Bill felt better than he had in over a month. He actually felt like waking up in the morning again, he felt like seeing people and socializing, he felt like doing things, anything at all. He was still reeling over his time with Mia the previous night. She actually said she wanted to see him again, despite everything he did to her...
Shortly after he awoke, he texted her good morning, just like he used to. He couldn't help it, and hoped he wasn't coming on too strong so soon. He just missed her so much, and was so incredibly overjoyed that she even gave him the time of day, let alone agreed to trying again with him.
Gradients of pink and orange brushed across the sky. Was it just him, or was the morning sunrise more magnificent than ever before? His friends were starting to meet up in the alley underneath the colors, this time with morning coffees rather than beers. Bill brewed up a cup of his own before joining them.
"He's smiling-must be good news!" Hank noted as Bill edged up beside them.
"Yep. Mia and I are getting back together!"
His friends cheered. Boomhauer clapped him on the back.
"Wow, a second chance," Dale mused, "Let's see how quickly you fuck it up this time."
"Now come on, Dale, Bill's learned his lesson. He's not going to ruin anything again."
"You have a lot of faith in him, Hank. How many other times have you said the exact same thing?"
Bill's good mood wasn't dampened. Not even Dale could ruin things for him right now. "Why are you being so negative? If you thought I was going to ruin my second chance then why did you try to help me?"
Dale waved it off. "I know, I know. I have to pick on you regardless of my thoughts and feelings on any matter. That's what keeps you humble."
Bill rolled his eyes.
"She's good for you, Bill. She respects you. Most people don't."
"Thanks, Dale."
"Peggy and I are happy Mia helped Luanne get a job at that mechanic shop. Had we known years ago what a talent Luanne had for working on cars, well, maybe we wouldn't have pushed her so hard into beauty school."
Bill recalled Luanne working on everybody's car or truck at some point. She even fixed Hank's truck when he was stumped with whatever issue it was.
"Glad to have her around...she's been a very good friend to Leah," Boomhauer added.
"I think she's a good friend to everybody," Hank agreed. "Yep...Rainey Street will be much brighter again once she starts coming back around."
Mia smiled when Bill had texted her good morning again. She was reminded of how much she had missed that. However, she still felt that little idling prickle of resentment whenever she thought of him. She wondered if it was petty and childish to ignore him for a while before replying to any of his texts, letting him dangle a little. It was also convenient, she thought, that she had Christmas plans with family for the next few days and wouldn't have to see him right away anyway.
Her family's traditional Christmas Eve plans were spent with the extended family, and Christmas Day was reserved for the parents and siblings. The extended family didn't usually buy each other gifts, as there were simply way too many people to buy for. Usually things were bought for the grandparents and the little kids. Mia also bought things for Raul and even Gilbert, which she would give to them away from the family Christmas party.
She hadn't bought anything for Bill. She was thinking over a few things to get for him now, to give to him when she saw him next, now that they were basically together again. It was with a pang when she remembered she would have to tell Jackie about that. Mia hadn't told her parents or anybody else Bill had broken up with her. It was too embarrassing. She hoped Jackie hadn't said anything about it to anybody. It would save her the shame of explaining what happened, and that it didn't matter anymore because now they were together again.
Raul and Gilbert came to pick her up so they could all arrive at the family Christmas party together. The party was at their Uncle Carlos' house this year, which was about thirty minutes outside of Arlen.
"Hey," Raul greeted as she climbed into the back seat of his Jeep.
"Nice to see you again," Gilbert nodded behind him.
"Hi guys."
"I'm happy to hear that you and Bill are back in business!" Raul said happily as they set off down the street.
"Wow, word travels fast."
"Guillaume called me this morning, utterly delighted, to share the news," explained Gilbert.
Mia felt touched to hear that. It was nice to know how much Bill missed her and how much he truly did want to be with her. "I just hope it works out this time," she said.
"It will!" Raul was always so positive about everything.
They drove up to the Christmas party, which seemed to be in full swing already. Their aunt and uncle's house wasn't as big as Mia's parents', but it was still very well maintained and beautifully decorated. Lots of relatives were inside, most wearing Christmas sweaters or other festive attire. The little cousins were bouncing around, excited to be opening presents.
