested in unpacking themselves to even care about talking to me or harassing my guests. Although, I did notice that David had donned a rather large pair of sunglasses and a hat. As we unloaded the last of my luggage into my room, I kidded him about the getup. "So... do you find that the hat and the sunglasses really keep the mobs away?" Fortunately, David has a really bad aim, otherwise the pillow lodged in my direction would have made serious contact. "Very funny. Here I have been more than compassionate with you and all you can do is make wise cracks."
"Yeah, whatever. You make it too easy."
"Alright, you two, break it up. Geesh, you're worse than the kids." Nanci broke in with her motherly tone, giving both of us "the look." We both had the grace to look somewhat ashamed which seemed to suffice for Nanci. "Seriously, though, I just want to thank you guys again. You have been such help. I really do appreciate you in so many ways."
David spoke just as seriously, "And we want you to know that our offer stands." Pulling out a sheet of paper, David wrote down his home number, cell phone, and their home address, leaving it on a nearby desk.
Suddenly shy again, I nodded my thanks. Stepping over the boxes in my new room which still smelled of fresh paint, I hugged the duo goodbye and promised them that I would not hesitate to call if I needed. David and Nanci walked out of my dorm room that afternoon, at the same time that they walked into my heart.
When what felt like hours of silence had past, but in reality was only a few minutes, I slowly got up from my chair.
Testing my voice, I said as calmly as possible, "I... I guess I'll go now." As I started to walk towards the door, I heard David's soft voice.
"Come here." He drew me toward his chest, without giving me a chance to say no. My entire body stiffened. He moved my head down to his shoulder, wrapped his arms around me, then forced himself to go very still. I couldn't break his hold.
"David, I don't want this."
"Tough."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you need it." He rubbed my back. It took almost three minutes until I relaxed. There would be plenty of times for questions and answers later. His biggest obstacle was getting me to trust him. "You're an obstinate man." He smiled into my hair.
"So my wife tells me quite frequently."
I tried to move away again and he simply shifted his hold. "David, my coffee is going to get cold." I tried to avert his attention to the drink that Nanci had given me before I had revealed my entire life story.
He let me turn in his arms and retrieve my cup. "Better?" He brushed my hair back behind my ears so he could see my face. My head lifted as I gave him a rueful smile. "Yes." The first tear fell... and then another. Finally, I was crying, purging myself of all my past hurts and rejections. Really letting myself feel pain. Only this time I had the support to let me cry. And I wasn't afraid.
Finally, I felt David lead me over to a chair as he pulled another up next to me. Nanci had come in as well, without the kids, and stood behind David, hands on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Jaidyn. I am sorry that you had to go through all of that... stuff. No one should have to go through that." David's voice finally brought my eyes to his, which happened to be brimming with tears of their own. Nanci had a similar expression on her face.
"Look, I know that you don't know us very well, but I think what you said warrants an invitation to try to do so." David looked at his wife for confirmation before continuing. "Valencia is about an hour away from UCLA. Nanci and I could drive you down and get you settled into your dorm and we could leave you with our phone number and address. You could come here on the weekends or breaks... whenever you just need to chill."
Speechless I stared at him. "But... I... You don't even know me. Why would you do that for me? I pretty much just confessed to obsessing over you and you are letting me come stay with you?"
David offered a soft smile. "Hey, I am used to people obsessing over me and-"
Nanci interrupted David with a smack across his shoulder. "What my overly cocky husband is trying to say, Jaidyn, is that, yes, we would love to have you stay with us. We can get to know you. And, since your passion is screenwriting, perhaps David can take you to the set to meet some of the writers? Maybe you can even shadow them for a few days. Nothing like learning from a pro, right?"
"I... okay... I guess."
Both David and Nanci offered a smile. "Great," David was the first to speak, "Now, how about we go see that car of yours. We'll get some gas put into it and then you can follow us to good 'ol UCLA. Nanci, will you call the babysitter?"
"Sure, give me five minutes."
While Nanci called the babysitter, I opted to go stand on the porch to wait. I had just experienced a repertoire of emotions and I needed a few minutes of quiet. The fresh air had done me good, and when David came out and slapped his hand on my back, asking "Are you ready, squirt?" I responded with a giggle and a nod. "Do that again," David said.
Confused I responded with a questioned look and a "What?"
"Giggle."
"I can't giggle on demand."
Thankfully he dropped the subject when Nanci came out from calling the sitter. Nanci and David drove me to pick up my car and we put five gallons of gas in it to make it to the nearest gas station. Then we were on our way to grad school.
Thankfully, I had a room to myself and everyone else was too interested in unpacking themselves to even care about talking to me or harassing my guests. Although, I did notice that David had donned a rather large pair of sunglasses and a hat. As we unloaded the last of my luggage into my room, I kidded him about the getup. "So... do you find that the hat and the sunglasses really keep the mobs away?" Fortunately, David has a really bad aim, otherwise the pillow lodged in my direction would have made serious contact. "Very funny. Here I have been more than compassionate with you and all you can do is make wise cracks."
"Yeah, whatever. You make it too easy."
"Alright, you two, break it up. Geesh, you're worse than the kids." Nanci broke in with her motherly tone, giving both of us "the look." We both had the grace to look somewhat ashamed which seemed to suffice for Nanci. "Seriously, though, I just want to thank you guys again. You have been such help. I really do appreciate you in so many ways."
David spoke just as seriously, "And we want you to know that our offer stands." Pulling out a sheet of paper, David wrote down his home number, cell phone, and their home address, leaving it on a nearby desk.
Suddenly shy again, I nodded my thanks. Stepping over the boxes in my new room which still smelled of fresh paint, I hugged the duo goodbye and promised them that I would not hesitate to call if I needed. David and Nanci walked out of my dorm room that afternoon, at the same time that they walked into my heart.
