“Dammit, Gretchen, yes there is. So will you just open the door so I can tell you what’s going on?”
Silence met me in response.
Fuck.
I’d been screwing up with this woman since her first phone call to the shop. Maybe it was time to admit defeat and move on.
“I’m sorry I swore. I just need to talk to you, but if you’re not ready, I—”
Before I could finish my thought, the door opened and Gretchen stood before me in soft-looking pink pajama pants adorned with hearts and dogs and a matching short-sleeved shirt.
She was no longer wearing any makeup, and I was arrogant enough to wonder if it was because she’d cried it off or because she’d washed her face.
Either way, I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and hold her close.
Not gonna happen, Gabe.
We stood awkwardly staring at each other until I thrust the bouquet at her and said, “These are for you.”
With furrowed brows, she extended her hand and took the flowers from me.
“Youdidn’t have to—”
I cut her off. “I wanted to.”
“They’re beautiful.” She brought the arrangement to her nose and inhaled. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
I nodded, and when she didn’t ask me inside, I put my hands in my front pockets and rocked forward on my toes.
Gretchen studied me for a minute before softly asking, “Why did you come back, Gabe?”
“I told you, I need to explain myself. And I owe you another apology.”
She stared at the flowers in her hand, then finally murmured, “Okay,” and stepped aside.
****
Gretchen
I think my pride needed there to be a reason why Gabe had ghosted me, and why he took off so suddenly tonight; that had to be why I let him back into the house.
“Is Jake in bed?”
“Yes. You don’t have to worry about seeing him.”
“I’m not worried.”
I scoffed. “Could have fooled me.”
He took my hand and led me to the couch in the family room.
“I need you to understand why this has been hard for me.”
I didn’t let him continue.
“Look, I know I should have told you about him, but since we were only a weekend thing, I didn’t see the point. I neverexpected you to have any interaction with him. I even told Rick I’d be sure we weren’t around when the cabinets are installed. What I don’t understand is why you showed up at my house unannounced when you know perfectly well that I’m a single mom. Surely you had to know he’d be here?”
