The Unforgettable

“Hey you,” Chris says as he closes the front door.

I look up from the book on my lap and see he’s setting down his bag on the kitchen counter. I suppose he had to go in on a Sunday, that’s unusual, but not worth the breath to bring up.

I give a little wave as he walks over to sit on the couch. There hasn’t been much turmoil between us, but we haven’t really gotten along per se, it’s like we’re roommates, there’s nothing really between us. Since the ‘therapy session’ the time gone by has been spent walking by each other and he takes me to work and picks me back up. We don’t have any sort of meaningful conversations. Often if I’m home he’s not here anyway. I’m okay with this because it takes off the stress of feeling I need to pretend I’m happy or that I don’t cringe every time he’s around. This way it feels that I can soothe my pride and family’s opinion of me by preserving the married title, but I also get to experience actual love with Carlo.

He tousles his hair and sits facing me, “how are you?”

I close the book, “I’m fine. You?”

“I’m fine. Just had a meeting at the office.”

I nod and he continues, “I’m supposed to be leaving for a business trip in a couple days. We’re headed to Colorado, we’ve set up a meeting to plan out an expansion there.”

I raise my eyebrows, “Wow. How far is that like twenty, twenty-one hours away?”

He snorts, “yeah maybe by car but we’re flying.”

I nod, “of course.”

He sighs and starts unbuttoning his shirt, “well it’s supposed to be a week-long trip.”

A week? A week away from Chris, which means a week with Carlo. Awesome, I try to hide the smile forming on my lips.

“Wow, that’s a long time.”

He nods now then shrugs, “yeah we apparently can’t have our first meeting the day we get there so we’re going to take a later flight after work, fly out and we all meet early in the morning with the Colorado team the next day. Then throughout the rest of the week is more meetings and planning and paperwork and more bullshit.”

“Hm,” I hum.

He rises from the seat and yawns, “well I just wanted to let you know. Um, I’ll leave the car for you I’ll probably just take a cab to the airport or maybe one of the guy’s can pick me up.”

“Thanks,” I say softly.

He nods, picks up his bag at the door and goes into the room. Oh man, a week of undisturbed time with Carlo. I don’t need to wait all day for a lunch break or the weekend to see him. It’ll be nice after the stressful last couple of times we’ve had together. Although the last time we spent time together it was pleasant. We finally stopped by Marigold’s Sweets and the tiramisu was yummy, the coffee taste was a surprise. I thought it would be more chocolaty, it had some chocolate though. Anyway, I’m so excited! I quickly pull out my phone and text him.

“Guess what?”

Sent.

I pull my legs up to my chest and press my mouth into my knees to hide the smile.

He responds, “that you are the sweetest thing I can love?”

I burn red and smile harder, my fingers go across the letters. “No, I’m sure you’re sweeter. But good news! We can see each other in a couple days and spend all week long together, Chris is leaving for a business trip,” sent.

Not a second later he responds, “really? That’s amazing news! When is he leaving?”

“Said in a couple days after work. Idk if he meant literally in two days though,” I send.

Chris yells from the room, “do you know where my lucky tie is?”

Lucky tie, his skinny metallic colored tie with a gold stitch. He says it’s lucky because he wore it during every important event. He thinks it’s why he got into Georgia State, why he was hired at his job and how he got into his position.

“I have no idea,” I call out.

Carlo texts back, “I’ll plan something special, give me a date as soon as you can.”

Biting my lip I stand up and walk over to the laundry area deciding to help him only because he’s put me in a good mood by announcing his future absence. I look in the washer and dryer for his tie and see nothing. I look up at the detergent rack, there it is hanging like a snake in between the bars. I reach up and snag it in between the tips of my fingers. I go into the room and he’s bent over digging through the laundry, piles of clothes surround him.

I clear my throat, “found it.”

He spins around eyes automatically go to my hand and he smiles, “oh thanks.”

I pass it over, “no problem. . . When did you say you were leaving again?”

He neatly places the tie on his dresser, “Tuesday evening.”

“Oh,” I walk out, text Carlo about it and go back to reading my book.