Page 24 of Beyond our Forever

“It is you who should be fine with it, gorgeous girl,” he clarified. “But you don’t seem very excited about it.”

“I just don’t know, Bruce,” I sighed. “But the idea of not being able to make up my mind, of continuing in this limbo, frustrates me. Jeez, rather than twenty-one it looks like I’m thirteen or fourteen.”

He took my arm, sitting me on his lap.

“Easy, baby,” he whispered, as he wiped my cheeks that were wet with tears of frustration. “If you’ve decided to study marketing, that’s fine, but if you change your mind later, we’ll still work it out.”

In his arms, wrapped in his unique scent, all my problems seemed to fade, as if they belonged to another distant world far away.

The calendar never stops its course, so in September we started the semester and our life became increasingly hectic. I was glad I’d moved into his apartment, otherwise we wouldn’t have had much time together. Bruce was kept busy between work, classes, and getting his portfolio ready for the scholarship and master’s degree, meanwhile I was trying to keep up with my classes. At least I wasn’t bored, so that was a blessing.

At the end of October, we expected to receive the letters from the universities and, although Bruce was trying to hide his nerves, exhaustion was already taking its toll. First him and then me, we both got one of those viruses that keep you in bed, burning with fever for a couple of days. However, I did not seem to get better.

Standing in front of the refrigerator, I checked the calendar, counting the days since Aunt Flo had come to visit. One, two, three weeks.

God…

“I’m late!” I cried out in horror, my legs failing me as the world fell at my feet.

“I didn’t know you were going out,” he answered from his desk, where he was working hard as usual.

“Not that kind of late.” The blood was rushing through my body, I was about to puke my guts out.

“Oh! I see… are you sure?” He came up behind me to give me the support I so desperately needed at that moment.

“If I’d ever missed it before, I wouldn’t be so worried, I’d feel calmer.” My period was punctual like a Swiss watch. “But this is the first time ever. Shit, three weeks!”

“Looks like we’re going to have to go to the pharmacy,” he calmly announced as if we were going to buy a soda.

And I swear, as I closed my eyes, trying to get myself together, I saw a smug smile of satisfaction on his face.

Chapter 7

Present

My new neighbor looks at me with a smile and I almost have to pick up my jaw from the floor. What a man!

Where could his wife be?

“Can I offer you something to drink?” I say when I can reconnect my tongue to the conscious part of my brain. “In fact, I’ve just made some muffins I was planning to bring over to welcome you.”

“Don’t tell me they’re blueberry, because those are my favorites, my children wolf them down.”

“Are there any other kind?” I reply with a smile. “They are my favorites too.”

I guide him into the kitchen, where the smell of freshly baked muffins fills the place, making it more welcoming than usual.

“Coffee, tea, water?” I ask.

“If you add one of the said muffins, I’m in.”

“I hope they’re okay,” I say, handing him the tray where I had put them to cool. “And I hope your wife and children like them too.”

“I’m sure my children will love them,” he says. “However, my wife passed away a few months ago.”

“I’m so sorry,” I mumble with my back to him, concentrating on the coffee pot. Not the best start.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t know,” he states. “In fact, that’s the reason we came to live in Indiana, we all needed a change of scenery.”

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