And I really do try. I try my utmost.
Until 2 a.m. in the morning, he is still not home.
Calling him again, taking a walk around the block, I start to get angry. And then I start to get really worried. It's as if I'm seesawing between anger and worry, thinking he got into an accident, thinking I'm gonna get the voicemail again.
I prepare to hang up when I hear the phone click and there's air on it.
"Lincoln," I say, stopping a block away from our home to hear him better.
"Yeah."
His voice is muffled, and he sounds very awake, almost as though he were in the middle of running a marathon or something. Why does he sound so pepped up? And what does he mean, “yeah”?
"Lincoln… what… where the hell are you?" I ask, outraged that he's taking this so casually.
"Coming home."
"Baby…" I pause for a minute, looking at the phone. "It's nearly three o'clock in the fucking morning."
I don't mean to be so vulgar, but seriously, what the hell is going on? Why is he so calm about this?
"Yeah. I know."
That's all he says, and his voice sounds weird. I don't know how to explain it, like, hurried almost. And the only way I can pinpoint it is when he's rushing.
"You're not gonna give me any other information outside of that?" I question, upset.
"I'm sorry, Gabby," Lincoln answers.
"You're sorry?" I challenge him, now legitimately confused. He's not giving any information. My ears strain, that womanly part of me trying to decipher whether he's with anyone. Might as well ask.
"Are you with someone?"
"No."
"Really?"
"I'm on my way home."
"Baby, that's not the point. I'm trying to…"
I pause for a second. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm, like, ten minutes away."
"Okay."
The both of us stay there in silence.
"Okay, Lincoln. You need to start talking to me right now because I swear to God, if you don't give me some kind ofinformation, you're gonna come home and find me gone. What the hell is actually going on right now?"
"Baby, please. I'm not—nothing is worrying that—"
He starts stuttering.
"Lincoln."
The phone starts breaking up. He comes through staticky. Then I get mad thinking he's doing it on purpose.
