New life

Boxes were being taken out of a truck into a new apartment, Elaine and Cassandra stood there watching the men carry the boxes into the house.

“Are you sure you can stay here alone, I don’t mind moving in with you?” Cassandra said with concern. The two days she stayed in her house, Cassandra was certain that she wasn’t okay and it had something to do with Richard.

It was unusual for her to get drunk in the morning and she has caught her crying in a room alone. She was worried for her and has tried to find out what happened but Elaine wouldn’t utter a word.

“I am okay Cass, I just need to be alone to be able to think” she answered but her mind wavered to how Richard was doing, she could bet he was doing okay without her and it hurt her to think about it.

“Does this have to do with Richard?” Cassandra asked thinking add would spill the beans to her.

“Cass, remember when I said I wanted to leave a life of my own, this is me taking a step forward towards that. I want to live for me now, I don’t have much time to live so this is the right choice” she answered.

“Don’t say that Elaine, you are going to live long, I don’t care if you have cancer or not. You and I are going to grow old together and watch our grand babies” Cassandra admonished her. Losing her friend had been scaring her each time that she shared every moment with Elaine like it was their last.

“Be realistic Cass, how many people have beaten the fourth stage of cancer, I am in too deep to actually come back from it. I wish I had known earlier then I would have done something about it but now I don’t think so” She answered based on what she truly felt.

Cassandra held her hand and then hugged her, she had know Elaine as someone who doesn’t believe in fantasies and miracles unless it came to Richard.

“We are going to pull through this together, I trust God that we will, I will be praying for you every Sunday in church” Cassandra informed her.

“Thank you so much, I am grateful. Do you want to see my house now, we have been standing outside for a while making sure all the boxes are packed in” she suggested.

“Yes, l would love to see your house” Cassandra agreed and they walked in, Elaine showed her every nook and cranny of her apartment,

“Wow, this is nice” Cassandra said.

“Thank you”

“You know, what we could do next?”

“What?”

“Celebrate, is not every day you move out of your matrimonial home to an apartment of your own” Cassandra stated.

What do you have in mind?”

“I was thinking a bottle of wine, non alcoholic. It is too early to be drunk but before that I want to ask you a question” Cassandra paused.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Are you over Richard?” Cassandra asked.

Elaine moved backwards then leaned on the wall, she was not about to lie to Cassandra because she knew her very well.

“I am trying my best to forget about him, I need more time and I will get over him” she replied but she began rethinking her words. Can she really forget about Richard, a man she has loved for many years, it wouldn’t be easy to actually forget about him but she was willing to try it, for her sake.

He was already moving on without her, for two days, he has not called or texted making it known that her that he didn’t care if they were divorced.

“That’s the spirit” Cassandra held her hand, she would do anything to give her friend a happy and joyous life even thought she knew that Richard was all the happiness she needed.

When she met him, she wished and hoped he would listen to her and start showing affections towards Elaine, but who was she to advise a man like himself. Even Elaine couldn’t get to him how much more her.

“I am right here to help you move on” she added.

“Thank you Cass”

The sound of a tractor cutting grass interrupted them as a man wearing only joggers was seen taking care of his garage.

“Who is that?” Cassandra asked fixing her attention on him, tall, dark, curly hair, his perfect face in a smile as he nodded his head.

“I guess a new distraction is not far from you” Cassandra said and pulled Elaine out to meet him.

“Hi, I am your new neighbor, I mean she is your new neighbor” she pointed to Elaine almost losing her self due to his handsomeness.

The man took off the earpiece from his ears when he saw the two attractive ladies and one was already talking to him. To not seem rude, he introduced himself to try and catch up with whatever she must have said.

“My name is Daniel, I live here. You must be the new neighbors” he replied.

“Yes, I mean no, not me. Just her” Cassandra pulled back pushing Elaine forward.

“Hi, my name is Elaine, I just moved in” she said.

“Nice to meet you” he stretched his hand to her but Elaine just stared at it in confusion.

With a slight pinch to her waist, she reached out and shaker his hands.

