Time and Time Again by Catherine Ennis

Author:Catherine Ennis [Catherine Ennis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781594933561
Google: 7Z1aAAAAMAAJ
Goodreads: 20804237
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2012-11-01T03:00:00+00:00

***

It was afternoon and I was watching an old man feed one peanut at a time to a flock of pigeons. He opened each nut carefully and dropped the empty shells at his feet. The ground was littered, and I knew he was going to crumble the paper sack and drop that, too. He had just accomplished this amazing feat of littering when Ellen called.

“You were surprised that I called last night, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“Well, I was lying there in the dark making love to you.”

I couldn’t resist. Drawing in a deep breath, I said, “Ellen, you don’t have to have sex with an imaginary me. We’re both free. Why couldn’t we have been together?” I do not ordinarily say things like that. Maybe because it had been after four o’clock when I’d cleaned my brushes and washed for bed and, after only an hour and a half of sleep, I was tired and irritable.

I watched the old man get to his feet and brush peanut shells from his lap to the ground. He walked away, scattering pigeons in all directions.

Ellen hadn’t said anything, so I asked, “Are you still there?”

“I’m here.” Her voice was flat, no emotion of any kind.

“I was just surprised when you called last night, that’s all.”

“Millie, I thought you’d like to know that I think about you when we’re not together. It’s not important to you, but I didn’t know that when I called.”

“Ellen, being with you is the most important thing in my life. That’s why I want to be with you more than we are.” I was whining again. I could hear it plain as day.

“You certainly don’t show it. I wanted to please you, and you throw it back in my face.”

Throw it back? Had I done that? She’d simply called to tell me I was in her thoughts. Obviously, I’m the one at fault.

“Ellen, I’m sorry. Honest, honey.”

“What about this weekend? Are we going or not?”

“Sure we’re going. And I have news for you about our suitcase ladies. Come tomorrow night, and I’ll tell you what we’ve found out.” Also, I thought, you’ll have a real, live person in your arms.

“I don’t know if I can. There’s a meeting at the school that may run late, but I’ll see.” Her voice was brisk and impersonal.

“Will you call me tomorrow?”

She sighed loudly enough for me to hear. “Of course,” she said.

I put the phone back on its shelf and started watching sparrows peck through the peanut debris.

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