“I should go.”
“Amelia, wait. I’ve been waiting months to hear your voice, just give me another few minutes, please.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“You’re joking? I don’t care what you say as long as I get to hear you talk. Tell me about your day?”
My day? Is he for real?
“This morning I had my hair done at Harvey’s, then I had brunch with my father at Piro’s and this afternoon I went to the spa.”
“Very funny,” he sighs.
“Fine, after lunch I had a visit with my dad, he’s going to look into donating new books to the library and then I spent the rest of the afternoon writing you a letter.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, Dad said Elsa cut a tooth yesterday.”
“Yeah, she’ll have a full set in no time. Hopefully then she’ll sleep a little better.”
“I’d rather it was her waking me up in the middle of the night than the crap that wakes me in here.”
The line goes quiet and then he asks, “You gonna let me come see you soon, Amelia?”
“Don’t, Darius, I can’t keep going over this.”
“I miss you,” he says warmly.
I waited for months during my most vulnerable period of my life for him to say those three words. I would’ve done anything for him to admit that’s how he truly felt.
Keeping up with my plan, I say, “Yeah, I miss you too, it’s just too hard.”
I don’t know how many more times I have to say it before he believes it.
“What were you doing before I called?”
“I just walked through the door. Elsa needed more diapers, since she’s been on solid food, she’s been going through them. I’ve never known anything like it.”
This makes me laugh. There are some things I don’t miss.
“It’s good to hear you laughing, babe.”
Oh shit, I can’t deal with him calling me babe.
“I’ve got to go, can you make sure you’re aware of your surroundings if you take her out in the car in the future, please?”
“Sure if you do something for me.”
Rolling my eyes, I’m glad he can’t see it.
“What?”
“Call me each night.”
“Darius…”
“Three times a week?”
