Read Between Octobers Bk 1, Savor The Days Series for Free Online Page B

across
his imposing waistline.
    At least I had the presence of mind to take
my purse. I tried to be thankful for that as I walked to the lone
payphone that I knew to be operational a few blocks away. It was on
the corner in front of a small French restaurant. I’d never eaten
there, but the bright blue neon sign mounted over the phone booth
stuck out in my mind. It was a marker to Caleb. Each time we passed
it, he knew we were almost to Auntie’s job.
    I kept my eyes on a miserable pebble,
kicking it down the sidewalk along the way. I could’ve used the
phone in Lily’s office, but the waiting area would be full of
patients. No one ever went to the oncologist for something minor.
Everyone within hearing distance would have either been seeking, in
the midst of receiving, or just finishing cancer treatment. They
didn’t need to hear about my problems, so insignificant compared to
theirs. I would have felt guilty for complaining and I really
wanted to mope.
    The afternoon didn’t get any better. I never
kept cash on me, so I had to take a taxi to the bank on the way
home. The driver complained because of the slow-moving line at the
ATM.
    As the cab pulled away from my curb, Caleb’s
bus pulled up. Maria’s grating voice was drumming from the
answering machine as we made our way inside. I
shuddered—mother-in-law problems—listening to her tell me she was
coming over Wednesday to visit the kids. I ran to the phone to let
her know I’d make myself scarce so she could visit. Of course, my
voice was trembling, so she asked what was wrong. I knew it was
only a formality, but told her anyway. She huffed when I mentioned
the pictures. I really didn’t feel like being insulted, so I made
up an excuse and hung up.
    When Noah came home, he immediately asked
what was wrong. I assured him everything would be fine and went to
bed early.

 
October
9 th
    Tuesday was much the same. I spent my
morning riding the bus across town to the impound lot. Thankfully,
my Cherokee was considered undesirable; I could tell right away
that everything was just where I left it. Even my registration
stickers were intact. The temporary wisps of relief were replaced
with guilt and dread as I tried, unsuccessfully, to gather myself
before the kids came home.
    Sol always had his phone with him and after,
I always had it with me. I would scroll through the text messages,
read them over and over again. It wasn’t so difficult to accept the
loss of the printed words. It was the pictures I regretted losing.
Irreplaceable pieces of time, framed moments we spent together.
Tangible remnants of happiness.
    My eyes were red and puffy over an inanimate
object. Strange how things could take on such immense value because
of the owner.
    I managed to keep up the ruse well enough
for Caleb but not Noah. He never asked, but I could tell he was
worried I might end up depressed again. I could see the shadows of
my darkest days in his eyes when he looked at me. The days when all
I could do was sleep. I gave him a reassuring pat on the arm when
he offered to assist his younger brother with a bath and put him to
bed for me. Though my heart ached that he would feel obligated to
make the gesture in the first place, I took it.
    I wanted to hide.

 
October
10 th
    I accepted the phone was gone. The
sentimental attachment was hardly worth the fuss I was making.
    “Stupid plastic,” I murmured, gazing at the
bags under my eyes in the mirror. “It’s just a piece of
plastic.”
    Tears trailed the mascara down my cheeks and
I gave up applying make-up. My hair was full of static, too, so I
threw on a baseball cap. Maria would arrive soon and I wanted to be
gone before then. I walked out to the kitchen, where Lily was
sitting with the boys, having breakfast. My stomach growled but I
had no use for food.
    I turned on the small TV on the kitchen
island and put in a movie for Caleb. Noah didn’t complain when I
kissed him which meant he was still worried, which made me worry,
so