Chapter Twenty-five

Brenda stood in the kitchen, gazing out the window as she made a cup of coffee. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Alfred and how much she missed him. She had tried to take her friend Carla’s advice and focus on Damien, but it seemed like nothing she did could get his attention. As she stirred her coffee, Brenda’s phone began to vibrate on the counter. She glanced at the screen and saw it was Alfred calling again, and she knew that answering would only make things worse.

She had made a promise to herself to take Carla’s advice, but it was proving to be harder than she thought. She hesitated for a moment, considering whether or not to answer. As she poured the hot water into her cup, Brenda felt her resolve slipping away. The phone rang and rang, taunting her with its incessant buzzing. She tried to ignore it, but the sound was like a mosquito buzzing in her ear, impossible to ignore but ultimately her curiosity got the better of her and she picked up the call.

“Hi Alfred,” she sai