by Jamie Summer
The small store was right around the corner. It was one of those family-owned ones you didn’t find anymore, everything taken over by the big chains. I was all the more happy when I found it.
I opened the door and walked inside. “Hey, Mr. Baker,” I greeted the owner, the bell above the door having signaled my arrival. He looked up, then turned back to the inventory he was doing.
“Hi, Gavin. Let me know if I can help you.”
“Will do,” I replied as I grabbed a basket and started to make my way through the aisles, picking out everything I would need for the next week.
When the bell rang again, I ignored it.
“Hello.”
I froze. A single word, yet the voice was unmistakable.
“Hello, Ms. Caster. So nice to see you again. Are you settling in okay?” Mr. Baker asked. I couldn’t help but creep toward the front of the aisle where I could sneak a glance at Betty.
“Yes, thank you. Everyone has been most accommodating and so helpful. It was by far easier than I expected,” Betty explained, a wide smile on her face. Mr. Baker’s gaze focused completely on her.
“Ah yes, this neighborhood is truly a treasure. I have yet to meet anyone I didn’t like,” Mr. Baker replied.
“It truly is.”
“Can I help you find anything?”
“I want to bake a cake and merely need some eggs and flour. Nothing I can’t find myself,” Betty said with a laugh. Mr. Baker told her where she could find the ingredients anyway. She thanked him and made her way over to where he had pointed...which was right where I still hid behind a display of bags of sugar.
I scrambled to move backward and get out of the aisle before Betty saw me, but her voice rang out before I could turn the corner.
“Gavin.”
It wasn’t a question. It was as statement made in a small voice, as if she didn’t know whether or not I’d be happy to see her. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure, either.
I slowly turned around. She looked as beautiful as she had the night before, maybe even more so because she had forgone the make-up, obviously not caring who saw her at the store. It was always something I admired about her. Betty had a natural beauty that meant she didn’t need tons of make-up in order to be pretty. She simply was.
“Betty... Hi,” I replied, wishing I had more to say. But what exactly could I say? She broke up with me, left me. That was that.
“Fancy seeing you here.” A nervous laugh escaped her. It was clearly evident she was as unsure about this meeting as I was.
“Right? I mean… Do you live close by?” It was pathetic, but it was the best I could come up with. I felt like an idiot, suddenly not knowing which way was up and which was down.
“I live two blocks down,” she replied, shocking me. That meant she lived right around the corner from my place. It was a miracle we hadn’t run into each other before.
“Oh. Okay.”
Silence descended upon us. Betty used it to grab a bag of flour from the shelf, then turned to me. “Thank you again for yesterday.”
The thought of what happened the day before made me curl my fists.
“I know you didn’t have to step in, so I just wanted to thank you.”
“That jerk shouldn’t have crowded you the way he did. Simple as that.”
There was a short flicker of hurt in her expression I couldn’t quite place, but it was gone before I could contemplate any further.
“Yes, well, thank you anyway.”
I nodded.
More silence. When Betty gave me a small smile and turned to leave, the question burning in my mind slipped out.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She glanced back at me. “Tell you what?”
“That you moved here.”
I saw indecision on her features, her brows furrowed as if she had to truly think about what the answer should be. It couldn’t be that hard, could it?
“I didn’t think I’d run into you,” she finally whispered.
My eyes widened in surprise. “We live in the same city.”
“Along with millions of other people.”
“You know that’s not how it works.” I saw resignation on her face.
“I know. I guess I just…” She stopped and looked away.
“You just?”
“After how we left things, I wasn’t sure you even wanted to know. That you would even want to talk to me. Not that I could blame you.”
I wanted to tell her I wouldn’t have been sure, either, but that seeing her now was better than living right next to each other without knowing it.
“It’s been years, Betty.”
“Exactly. It’s been years. I couldn’t be sure you even knew who I was anymore.”
How could I ever forget you? How could you think I ever would?
The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t allow them to slip out. Instead, I sighed and shoved my hand through my hair.
"Look, I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I am. So much has happened these past years and—” She stopped, obviously not sure how much to tell me. Six years had made me a stranger to her again.
“It’s okay. Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked in the first place,” I quickly said, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.
“No. You had every right to ask that question.” She walked a few steps closer. Our baskets were still in the way, but it was the closest I had been to her for years. It hurt and soothed me at the same time.
God, I hate having to deal with feelings.
“I’m just a little shaken to have seen you. I won’t lie. It’s… Like I said, London is a big city and I’ve only been here a couple weeks. I’m still trying to get settled and see where life takes me,” Betty explained, her eyes on me as she spoke.
The shining blue in them had always reminded me of the clear lake in our town. We used to go there every weekend with our friends and get into all kinds of trouble. The kind you got into when you were a horny fifteen-year-old. Hell, we even did those things when we were twenty.
“If you need any help, let me know. I mean, granted, I haven’t really seen much except the training center and this area, but if there’s any way I can help you settle in more quickly, I’d be happy to.”
What? Where did those words come from? And when did I decide this was a good idea?.
