little moments

Roger looked at the time. No, Olivia. Where was she? He couldn't focus on even thinking about getting the pasta ready. She should have been home at least 15 minutes ago.

He didn't know why her parents didn't trust her with a car. They were overseas all the time. Two cars in that garage of theirs, but they wouldn't dare let her have one of her own. It just got a little unnerving. He'd asked her if she wanted to take his car. Work was close by. He'd managed this long. The fact was he did trust her with the car.

Of course, he'd give her a few more minutes and then he'd go out looking for her. He'd actually drive which he hadn't in months. He hugged himself not wanting to do it, but he would. He could. He had too. She wasn't home.

So he got in the car and sat there for a few minutes, trying to get a good feel of it. Why wasn't he a driver? Seriously? He tensed immediately when he started the car. What if he backed over a small child? Maybe even Olivia? Roger took a deep breath trying not to think about it. He looked in the rearview one last time, clicked in to reverse and he backed out of the drive way. Put it in drive. Easy as that and off he went like an old man creeping down the street. He needed to be extra careful. Because he might miss Olivia. He just might. That would be so defeating the purpose as he ambled on his way. Looking both directions at stop signs. A few blocks down the way he spotted her. He meant to honk, but when he did, it scared him. It was crazy so suddenly. The vehicle moving her walking on. He honked again. Finally, she looked his way. He stopped and waited. Other cars would have to, too. But no one was waiting. Thankfully. She got in.

"Where have you been?" He looked at her and immediately knew something was wrong. "What happened? You didn't get fired, did you?"

She shook her head, no. He made a block around and headed home. She looked out of sorts, but he couldn't do much about it until he got to the driveway.

"You're driving?" She almost smiled.

"Yeah, I was worried. You know, you could get mugged or something. Even worse." He shook the thought of someone attacking her in broad daylight but all sorts of unusual things happened in the news. Anything was possible. "As you could see I didn't go very far." He sighed.

"But its a start." She smiled as if she were proud of him.

"Tell me whats wrong," Roger then said. "I want to know. Then we could go to the grocery store and pick up a roasted chicken for dinner. Get the mashed potatoes with the brown gravy that you like so much."

"I-I saw Eric." She wouldn't look at him.

"What did he do?"

She shook her head, no. "He said some things about you."

"Like what?" Roger winced.

"You know," she shrugged. "He just doesn't like it. Us, being together."

"Tell him to go to hell." Roger smiled as he put his arm around her.

"He doesn't think I can trust you." She winced.

"Well, he's just being his usual mean self. I guess he's sorry for how he is, or something." Roger wanted to say some horried words, but he knew she'd be upset with him if he did.

"I said something."

"What?" Roger gritted. "You don't-"

"No, I don't want to get back with him." She shook her head, no. "I told him about Amanda and I might have- Its a lie. I lied. I was really mean to him, just because. I told him Amanda was going to have his baby."

"Woo, seriously? What made you do that?" He laughed.

"Its not funny. I don't know why I did it. You know, I did know she's engaged to Elliot, and it just came out. It just came out. I don't even know if its true." She squinted tears.

"Maybe you're psychic and you don't even know, Livy." He hugged her close then, laughing so tenderly, he kissed her. He guess he owed her dinner now. Hopefully, she wouldn't be scared of his driving.