Page 77 of Feel It All

“Are you warm? It’s a little hot in here, don’t you think? Do you want a drink?” She stands up, completely ignoring my questions.

“Mom, what did you do? Please tell me,” I stop her before she can make it too far.

She huffs and comes back to her chair. “Nothing that wasn’t for the best, Graham.”

“What does that mean? I am going to need you to tell me what is going on,” I demand, starting to get a little irritated.

“Ugh, don’t be mad, but I might have gone over to Winry’s. We had a little chat, after which she kicked me out of the house, by the way,” she rolls her eyes. “I may have mentioned to her that it would be better for you if she ended things. I just told her what she already knew, honey.”

I rub my hands over my face in utter disbelief. “Oh, my gosh. You, you are the reason she broke up with me.”

“She did?” her face perks up. “Well listen I know it seems hard now, but…”

“Don’t say it’s for the best. I can’t believe you did this, that you actually did this to her and to me. I mean, did you even think about me at all?” I stand up, no longer able to sit still.

“Graham Taylor, everything I do is for you. That is the whole reason I did it. She is not what you need and…” She starts with her excuses, but I can’t hear them anymore.

“Please stop. You cannot honestly sit there and tell me that you did this for me. If you did anything for me, it would have been to actually try to get to know her. Are you that obsessed with the idea of me being with Claire?” I pace back and forth, my mind racing, connecting all the dots. Winry said I deserved someone better, someone my family liked. It was all because of her.

“Claire is the better choice for you, Graham,” she says adamantly.

“No, she isn’t. The better choice is the person who makes me happy, the person I am in love with and is in love with me. Even Dad could see that we loved each other.”

“Pfft, and that is supposed to help your case? Your dad doesn’t know what love is,” she waves her hand in the air like I just said something stupid.

“Neither do you, Mom. I…I’m leaving,” I put my hands up in surrender.

“Graham, don’t leave. You will see one day that this is what was supposed to happen.” She finally stands up and places her hand on my shoulder like she is trying to comfort me.

“No, one day you will understand that you are the reason we no longer have a relationship,” I take a step back, not wanting to be touched right now.

“Don’t say that. I will always be your mother. She is just some girl you are infatuated with.” She looks shocked by my words, but what did she expect? Me to be happy about this?

“Infatuated? Mom, listen to me, and really listen. I love Winry. I will get her back, and if you ever want us to have a relationship again you will respect that and open your eyes to see how happy she makes me.”

“Graham…”

“I don’t want to hear anything else unless it’s ‘I’m sorry.’” I wait a minute, and when she doesn’t say anything, I walk out the door.

I sit in my car unsure of what to do next. All I know for sure is that I have to get her back.

I stand outside her door. I have called her repeatedly trying to figure out where she is, but there’s been no answer. I knock, and after a minute I knock again. Her car is here, but it has been all week and she hasn’t. I knock one more time, but no answer. I try calling her again, but no answer. I get back in my car and head to Crossroads.

I walk in, scanning the place looking for her, but I don’t see her.

“Graham, hey,” Ivy comes around the corner. “How are you doing?”

“I could be better. Is Winry here?” I ask with hope that she is just in the back.

“No, sorry. Her sisters took her out of town for a couple of days,” she gives me a lopsided smile.

Damn it.

“Do you know when she will be back? I really need to talk to her.” I try not to sound too panicked.

“She should be back Friday, for that court date for the Flynn incident.”

“Okay, great. Thank you, Ivy.” I just have to wait until Friday, but then I am getting her back.

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