Chapter 2

The doorbell rang but he did not get up. It rang again, twice in quick succession. "Landon?" a voice called from outside the door. "Are you in there?"

He realised whose voice it was. It was Rose's. She had a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Landon didn't bother getting up. He would just pretend he wasn't in and she'd leave. Only she didn't. She stayed at the front door for minutes, Landon all the while crying silently. Why couldn't everyone just leave him be for the moment? When she hadn't left in fifteen minutes he decided to wipe his eyes and answer the door. He hurried quietly into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. He reached for a towel to dry his face and walked across the hall to the door. He unlocked it and she immediately came in. "I was worried sick!" she exclaimed. "I was about to call an ambulance or something!" she went into the living room and put her shopping bags down on the sofa. She turned to him holding a bottle of wine. Landon used one hand to rub his eyes. He was tired. "Oh, Landon were you asleep?"

He shook his head. "I was talking to… my wife on… the phone." He sighed. "She's been away for a while. This was the first time I've spoken to her in a long time."

"Oh." She said. She put the wine back into the bag and picked it up. "No!" Landon said quickly. "You don't have to go,"

"No, no that's ok, you're dwelling. I don't want to intrude on that."

"You're not," he told her. "Stay. Please, sit." He said, gesturing to the sofa. She sat down slowly, and he followed suit, casually flipping over the damp cushion.

"So…" she said. "How are you? Really?"

He gave her a small smile. "I'm good. You?"

"Good. Um, do you mind me asking… how long has your wife been away from?"

"Four years," Landon told her simply. "I miss her."

"Why don't you go visit her?" Rose asked.

"I can't," Landon said. "That was part of the deal and it has to remain that way, there's nothing I can do. I can't see her in person but I'm allowed to talk to her."

"She isn't in jail is she?"

Landon burst out laughing despite himself. "No. No, no, no."

"The where is she?"

"Honestly," Landon said quietly. "I'm not sure. But I do know that where ever she is right now she's happy."

"Are you happy?" Rose asked him.

Landon shrugged. "I'm surviving. Though I wish every day I could be with her."

"You could take them to court," she suggested.

"Oh, no." he said. "I would never win. I can wish and wish but one day I will be with her again. I love her with all my heart."

Rose pointed to the picture of Landon at the park with Jamie. "Is that her?"

"Jamie," Landon said. "Yeah that's her. Us at seventeen. The year we fell in love." He smiled at the memories. "I was ah… one of the high school bad boys. In with the wrong crowd. I had to help tutor kids and take part in the school play. It just so happened that Jamie Sullivan, the Reverend's daughter who we took the piss out of was another main character. I needed help with my lines. I began to enjoy her company. When I asked her for help, I remember she said, "On one condition. Don't fall in love with me." And I said, "Like that'll happen." But I did. And then a few months later we got married." He picked up the wedding picture and showed it to Jackie.

"She's beautiful. I can see how you fell in love with her."

"It was like, suddenly I saw who she really was inside. I thought I knew but I was wrong. I thought she was the religious girl with no friends who sat at lunch table seven," he paused. "She carried around a Bible. I remember I asked her father permission to take her on our first date. Lucky for me he said yes. And before she went she gave me a book that belonged to her mother. We used to read it together. And then a while after the wedding she was gone. She had faith in me. Jamie saved my life."

"Wow." Rose said. "I wish I had a boyfriend as nice as you in high school."

The phone rang. "Sorry," Landon apologised. "I should get that." He stood up slowly and walked to the phone by the TV. He took it off the cradle and answered it. "Hello?"

"Is this Dr. Landon Carter?"

"Yes, who's speaking?" Landon asked.

"This is Connie Marshall; I'm a chief consultant at the district hospital."

Landon stood up straighter. "What's happened?"

"It's your father, could you come soon?"

"Uh, yeah, but what happened?"

"It will be easier to talk face-to-face." She said shortly.

"Is he critical?"

"I'm afraid so, he's asking for you."

"I'll come now," Landon said. "Thanks for calling." He hung up. "I've got to go to the hospital," he told Rose.

"Do you want me to come?" Rose offered.

"If you're up to it," Landon said, grabbing his jacket, and pocketing his keys. "Come on then," he ran out the door, her in pursuit after he shut the door.