Thankfully, not many people had asked her where Bill was. When Mia's mother asked, however, Mia could tell no one ever told her she and Bill had broken up to begin with.
"He had Christmas plans of his own. I'm probably seeing him in a few days."
Her mother didn't question it, much to Mia's relief.
She was able to corner Jackie alone to break the news to her. "Bill and I are back together," Mia told her quickly.
"Really?" Jackie looked surprised, but not utterly shocked.
"I saw him at his friend's Christmas party last night. The one I told you I might go to."
"And he apologized?"
"Profusely."
Mia was waiting it out, trying to gauge how Jackie was going to feel about it.
"Did he seem sincere?"
"He's always sincere."
"What happened with him and what's her name?"
"He kicked her out, I guess. Weeks ago."
Jackie looked at her skeptically, one eyebrow raised.
Mia kept talking, trying to convince Jackie it wasn't dumb of her to get back with him.
"He did seem sorry. And I can get his mindset in a way. His ex put him down and mistreated him a lot. So did mine. It really messes with how you perceive things."
"Well...If you trust him, then so do I."
Mia's nervousness dissolved. Jackie's opinion and approval meant more to her than anything else.
"Thank you. And thanks for not telling Mom."
"I'd never snitch, you know that."
"I know. And um, thanks for, you know...taking care of me."
Jackie rolled her eyes and smiled. "What are sisters for? Now come on. I need some of that dessert."
They went to the kitchen together, where every surface was laid out with all kinds of desserts and treats. Jackie scooped some natilla, which was a type of custard, onto her plate. Mia picked up a frosted sugar cookie.
The Christmas party was fun, as any gathering with her family was. She was happy to see her brother again. However, she wished Bill were there with her. It would have made everything more enjoyable. She kept thinking about him, and about how much she missed him, and she wondered how different their relationship was going to be from now on. Could things still go on how they did before?
She hoped so.
Bill waited all day to call her, until he knew she would be home and settled in to talk for a while. It was so pleasing to hear her voice again, to hear her tell him about her day and ask about his, just like she used to.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" he had asked her.
"I'm not sure. I'll probably be at my parents' until later."
"Maybe you can come over after? I have something for you."
"Bring it here."
"It's too big."
Huh… Something too big to bring over? She wondered what it could possibly be. "Um, maybe. And I don't… have anything for you. Yet, anyway."
She felt a little guilty that he got her a Christmas gift but she didn't get him one, yet at the same time she felt a little justified considering they were broken up until yesterday.
Bill didn't seem to care. "I don't want anything. All I want is you."
Every time he said something sweet like that to her, she felt flattered and appreciated. It was sometimes hard to remember he had broken her heart.
"Okay. If I'm not back too late I can stop over."
She could hear the smile in his voice.
"Great… I can't wait to see you."
Bill dearly wished Christmas would have been different this year. Every Christmas since Lenore left always brought him down to his lowest point. He had even tried a handful of times to kill himself around the holidays, but he was usually stopped by Hank. He had anticipated spending Christmas this year with Mia, both with her family and then just the two of them. Of course he had to screw it up, he had to screw everything up, and now he was spending Christmas alone like always. But Mia said she might come by tonight, and that was the only thing keeping him going. He refrained from drinking any alcohol today, not trusting that his drunk self wouldn't slip down into its typical self-destructive depression.
They texted each other Merry Christmas, and a few other times throughout the day, but as she was with her parents and siblings all day her replies were few and far between. He was glad she was with her family and having a good time, but he missed her so much it ached, and spent most of the day simply waiting until he heard from her again. His friends were all with their families, and he assumed Gilbert would be with Raul. Therefore, it was pleasantly surprising when the two of them stopped by to visit and exchange gifts. He was nervous to see Raul, wondering how things between them would be now after what had happened with Mia.
They sat together in Bill's living room, which wasn't at all decorated for the holiday, but still felt much cozier and festive now that he had guests.
