the growing distance

OK, so June got off to a shaky start. There was no denying it. But Garvin could hardly think lately. It didn't help to get a call from Brice. It was about Brice's mother who passed away.

The wedding was off for another month or so.  But Brice seemed to be OK. He sounded more worried about Garvin.

"You, OK?" Brice asked over the phone.

"Why would you say that?" Garvin was in a bad mood, all because of Leo. Garvin didn't need this distraction right now. Besides, he was avoiding Maggie. It was just too difficult.. to be..NORMAL.

He told her he came down with something. She certainly didn't want him around a child if he were sick.

Perhaps it bought him some time. Yet, he wondered if it just made things worse. After all, Leo was all he could think about.

How could that be? He didn't like these feelings at all, but he knew what his heart wanted, and it wasn't Maggie.

Maggie felt she had too much to do and such little time. Yes, she had her own house now and Sal's little angel.

She did get some help from Sal's grandmother. And Sophie could stay at the daycare where she worked. Still, she felt abandoned. Garvin promised he would help.

She knew she shouldn't have expected it. She didn't want too, but a part of her felt vacant.

He'd called about Brice and Martha's wedding. She was to be his date, but now it sounded as if the wedding was on hold. Still, he was being aloof. What in the world had happened?

Her mother talked to her daily, how Leo would barely talk to her. She was in tears.

"Well, your baby is growing up." Maggie sighed. "For all you know, he's having the time of his life." After all, Leo had a new boyfriend, a new life. It couldn't be nearly as bad as her mother thought it was.

"He's just not the same." Her mother sounded so sad. OK, he was dressing up in women's clothes. Did Maggie have to remind her?

"I'm sure he hasn't completely forgotten about you." She hoped he'd remember who raised him, but at the moment Maggie was on her own with a toddler in tow. And she had to do things with Sophie, like go outside and explore, or at least a stroll to the nearby park.