Kind of like closure

 

How many times had she swore she wouldn't go back. Never. Not ever.

But the timing was all wrong. Charles go COVID and really Lynsey wanted to stay, but Charles insisted she needed to go back. At least, to get away from the sickness. 

Honestly, it felt as if her world was turned upside down, having to go back to Casey's. She'd wanted to find her own place, but nothing seemed to be available these days. They told her to check back in March. Oh, that felt harsh. She really knew it wasn't going to work, but Casey helped her with her stuff and the baby and here they were.

Now she was the one not talking. She knew if they started discussions it was would soon lead to arguing, and then what? Would she be out on the streets?

"Well...say anything," Casey finally said once she'd settled in the basement. No way could she just GO BACK like Charles managed to say.

"I hate you just as much as I love you." She swelled a frown wondering what that exactly meant. Was it equal? A balance of some kind. "We should be alone." It was very clear to her. "You like being alone." She sniffed back tears. "I've learned to be alone." Except there was Erro and she wasn't exactly alone unless he decided to take him away from her. But it hadn't happened yet. 

Of course, all he could do was hug her, but she didn't know if that was enough anymore.

No way would she ever go back to her parents. She'd certainly ask nothing of them. After all, they'd never seen the baby. They had their real daughters to worry about.

Of course, her adopted sister called from time to time but it was nothing personal, really. She mainly called to talk about herself and her own problems. It was just the usual script. Maybe that was all her parents ever needed. 

But there was Casey's parents too. Evidently, Chance had talked to them. They showed up on the weekends now. His mother would do most of the cooking for the week even if Casey insisted he could do it. Lynsey guessed it was her way of keeping busy. Casey's dad wanted to spend time with the grandbaby. 

"What are you doing in the basement?" His mother asked. "It's too cold down there." She hadn't liked it when she was staying here.

"It's not that cold," Only Lynsey couldn't look at her. "I'm used to the cold." She knew she wouldn't be moving back upstairs anytime soon.

fact or fiction

 Lindy was doing her best to keep in hiding these days. She didn't want to see anyone. Especially, after the New Year's Eve moment. It was still a mystery she couldn't get out of her mind, but then again she might have made too much out of it.

A stranger made out with her in the hallway outside her apartment. Seriously, it took her by surprise because she couldn't remember the last time she kissed anyone. But he seemed to know her quite well and she wasn't drunk. She was never drunk.

"Have we..." she was practically mute wondering when they'd been together. She didn't know him. 

"No, we just hung out before." Supposedly, they'd shared a joint of some kind last year.

Still, it meant nothing to her. She had to wonder if she had a personality she didn't know about. Naturally, she found herself apologizing when she was certain it should have been Chad, but she knew she would keep on top of it. Whatever that might mean..she'd stay to herself and hope she never met him again.

But work was so troubling. She hated it. It seemed they wanted to send her to so many places and she didn't know the way. It was true, she had no sense of direction.

Lindy found herself waiting for the kettle to boil then forgetting to make tea. She almost caught the kitchen stove on fire once so she only ate cold-cut sandwiches now. 

How was she like this? Had she always been this way? And one got used to this kind of life, just one more jolt after another. 

And then Jay showed up with a friend. "How have you been?" He wanted to know. "You haven't called."

"Was I supposed to?" She didn't know. His mother was only a friend of her father's. He really didn't owe her anything.

"Well, this is my friend Slater and you live in his building. I just wondered if you'd want to come and eat with us at his place. It would be just the four of us." He explained that Slater lived with his pregnant girlfriend.

She gave him a nod. Of course, she was hungry. Starving in fact. And of course, she finished her plate of enchiladas before anyone else.

They looked at her as if something must be wrong.

"Oh, I just really love Mexican food," she smiled hoping no one would ask any more of her. It was hard to be normal when you didn't really know what normal was anymore.

Let's keep it simple

 "So, it can't be love?" Cade asked as he slammed his locker shut. Naturally, Mercer looked at him a little dazed and confused.

"Right?" Cade went on to nudge Mercer toward the door they took to go home. The rush had left.

"What?" Mercer squint.

"You know, Lily?" Cade gave him a dead stare. "Is that why you fainted?"

Mercer shrugged. Honestly, he wanted to be closed-lip about it. Naturally, he was thankful no one called an ambulance. He knew his parents would be peeved. Besides, he wasn't that epileptic. He didn't think. But then again, he didn't play that many video games and it wasn't like he was around so many lights. All the time. Of course, nothing like that had ever happened before. And he didn't want it to be a thing. Not a thing he had to worry about.

"I'm fine."

Cade nodded. 

"You aren't going to out with her, again, are you?" Cade wanted to know as they huddled together in the cold. It was icy out, but the sunshine was in abundance yet the wind practically howled. They made it down to the library. 

It was there the YA librarian had Hot Chocolate Bombs waiting. Of course, you made your own drink. Really, not many knew of it, and Mercer was glad they didn't because he was going back for seconds.

"Well, she acts like I don't exist so I don't think anything is going to happen." He sighed. Yes, this depressed the hell out of him. He needed a challenge and yet no way was he going to make an effort. Maybe he could play hard to get without even trying.

At the moment, all was well with some good graphic novels and sipping on hot chocolate.

"I sure hope you're OK," Cade looked at him.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Mercer gave him a dead stare back as if he was just trying to be nice when he didn't have to be.

"I just keep thinking we should have called an ambulance that night," he looked a little sad.

"It's nice that you're worried about me, but what if I'd gone all the way there and it was nothing. Just a little weird from the cold."

"But..but it could have been COVID or what if you've got some strange epilepsy?" Cade thought out loud.

"Shut up!" Mercer snapped ready to punch Cade. "People will think I'm.." he sighed. He didn't want anyone thinking he was crazy.

Something to savor

 "So he just moved in...just like that?" Val looked a Lizzy who was all so bubbly about being with Sunny. Of course, Val knew. Matty told her. His two dads weren't exactly pleased about the matter, but since Sunny was older they just hoped for the best.

"Um," Lizzy wasn't saying much either. She wouldn't even tell her who the mystery guy was. It was strange meeting up at the Down Town bakery, but it was good to see the bakery was busy with all sorts of goods. Even sourdough sandwiches.

"When do we get to meet him?" Val asked as she sipped hot mint tea. She still felt a little out of it. Her throat just hadn't been the same after Strep, but she knew she was OK.

"When it warms up, for starters," she smiled as she cradled the cup of her hot tea. It was frigid out these days. Possibly, too cold for snow.

"Right." Val nodded. She doubted Lizzy would ever invite her and Matty over. 

"Maybe, it's just a winter thing," Val bit into a chip.

"What do you mean?"

"You and this guy," Val said as she looked at Lizzy ever so seriously. "You know, it's like closure, ending a relationship with someone, the inbetweener."

Lizzy winced as if she didn't like Val's conversation.

Val then smiled, "But then again, maybe it was Keir who was the inbetweener."

Lizzy only cleared her throat and went back to her sandwich. Val pushed in some sourdough bread into the white bean soup and took a bite.

Really, she did want Sunny to be happy. Honestly, Val knew she really knew nothing of relationships. But after all, Lizzy was always questioning her. She thought it was time to give Lizzy a boomerang of karma.