"Thank you for coming to see me," Bill said, "I wasn't expecting you guys to come."
"Of course, dear cousin. I'm sure you can imagine how ever so droll Christmases were at the Chateau D'Haute Rive. I'm much more looking forward to the holidays you and I will be spending together from now on." Gilbert turned to Raul, smiling sweetly, "And with you of course, my darling."
Raul smiled contentedly back. He seemed to be in good spirits, at least.
Bill hoped he was reading Raul correctly, who still didn't seem to be bothered by being around him. It was important to Bill that he and Raul were on good terms, because they had gotten to be good friends over the past few months, and Raul and Mia were very close as well. Anyone who Mia was close with was someone Bill wanted to be in their good graces.
"Raul, can I ask...are you uh, mad at me?"
"Why? Because you broke up with Mia?"
"Well...yeah."
"No, I'm not mad," Raul assured him, "And you're back together now, aren't you?"
"Yeah..." Bill was a little wary over how cool Raul was about it.
"Look, I don't like seeing Mia upset, and she takes things hard. And I don't know much about whatever happened between you two. It's none of my business. But I know that things happen. God knows I've made my fair share of screw ups."
"God may judge you, but His sins outnumber your own," Gilbert nodded sagely.
"Exactly, and Mia seems to think you're worth giving a second chance to, Bill. If she can see past whatever happened, I can too."
Bill smiled. "Thanks, Raul. That means a lot to me."
Raul waved him off and tossed him a Christmas gift.
Already it looked as though this Christmas was going to be one of the best Bill ever had.
Bill opened the door and she was there, impossibly beautiful, wearing a sweater and her hair braided to the side. She looked happy to see him, though not as comfortable as she used to be. She seemed like Bill was just an acquaintance to her again, and the house she once spent most of her time at was now strange and unfamiliar.
"Hi," she said, smiling as she looked up at him. It was the look she reserved for no one else.
"Hi." He paused, a bit awkwardly, wondering if he should hug her or not. He waited too long and the moment passed, so he tried to smooth it over by quickly inviting her in.
"Oh, you still have my picture," she noticed as she looked at the living room wall. Hanging in its usual spot was the watercolor painting of the goldfish Mia painted. Bill had put it back up earlier in the day, because now it wasn't too painful to look at anymore.
"Of course I do. And I have some of your other stuff still. Clothes and other things, like your skincare stuff."
"Oh, yeah...I forgot about that."
She kept standing in the middle of the living room, seemingly waiting for something else to happen.
"Do you want to sit down?" He wanted her to be comfortable and glad to be there, instead of stiff and hesitant.
"I can't stay for long. It's late and I have to work tomorrow."
"Oh...okay." He was a little disappointed, but he understood. "Well, do you want to see your Christmas present?"
"Sure. Where is it?"
"Come on!"
He led her outside and into his garage. It was tidy, with shelves and equipment pushed up against the walls. In the center of the room was something large, it's shape indiscernible, and covered by a big blue tarp.
Bill looked excited, grinning ear to ear. "Ready?" he asked.
"Alright!"
Mia yanked off the tarp with enthusiasm.
The blue material fell heavily to the floor, revealing a large wooden cabinet. It was hand built, sanded, and stained with a luxurious dark finish. The knobs to pull open the doors were shaped like fish. Mia crouched down to it, looking in awe at the handiwork and detail. Bill watched her with trepidation, scanning her expression for what she might be thinking. He lowered down beside her and spoke softly.
"It's a stand for a fish tank. I know Pierre is happy in the tank you have now, but with this stand you could fit an even bigger one on top. Maybe it could even fit a tank big enough to put more fish in."
"You made this?" she asked, her voice distant, her focus still primarily on the little fish shaped door nobs.
"Yep. Took me a couple of weeks. I had to have Hank help me with some things, but most of it I did on my own."
"You made this...for me?"
"Of course. Do you like it?"
"I…" she turned to face him. Her wide eyes were full of amazement. "I love it."
"Good. I'm glad." His smile melted away the worry on his face. "And if you wanted to get a bigger aquarium, I'll come with you and buy it. I would have gotten that stuff myself but I didn't know what all you wanted or needed."
