Safe Harbor? by Wardell Heather

Author:Wardell, Heather [Wardell, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction
Publisher: Heather Wardell
Published: 2015-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

I shifted uncomfortably in my gold high-heeled sandals, wishing I were at home on the couch watching TV with Owen. He’d shot down my ‘why don’t we just spend New Year’s Eve relaxing?’ suggestion, though, because Leonard and Tam had what he called a great party every year and we had to be there.

Well, we had shown up, but unless ‘the hosts aren’t speaking to each other’ is your idea of a great party, this wasn’t one.

They’d been handling each other okay when we’d arrived, although Tam’s sadness had been obvious to me despite how cheerful she was acting, but as the night wore on whatever was wrong between them seemed to get bigger and bigger until they couldn’t cope any more.

Now, a few minutes before midnight, Tam was on the other side of their apartment with a group of her friends while I stood with Owen and Leonard and a few of his friends with their wives or girlfriends. Two parties, in a way, and neither of them seemed like happy ones.

“Well,” Leonard said, his voice a little too bright, “this year’s almost over. Good riddance, right?” He nudged Owen. “Except for you, I guess. Got a wife and a promotion this year. Not bad, not bad.”

Owen smiled and nodded. “Can’t wait to see what 2013 brings. No way it can be as exciting as this year.”

Remembering Linda’s rage and pain, I hoped he was right. The kind of excitement that would bring us would be the kind I couldn’t handle.

Leonard began asking everyone in our little group for their resolutions. Owen, with a sideways look at me, said he resolved to stop leaving his dirty socks on the floor. When we’d all stopped laughing I said, “And I resolve not to nag him about it. Much.”

I wouldn’t have to at all, since he’d never left even a single sock lying around, but I knew he was trying to lighten the mood and I admired how smoothly he’d done it.

It worked, too, as everyone else began making joke resolutions as well. But once that was all done and Leonard had begun counting down the final ten seconds to midnight, I made a far more important private resolution to myself. I had to learn how to control my emotions on my own. I couldn’t need Owen so much. What if I lost him some day?

Leonard shouted, “Happy New Year!” and everyone cheered then Owen pulled me in for a kiss. In his arms, all the mental noise of people’s happiness and Leonard’s frustration and Tam’s distant but still clear sadness vanished as I’d known it would, and I kissed him back with more than the usual intensity because it felt so good.

We drew apart, smiling at each other, and when he released me the emotions flooded back in and I had to fight back a rush of tears.

I wanted to control things on my own, but I didn’t know how.

And if I ever lost Owen as a refuge, I’d be lost too.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.