Things They Don't See

It has been two days since I have last seen Eli. To keep myself from going crazy because I have not seen him, I am taking the time to bring Annie to the place I have been to in downtown Gettysburg. I think she is actually enjoying the tours I am giving her. She had not had time in the first few days because she had interviews and meetings almost hourly. She loved the diner I eat at almost daily. I have not told her about Eli though. I don't think I want to either. Since I don't even know who Eli is, I can't tell her or, even, explain to her who or what he is. While at the diner, Annie announced to me that she had another meeting the next day, and she was then going out to dinner with the publishing company's editor. She told me that I would have to find dinner for myself.

I think I'll finally take advantage of the Inn's room service. When we left the diner, I took Annie on a tour of a few historical places and took her to my favorite little mom and pop shops. We even went on a ghost tour. I never thought I'd actually spend time with her. I even started telling her about my ex-boyfriend, Sammy, while we were walking to get ice cream. "He was the superstar at my high school. He was the star hockey and baseball player. Every girl wanted him," I confided to her, which I never thought I'd do. Girls usually don't hang around long enough for me to confide in them. They all wanted to steal my boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend. "I couldn't even go a day without having another girl trying to steal him away from me. Then, he just flat out dumped me. The next day, I found out he had been cheating on me for three months with this stupid bitch named Jocelyn. It still makes me feel terrible about myself. He started dating her the day after we broke up."

Annie just looked at me the whole time I was talking without interrupting me. When I finished talking, she finally spoke, "It's not your fault that he broke up with you. He sounds like a jerk. You know, I was divorced before I met your dad. My husband was a CEO of a company. He treated his car better than he treated me, though. I was just an object to him. One night he even told me to sleep in the guest room because he hated how I looked without makeup," she sniffles, "when I eventually divorced him, I found out he had been cheating on me with my best friend...former best friend, Dana, for almost our whole marriage. He got her pregnant two months before we divorced. I was devastated and still am sometimes."

I actually feel bad for her. I thought she was just some mean bitch that stole my dad from me, but she's actually been hurt badly in her life, emotionally. "You know, your father loves you very much. He still cares deeply about you and your well-being," she says after wiping her eyes and sniffling again. "I really hated you for so long because I thought you took my dad, not from me, from my mom. After she died, my dad still wore his wedding ring, and once he met you, it was gone. I haven't seen him wear it since. He vowed to stay faithful to my mom, and you took him away from her. I remember when they gave my dad her wedding ring after he told them to take it off her finger. It's the one piece of jewelry that had stayed on her during the car accident the stupid teenagers cause by running a red light, forcing an 18-wheeler to swerve and hit my mom's car. You pushed her out of our lives. My dad doesn't even care about her anymore or me. He only wants you," I say angrily to her but then calmly say, with tears in my eyes, "but I know you aren't what I thought you were, a bitch. I know you've tried to get to know me, and I've just shut you out. I couldn't deal with my dad moving on from my mom. I miss her every day."

Annie pulls me in for a hug, a tight, bear hug. "I'm sorry, Abby. I want you to know that your dad thinks about your mom every, single day he lives. He wears two wedding bands every night, the one from his marriage to me and the one from the marriage to your mom. I was saw him talking to a picture of your mom he keeps on the nightstand, saying how much he loved her and missed her every day of his life. He always talks to me about you. He is so proud of you. He loves you so much and cares about you so much," she says to me. When she finally releases me from the huge, she says to me, "Come on. Let's get that ice cream. My treat."

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When we got back to the Inn, it was about nine at night. We decided to go right up to the room, so we could wash up and watch TV before we went to bed. After getting into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, I went into the bathroom and washed my face. I'd shower tomorrow morning to wake up. While looking into the mirror, I wondered, Where are you, Eli? I finished washing my face and brushing my teeth. Annie came in to my room to tell me that she was heading to bed early because of her all-day meeting tomorrow. I wished her goodnight and told her I loved her. I never thought I'd ever get along with her, but after today, we've become so close.

When I went back into my bedroom, I saw that my window was open, but the screen was shut. That's weird. Maybe Annie just opened it. I closed the window and walked into the parlor. Just as I sat down and turned the TV on, I hear the sink in my bathroom turn on. I go into my bathroom and turn it off. After I take in how weird that I was, I blame it on the old piping and bad water control. Just as I sit down, there's a knock on the door to the room. I walk over to the door and look through the peephole. I jump back by what I see. Eli. I frantically unbolt the door and swing it open. "Eli?" I say quizzically. "Don't," he puts his hand up. It's almost opaque, but it's still transparent. He smiles and touches my arm. I can actually feel it. "Your skin feels soft," he smiles. I just keep looking at his eyes. "Can I?" I brought up my arm to touch his arm. Although he's transparent, my hand actually touches him. He's wearing a t-shirt today. Where did his old clothes go? "I took the shirt and jeans from another visitors room. I'll give it back. I promise," he looks down at the floor, embarrassed. He can read my mind. "I'll be back sometime tomorrow, okay?" he looks back up at me. "But, when? I want to know more about you." "Soon enough, Abby." He drops his arm, and I drop mine. He grades my hand and kisses it.

"See you soon, Eli."