They stood up together, and Mia brushed her hand across the smooth, polished wood. She was marveled by it, by what a great gift it was, and by how much time and effort he put into it.
"I'm sorry I don't have anything for you. But I will."
"No, it's fine. Really. Just you being with me is enough. It's more than enough."
"You deserve a real gift, though."
"No, I don't," he dismissed, "You know that."
She smiled sadly and reached for his hand. "I don't want you to keep beating yourself up over it."
Bill sighed in agitation. "I can't help it. And I feel like you're letting me off too easy."
"Well, you're sorry about it. And you've been taking steps to fix it."
"Yes, but I still messed things up. I still hurt you. I can't take that back."
She looked up at him with an expression of understanding. Holding both his hands now, she pulled him gently closer to her, closing any space between them.
"You did hurt me. But I know you won't do it again. Right?"
He saw the sincerity upon her beautiful face, the endearment in her sparkling dark eyes. It felt so calming to feel her against him again, her hands softly in his, his dearest dreams of the past several weeks being realized once more.
"Right."
"I've been thinking a lot about it. About what happened. And I can really see you're trying to change how you perceive things, and how you perceive yourself. And I can really see you do care about me-"
"Of course I do, I always did, I just-"
"I know." She smiled. "Maybe your bad thoughts kept darkening everything else. But now you're seeing someone to talk to who can help you, that's a big step. I never even did that for myself."
Bill didn't say anything at first, instead he looked down at her hands as he held them, running his thumbs across her knuckles. He just wanted to feel her and touch her, something he had longed for and could never get enough of.
"I just, I really want you to know how sorry I am. I know I should have communicated with you more. I should have trusted you more. I should have told you about seeing Lenore. And I should have never thought leaving you was any type of option…" he mumbled, angry at himself.
The corners of Mia's eyes began to dot with tears. She pulled him into a hug and held her head against his chest, letting the comfort of his arms envelop around her.
"It still hurts...a lot. But I know you're sorry. I'm really trusting you not to do it again. I really hope you talk to me more if you're feeling insecure about something. I'd do anything to make you see how wonderful you are, and how wonderful you are to me."
Bill started to feel his eyes prickle now, but took a steady breath to hold himself together. He drew back from her and looked into her eyes, hoping his sincerity would come through his own.
"I'll never hurt you again. I promise. I love you."
She smiled softly, but didn't reply. Bill didn't expect her to say it back yet, but dreamed of the day she would...
"Tomorrow I can use Hank's truck to bring this over to your house," Bill offered, tapping the cabinet beside them.
Mia still didn't answer, instead looking down at the cabinet while deep in thought. Bill nervously wondered what was going through her mind. Eventually she looked gently back up at him and said, "Maybe you could...keep it here?" She sounded unsure, like she was hesitant of his reaction.
"What?"
"Well, it's- it's so big and heavy. And once I get a new aquarium filled with water, that takes a lot of work to drain and move again. Um, maybe it would be easier if I kept it all here. Then I wouldn't have to keep moving everything…" Her voice trailed off in shyness. Bill noticed a slight blush in her cheeks.
It took him a moment to fully work what she said through the process of his mind. Once it clicked, his smile was broad, his joy was boundless. "Of course...whatever you want!"
She eased up at his response and smiled again.
It was very late now, almost midnight, and they both had to get up early for work in the morning. With much reluctance he walked her out to her car, not wanting to say goodbye.
"Can I take you out somewhere? On a date?" he asked earnestly.
"Absolutely. When?"
"Tomorrow, of course. As soon as humanly possible."
Mia laughed, which delighted Bill.
"Okay."
They stood close together, looking at each other, almost stalling for more time. As Mia gazed up at him with her brilliant brown eyes, he was reminded of all the other times they were in this same position, and of all the times it ended with a kiss. He wanted to kiss her so badly now, but wherever their current state of affairs had them in, it still seemed like it was too soon.
He chose instead to hug her, and she lingered there, holding him tightly, as if she didn't want to let him go...ever again.