“Feel free to come to me if you need anything” he suggested.

“Sure, she will” Cassandra replied and dragged Elaine back to the house.

“What is wrong with you, what is with the dullness” Cassandra asked.

“He is just not my type” She answered.

“Well then I can have him” Cassandra smiled about it.

Elaine moved closer to the window to see him,

“What are you doing, I thought you said he is not your type” Cassandra asked.

Elaine didn’t respond but kept on looking.

“I know what you are doing, you are comparing him to Richard”

“He is not that ripped, when I use to take glances at Richard when he is bathing, I would get shocked. The water dripping down his abs in a sensual manner, the way he would rub soap on his body”

“Eeewwwwww, I don’t want to hear that”Cassandra covered her ears.

“Who takes a peak at their husband, only you do that?”

“That because he is mine” Elaine said and then paused.

He had already signed the divorce papers which meant they were no more married.

Cassandra could notice the dullness on her face and swooped in.

“Do you know I have a stalker?” She began.

“What?”

“Yes, he wait for me at work every day just to speak to me” she added.

“Did you tell him off, you know men can be very scary when chasing after a woman they like” Elaine asked.

“I know but I think I may have messed up a bit” she said.

“What do you mean, did you already give him your number?” Elaine asked innocently.

“No, but what we did was much more” she said.

“What do you mean Cass, I am getting anxious” Elaine demanded.

“I may have slept with him”

The shock on Elaine’s face was enough to make Cassandra laugh,

“It is not like he is a total stranger, remember the night we went to the hotel club, he was the one who invited but I declined but somehow I woke up to find myself in an hotel room with him.

He is my patient for god’s sake but he is insisting on going out for dinner to get to know each other better” she narrated.

“Hold on, you mean you slept with your patient, what happened to ‘I Don’t Mix Business with Pleasure” Elaine asked. She was well aware of the one policy her friend had and that was total abstinence from her work.

“I know but it just sort of happening and then seeing him makes it more embarrassing” she cried out.

“What do I do Elaine, what should I do?” Her arms tightly knitted with Elaine’s.

“Well you have to do what every other brave person would do, you have to face him and then it won’t get embarrassing anymore. If you keep avoiding him then you would have to hide more often” Elaine advised her.

Cassandra pouted her lips to look at her,

“You think I should face him and give him a chance?” She asked.

“Yes, afterall you have already seen each other’s body” Elaine teased her.

“This is not the time to laugh” she yelled at her for laughing at her predicament.

After unpacking and arranging as much as they could, Cassandra returned home too tired to have a celebration and Elaine crashed on the messy sheets of her bed also tired.

Past midnight, the sudden banging on the door woke Elaine up, at first she was terrified that it could be a robbery but when she heard her name and a familiar voice, she rushed to the door.

Opening it, she was surprised to see him.

“Richard, what are you doing here?

How did you find me?” She requested. Only Cassandra knew her home but after the busy day they had, she was certain she didn’t have the time to tell Richard and they were not close to be on frequent speaking terms.

“My wife wants a divorce” were the first thing that came out of his lips, the stench of alcohol coming from his breath as he almost fell on her making his way into the house.

“My wife wants to divorce me, I don’t want to divorce her” he said and crashed on the floor. His messy hair had fallen to his shoulders, he pulled it up and looked at her.

“I don’t want a divorce, I don’t want a divorce, my wife won’t listen to me.

My wife” he mutttered.

Elaine still couldn’t understand why he didn’t want a divorce.

“Why don’t you want a divorce?” She asked.

“I don’t

I don’t

I don’t want a divorce.

I don’t want it” he yelled.

“But why?” She asked to see if his drunken state can spill the answers she has been searching for.

“Because…” he paused. The anxiousness in her to know the truth brought her forward to him, squatting in front of him.

Elaine didn’t know when he kissed her but she could feel a soft touch on her lips.

“Because I don’t want a divorce” he said and passed out resting his head on the couch.

Elaine slowly stood up shocked by the kiss, she walked towards her room and paused in front of the mirror where she touched her lips.

“He kissed me” she uttered.