I inherited him from Mrs. Jennings when she passed away last fall. I stayed with her until she passed from old age and natural causes. She went out with a smile on her sweet wrinkled face. We spent her final days talking and reminiscing about her younger years. She led an amazing life. When she was younger, she was a singer in a gospel group. They even had a hit song. I never knew that about her until it was close to the end, which saddened me considering how long we lived next to each other.
Penny wasn’t too thrilled when I moved Percy in with us, but the little yellow fur ball was going to go to the shelter if I didn’t.
“I’ll order a pizza,” Becks says with a chuckle.
“I can’t believe you are ditching and leaving me alone with Katie all summer.” Penny gives Becks a hug.
“I can hear you ya know?” I shake my head at her. You would think we aren’t even friends with the way they talk about me as if I am not in the room with them.
A knock sounds at the front door to our townhouse. I ended up moving in with Penny in Georgetown over six months ago. Must be Desi. I go to let her in and see that she brought a casserole. I smile and give her a side hug.
“Hold off on the pizza Becks, your woman came prepared,” I call towards the kitchen.
“Well you guys did say Penny was cooking. I just thought it was better to be prepared,” Desi jokes taking the dish and setting it on the table.
“That almost hurts my feelings,” Penny mocks.
We are settled at the table together for our last group meal minus Stewart. He couldn’t make it tonight. He normally has the weekends off, but he is on call for emergencies, and was called out for a sick horse. Stewart is a Veterinarians Assistant. We met when I took Percy to get declawed. It was the only way I could get Penny to agree to Percy living with us. Stewart actually got me a job as a receptionist at the clinic and we became friends fast.
Penny swears he has a thing for me but I could swear he is gay. He loves to watch all the old 80’s Rom Coms with Percy and me. He has become a great friend, Becks actually likes him, and he never likes any guys I bring around. Not that I bring anyone around. Well other than Stewart. However, Stewart is my coworker and I just can’t see anyone else in that way, when I know there I only one person out there for me. The one person I can’t have and shouldn’t still crave.
We dig into our meal. Desi makes the best tatter tot casserole. I am going to miss her feeding us. Penny and I are not that great a cooking much, unless it involves ordering out, or using a microwave. But ask me to bake cookies and I am all over that.
“What time do you leave?” I look to Desi.
“My mom is driving us to the airport around noon or so but our flight doesn’t depart until around five.”
“I wish you guys could come to the grand opening for the Speedway tomorrow. There is like ten different bands scheduled to play on three different stages. It is going to be epic,” Penny says animatedly. She got a job at the Raceway that is getting ready to open and they are having some huge concert to celebrate. The official races won’t start until next weekend, but I am excited for the concert.
“What bands?” B
ecks asks.
“No idea that is horrible of me isn’t it, but in all fairness, you know how my mind is these days!” Penny has bride brain. The bitch went and got herself engaged on me to a soldier—well a Marine. Bradly is on active duty serving a tour in Iran. He won’t be home for another six months. He popped the question on Valentine’s Day right before he left. I tease Penny she only said yes because he was leaving.
I am really happy for her; Bradly seems to make her smile.
“Something cool would happen here the moment I am leaving,” Beckett gripes.
“Um, HELLO! I am taking you to another country,” Desi fusses at him. He brushes her chestnut hair back from her face and kisses her cheek. They are so cute together it is disgusting. My heart aches at how sweet they are.
“What’s for dessert?” Penny looks to me expectantly.
“Crap, I completely forgot. Stewart was supposed to get these awesome little cakes things from that cupcake place near his work.”
“Where is Stewart?” Desi winks at me.
“He’s working, Stewart and I aren’t like that,” I tell her softly.
“You sure he knows that?” She says and Becks elbows her in the side.
“I’ll go see if we have any dessert,” I tell them excusing myself from the table. Relationships are a very sore spot for me.
My friends are talking about me as though I can’t hear them in the next room. “I wasn’t thinking. I thought maybe she was you know moving on. Stewart is over here a lot. Should I apologize? I just…Katie is so sweet and I just want her to be happy,” Desi says.
Moving on. If it were that easy, I would have moved on months ago. My heart has a hole in it. Half of my soul is missing. I can’t even think of his name without dying all over again on the inside. I don’t even want to go to that concert tomorrow but I promised Penny. I have been trying to be better about going out and living again. It’s just so hard when all I feel on the inside is dead.
My fingers twist at the pendant that still hangs around my neck.