Page 20 of Sparrow

I’VE ALWAYS WANTEDa claw-foot bathtub. To be honest, that’s been a life goal. When Jaxon bought the house in Los Angeles, I asked if we could install one in one of the four bathrooms in that fucking house. He said absolutely not. It wasn’t modern enough and he hated how clunky and ugly they were.

When I bought this house here on Tybee, I fully intended to install one on my own, because I’m independent woman now and all, but when I toured the home and stepped foot into the master bathroom, there it was: a beautiful, vintage claw-foot bathtub sat on the right side. Deep, white, and everything I could have wanted.

I perch on the edge now, filling it with scalding hot water, and adding a touch of bath oil, inhaling the minty scent. I peel myself out of my clothes, fold a towel on the floor, place my phone on top of it, and sink into the water all the way up to my neck.

“Yessssss.” This. Is. Everything. “Okay, Google. Call Nora,” I shout to my phone.

“Calling Nora,” my phone says back to me.

“Thanks.” I shake my head, laughing at myself.

The phone only rings a couple of times before my best friend’s voice fills the room.

“I’m still mad at you for leaving me, even though I know you had to.”

“That’s your opening line?” I ask.

Nora wasn’t happy when I told her I needed to come back to Savannah, but she said she understood. I’m sure she does, but that doesn’t mean she’s not going to give me hell over it for a bit.

She sighs. “No. I miss you...like a lot.”

“I miss you too, so that means you need to come visit me soon, right?” I slide my hands across the top of the water, gathering the bubbles up.

“As soon as I can get time off of work, I’ll be there so fast your head will spin.”

Her mention of work sits heavy on my chest.

“Nora, let’s just get the grossness out of the way, then I have something else to tell you.”

“Grossness?”

“Has Jaxon contacted you at all?” I hate asking, but I need to know. They work in the same hospital, so if anyone has seen him, it’s her.

“He tried to talk to me a few days after you left. He tried to fish for information, but I told him exactly where he could stick his curiosity. I haven’t spoken to or seen him since.”

“My attorney said he hasn’t received the divorce papers back yet. I’m just on edge about it. I just want it to be over.” I sigh. Why does it have to be so difficult?

“It will be. Soon. I promise.” I can hear her shuffling around, presumably getting more comfortable wherever she is. “So, what did you have to tell me?”

My face instantly forms into a smile at the thought of getting to talk about Grayson.

“So, you remember me telling you about my high school boyfriend, Grayson? The one that went into the Marines the same year I was moving, so we decided to just break up?”

“The infamous Gray that you talked about all the time and compared every single man to? Nope. No idea who he is.” She’s clearly being sarcastic.

“Rude.” I giggle. “Anyway, I called to have someone come out and install an alarm system at the new house. I’ll give you one guess who showed up to do that.”

“Shut the fuck up!” She screeches so loudly I think the dogs next door heard her.

“Jesus, Nora. My ears are ringing.”

“I am not even the least bit sorry. You’re telling me that the only man you’ve ever really loved just showed up on your doorstep? Just like that?”

“It’s a really small world.”

“No, that’s fate, Amelia. Simple fate dealing you an epic hand after the plethora of shitty ones you’ve had.”

“You’re reading a lot into this. We haven’t spoken in so long. I’m fresh off a divorce. Hell, I’m actually still married. I’ve spent so many years being beaten down and controlled. I don’t need a man. I don’t want a man, and hell, maybe he’s not even single.”

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