Page 5 of Home With You

"Then save some for tomorrow. Or the next day. We all need a little treat now and then." She sips her coffee. She drinks it so slow it'll be cold by the time she finishes it.

"You sure?" I break off a piece of the candy bar. "Don't you even want to taste it?"

"I've tasted plenty of chocolate in my day. And I know how much you enjoy it. You should have it."

I break off another small bite, then wrap the rest up for another day. I need to make it last. It could be weeks before I get chocolate again.

I used to eat chocolate all the time. Rob used to bring me home fancy chocolates from this store not too far from here. Each chocolate is handmade using the finest ingredients. People come from all over the city to get a box. If I had that chocolate now, I'd probably puke. It'd remind me of him, and that's the last thing I want to remember.

"It's funny, isn't it?" Gladys asks as she leans back in her lawn chair, still gripping her cup with both hands.

"What's funny?"

"How the littlest things can make us smile." A wide grin spreads across her wrinkled cheeks as she looks up at the small slice of blue sky that's visible between the two tall narrow buildings that surround us.

"Guess what?" I say, reaching into my backpack.

"What?" She looks at me.

"You won't believe it, but I found another one of those butterscotch candies today."

"Raine, don't go making up stories," she says, playing along. We do this every day. I tell her I found a butterscotch and she pretends not to believe me.

"It's true. Found this one by the bank." I set the candy down on the cardboard box, knowing she's not going to release the death grip she has on that cup until every last drop of coffee is gone.

Her eyes widen as she gazes down at the candy. "The bank is a busy place. I'm surprised someone else didn’t get it.”

"I know, right? It’s probably because it was hidden behind that big planter they have out front. You know the one they have by the door?"

She looks down, not answering me. She doesn't remember. Damn. I shouldn't have asked her about it. She has some memory issues. She tends to forget things, but sometimes she DOES remember stuff so I never know what to say. To be fair, she probably hasn't walked past that bank in months, maybe longer. She rarely leaves this alley because she's afraid if she does she'll get lost and won't find her way back.

"Anyway," I say, changing subjects. "It's a nice day today, don't you think?"

"Very nice," she says, smiling as her eyes return to the sky. "I have my coffee and my Raine. Doesn't get any better than that."

I was referring to the weather but her comment makes my heart hurt. She doesn't want me to leave. She wants me to be here with her forever. But I can't do it. This isn't the life I was supposed to have and it's not the life I want. I'm trying to make the best of it but I have a hard time finding the bright side of being homeless.

2

Miles

"How was your first day as a hotshot lawyer?" Greg asks. He called as I was walking in my apartment. I toss my keys on the kitchen counter then go to the living room to sit down.

"It might be a little early for the term 'hotshot' but work was okay. Mostly meetings with HR, filling out paperwork and shit."

"What's the office like?"

"Tall. Lots of windows. I can see the mountains from my desk."

"Who needs mountains when you could have farm fields?" he kids.

I laugh. "I'll take the mountains any day."

Greg lives in Oklahoma in the house he grew up in. His parents retired in Arizona and are letting him live in the house until they're ready to sell it. I spent a lot of time at that house as a kid. Greg and I met in first grade and have been friends ever since. Living here, I'm going to miss hanging out with him but it was time to move on.

Taking this job in Denver was the right decision. It's exactly what I wanted; a large city with beautiful scenery and lots to do. I'll admit I was a nervous when I packed up the moving truck, but now that I'm here I love it. It'll take time to get used to living downtown with all the noise but I like being close to work.

"Guess that means you won't be coming back," Greg says, sounding disappointed. He's happy I got this opportunity but bummed that I left. But I didn't want to stay there. It's a small town with no good jobs and not much to do. Greg loves it there and will probably never leave. He's been working in sales since graduating high school. Right now he's selling cars.

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