There was a smile on Betty's face as she listened, and I hated the fact my heart did a little happy dance at her obvious pleasure.
“Thank you, Gavin. I may take you up on that,” she replied. “Anyway, I need to get going. My baking isn’t going to do itself. It was nice to see you. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” She gave me another grin before heading off to the next aisle.
I stood in the same spot for a few minutes, not moving. My mind was too caught up in our conversation, replaying it over and over again without getting an actual result. Then again, what was that result supposed to be?
Screw feelings.
“Hey, boy. Are you gonna pay for that or just keep staring off into the distance.”
Mr. Baker’s voice interrupted whatever thoughts I had. I glanced up to see him standing at the head of the aisle. I didn’t hear anyone else, so I figured Betty had already left.
“Sorry, Mr. Baker. Almost done,” I told him. I collected everything else I needed and went to check out.
“She’s a pretty one. And really nice. You don’t get that combination a lot these days.”
I met Mr. Baker’s eyes in irritation.
“You clearly have history. Whatever it was, I can see the two of you together.”
“Whatever,” I told him, trying to not think about his comment.
“Ah, young love. I remember how that was.”
I ignored him again, hoping he would drop it. However, this was a small store in an even smaller neighborhood, so I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t. I figured not much excitement happened around here.
“You still like her, despite years having passed.”
I narrowed my eyes, a slight edge in my voice. “How long have you been eavesdropping?”
“Now don’t get pissy with me. This is a small store where voices carry easily. I didn’t need to eavesdrop. Your conversation was clear to all of us. Anyway, I know it’s none of my business, but she lives on Ashfield Road…just in case you wanted to know.”
I didn’t. Or did I? What was I going to do with that piece of information?
Not looking at me, Mr. Baker rang up my purchases. “All right. Twenty-nine fifty.”
I handed him the cash, thanked him—though I wasn’t sure exactly for what—and left the store.
The temptation to stop at Betty’s house came as soon as I stepped out. It would only take a slight detour to check out where she lived. Five minutes, tops.
Then my phone rang.
Betty
I tried to push my meeting with Gavin to the back of my mind. I didn’t want to think about seeing him again. About the way he still looked as handsome as he had six years ago. Maybe even more so. He’d lost his boyish appearance, replaced with the hard muscles of a man. His face still held the same tenderness, though. It was one of the things I had fallen in love with when we first met.
“Betty, Trevor was wondering if we could go into the city and explore a little. We’ve been here for a while but haven’t gotten much sightseeing done,” my mom called from the kitchen where she was making breakfast.
Two days had passed since I’d seen Gavin. I hadn’t mentioned anything to my mom because I knew what she would do. Knowing her, she’d ring every doorbell within a two block radius, just to figure out where he lived.
Yeah, not happening.
“What do you think?” my mom added.
It was Sunday, so we deserved to take a break from unpacking.
“Sure thing. Does he want to go anywhere specific?” I asked.
“Nah. Just the city, in general.”
It was sad that I hadn’t taken Trevor to see anything up until this point. Guilt washed over me at the thought of having disappointed my son.
As if sensing my mood, my mom walked up, joining me in the hallway where I had been trying to sort through the mess of jackets I had taken out of one of the boxes.
“Sweetie, he’s perfectly fine, okay? He didn’t even really request the sightseeing tour. He just mentioned it. I was the one who took that from what he didn’t say. He’s a great kid who has taken this move better than others would’ve.”
“I know. We couldn’t have done it without you. You are a lifesaver.”
“I’m your mother. Someone needs to take care of you when you won’t.”
“I’m taking care of myself,” I vehemently replied, and my mom nodded.
“Yes, you are. Now. After I forced you out of the house and threatened to lock the door and not let you in if you came back before midnight.”
“Going out all by myself didn’t seem that appealing,” I admitted.
“But it got you out.”
I sighed. “Yes. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad for leaving you with Trevor all the time. Or for not even having realized he wanted to see the city. I’m his mother. I should know these things.”
“You were busy trying to set up a new life. There is nothing wrong with that. Trevor knows that.”
“He should be too young to understand something like that.”
My mom arched her brow at me. “That boy is more mature than half the people my age. While I know you want to savor his youth, don’t worry if he’s already learned a lesson or two about life.”
“Mom? Granny?” Trevor’s voice called from upstairs. “Is breakfast ready?”
I smiled as I pictured him standing on the landing, glancing down at the two of us with his big gray eyes. Eyes the same color as his dad’s.
Not going there. I can’t.
“Almost, sweetie. Wanna get ready with me?” I answered and stepped up to the stairs. Just as I thought, he leaned over the railing, smiling down at me.
“Sure,” he replied.
Still reeling from my conversation with my mom, I walked upstairs. I needed some time with my son.
“Hey, after breakfast, how about we go explore the city a bit? We have barely seen anything yet,” I mentioned.
“Are you sure? I know we still need to do some unpacking, so I don’t mind if you want to do that instead,” he said as we walked into his room. “I know you worry, but I’m fine.
I turned to look at him. “Did you listen in on our conversation?”
He merely shrugged. “It’s a small house. But seriously. I’m okay. I like it here. The kids I met so far are really nice, and having Grandma here is awesome. I’m glad she’s here to help you, too.”
God, how did I deserve a kid like this one?
Emotions threatened to overwhelm me. I pulled him close, kissing his head.
“Let’s go, okay? I want to spend the day with you and your grandma. Not doing anything that has to do with packing or anything related to it. Let’s go have some fun,” I suggested.
Trevor watched me for a moment, as if trying to figure out if I was serious. Then a wide grin spread across his face.
“Can I wear my Iron Man shirt?” he asked, excitement clouding his voice.
“Absolutely.” I smiled, watching him march over to his closet and take out whatever clothes he wanted to wear for the special occasion.
Five minutes later, we sat at the table for breakfast. Afterward, we walked to the subway and headed into town. Trevor had made a list of what he wanted to see, so his grandma and I were merely along for the ride.
We stopped at Piccadilly Circus first. Trevor had showed me pictures, but coming close to it was exhilarating, as well as scary. There were so many people, it was hard to get somewhere without bumping into someone.
I glanced over at Trevor, making sure he wasn’t going to get lost in the shuffle. The wide smile on his face let me know he didn’t care. He was in his happy place. People, sightseeing, new places, exploring... It was all a dream come true for him.
We walked for hours, only stopping for a quick bite around lunchtime. As the afternoon drew on, I suggested we made our way back home. When Trevor didn’t protest, I knew he was exhausted. Nothing else would have kept him from exploring the city more.
We took the subway back, having to get out a stop earlier because of construction.
“Look, Mom. Can we check over there? I think something is going on,” Trevor said, pointing to a crowd of people across the street. I followed his gaze to the stadium and megastore of West Ham United.
“Are you sure? It seems pretty busy,” I said, unsure whether I wanted to brave the masses. Or be that close to anything that could bring me face to face with Gavin again. My mom stayed quiet, merely observing the happenings around us, as if that would tell her more about what we could possibly be getting into.
“I’ll go check real quick, okay? I think this is where West Ham United has their games,” Trevor called. Before I could hold him back, he was off, crossing the street. I quickly went after him, panic rising within me when he disappeared in the mass of people.
“Trevor?!” I yelled, trying to make out his blond head in the crowd. “Trevor!” I didn’t see him. My heart tried to beat through my chest as I pushed past pedestrians, not caring whether I was a little too forceful. “Trevor!” I yelled another time, my eyes scanning the area as I stopped in front of what seemed to be a souvenir store.
Where did he go? He couldn’t have gotten too far. He has to be here somewhere.
Sweat worked its way over my forehead and I hastily wiped it away. “Tre—”
“Mom, I’m right here.” I turned around, seeing my smiling son standing there.
I blew out a breath. “Trevor, don’t ever do something like that again. Do you hear me?”
“I was only over there,” he explained, pointing to the side of the store where a poster was plastered on the wall. His voice sounded as if it were the most natural thing
that he had run off and made me have a heart attack.
“Where’s Grandma?” Trevor asked, his eyes roaming over the people around us. I hated to admit it, but I had forgotten all about my mom the moment Trevor ran off. “There she is,” he said when he spotted her standing across the street.
“Come on. Let’s go back over there.” I took his hand in mine so he wouldn’t be able to sprint off.
“Ah, there you two are. I was looking for you.”
“Grandma, there’s a soccer team signing in there. Do you think we can check it out?” Trevor asked, his voice hopeful.
I was caught off guard by his request. I wanted to tell him I didn’t think that was a good idea, that he was exhausted, but when I looked at him and saw the excitement on his face, I was sure exhaustion was the furthest thing from his mind.
“That’s something we need to ask your mom. Didn’t you say you wanted to go home?”
“Yes, but this is pretty cool. I like soccer.”
Of course you do, I thought, a small sigh escaping my lips.
“Please, Mom. I’ve never been to a signing before, and West Ham United is a pretty big club here. I can’t believe they play so close to our home.”
“Neither can I.” Until I met Gavin around the corner from our house.
“Please. I want to go in there,” Trevor pleaded. As much as I wanted to deny him, there was no real reason I could give. Plus, the excitement on his face was hard to crush.
“Okay. But, as you can see, it’ll take a while for us to get inside,” I remarked, pointing at the line.
“I don’t mind.”
I smiled, then turned toward my mom, who merely shrugged. “Grandma and I will stay in line with you, but once we get closer, we’ll stay back so you can fully enjoy the meeting with whomever is there. Okay?” I wasn’t going to go up with him. I couldn’t.
Trevor merely nodded, his attention already somewhere else. I grabbed his hand and we walked back over to the end of the line.
It took us two hours to get into the store and another hour to get close enough to whomever was signing to see them. I was exhausted and almost prayed Trevor would get sick and tired of waiting, but fat chance. I just hoped it would be Gavin’s teammates signing, not him. I didn’t know much about signings like these, but figured they couldn’t put all the players out here. Right?
