Take a Chance (10 page)

Willow

Meeting Asher’s parents was nothing like I feared, and I don’t even know why I was so scared. I already know his brothers and sisters. I know what type of people they are. Obviously, they were raised by amazing parents. His mom and dad made me feel like I was already a part of their family. All of them gave me hugs as we were heading out the door with an open invitation to every Sunday dinner. Simon was waiting for us at the curb.

I settle
into the back seat of the car, holding Asher’s hand. On the drive back to his house I have the biggest smile plastered on my face. I went from having only a mother who barely spent any time with me to having a big loving family welcoming me with open arms. It makes me think of my own mother, and how I really should try and find her. Will she even want to talk to me? What if I call her, and she hangs up on me, never wanting me to contact her again. It’s thoughts like those that keep me from even beginning to try. Asher squeezes my hand, I look over and smile.

Ge
tting back to his house, I feed Lucy then make my way to Asher’s room. I’m exhausted. I plop face first long ways on his bed.

“You’ve had quite a few busy
days, how about I draw you a bath, and then we get some sleep.”

With my face still in the bed
, I say, “Yaa oww a wiisser.”

Straddling my body on the bed
, he tickles my sides, “You want to say that again, sweetheart?”

Giggling, turning my face to the side I say again
, “You are a lifesaver.”

Getting off of me, he heads into the bathroom and runs
the bath water. The smell of vanilla invites me off the bed and into the bathroom. The lights are dimmed, and several candles are lit and placed around the room. Millions of bubbles fill the tub. Placing his hands on either side of my arms, he rubs them up and down. Reaching for the hem of my sweater, he pulls it gently over my head. He unbuttons and unzips my jeans and peels them along with my panties down my legs. Stepping out of them, he unhooks my bra and slowly eases it down my arms. Lastly he removes my socks one at a time, while my hands rest on his shoulders. Grabbing a hair tie, I throw my hair in a messy knot on the top of my head. Taking my hand he helps me into the tub.

Stripping down himself
, he eases in the tub behind me. Leaning back into his strong arms, he massages my shoulders softly. Kissing my neck, shivers run down my entire body. Turning around I straddle his hips while kissing him. Reaching down in the bubbles, I grab his erection, and guide him ever so slowly inside me. I begin to move slowly up and down, as he kisses my chest. Holding his head tight to my chest the water sloshes over the sides of the tub. Feeling the familiar tingle taking over, I let go while whispering his name. Grabbing my hips, he stills me with his own release saying, “I love you, I love you.”

Keeping our connection
, he stands, wraps a towel around my back and carries me to bed. Only then pulling out and laying me down, covering me with the warm comforter. Removing my hair tie, he climbs in bed behind me, wrapping me in his strong arms. Lucy jumps onto the bed, curling in a tight ball just below our feet. I am just about to fall into a peaceful sleep when Asher whispers, “I love you sweetheart, goodnight.” Too tired even to respond I fall asleep.

The next morning leaving Lucy at Asher’s
, we head to work. It was a good thing his sisters bought extra stuff, I had a few outfits to choose from this morning for work. Following our usual ritual, holding hands until I get off on my floor, with a kiss and a lunch date set for noon, I get to work.

Asher

The
entire weekend was just one wonderful memory after another. My whole family loves Willow. She should be getting her test results back Friday and hopefully getting her port out that same day. Glancing at the files on the corner of my desk, Willow’s mom’s file catches my eye. She’s told me she wants to try and get in contact with her mom, that she misses her. I think only her pride is standing in the way of contacting her. Picking up the phone, I dial the number written in the file. A woman answers on the second ring, “Hello?”

“Yes,
hello. Is this Ms. Emery?”

“No my name is Mrs. Conner, but I was Ms.
Emery years ago. Who’s calling?”

“Ma’am you don’t know me, I’m Willow
’s boyfr… I’m a friend of Willow’s, my name is Asher. She’s told me about you. She doesn’t know I’m calling you. I thought, well I thought I would help her along and find you for her.”

“Willow? Oh I have prayed for this day. How is she? Is she well? Can I talk to her? Where is she?”

“Mrs. Conner…”

“Please call me Judy.”

“Judy, I’m not sure how much information I want to give you. I can assure you she’s happy. I won’t lie. I was concerned about the fact that she didn’t have any family here for her.”

“What do you mean
, for her? Has something happened?”

“Judy
, I’m trying not to betray her trust here by giving you information that should come from her. I was hoping to get confirmation that the possibility of reconciliation was something you were open to.”

“Asher, I have waited twelve years for this phone call
. Yes, absolutely I want to see my daughter again.”

“I’m glad to hear that, I’m so glad to hear that. She’s been worried you wouldn’t want to ever see her again, after how she left.”

“She’s my daughter, and I love her. I’ve always loved her, it’s killed me all these years that I couldn’t find her. I know I didn’t always do right by her as a child. I have come a long way since then. After Willow left I put myself through college, I own my own hair salon. I got married and have turned my life around. Please. When can I talk to her?”

“I want to tell her all of this, I need some time. I need to make sure the timing is right. I know she wants to talk to you, give me a few days. I want this to work out for the two of you. I’ll call you back by the end of the week.”

“OK Asher, she’s really alright? You have me worried, I just want to talk to her, tell her how sorry I am for everything. Tell her I love her.”

“She’s doing great, I’ll talk to you later, bye.”

“Bye Asher, thank you so much for calling. Bye.”

The next f
ew days go pretty much the same. Willow has been staying the night at my house every night. We go into work and leave together. We eat all our meals together, walk the dog at night. Our passion for each other hasn’t changed either, if anything we have grown stronger. With each day closer to Friday, I can tell she is getting nervous. It’s Thursday, and I want to do something nice for her to ease her mind. I think I should tell her about her mom, tell her that all her fears of being rejected are unfounded. Her mom misses her just as much as she does. She’s due here any minute for lunch. I’ve made up my mind it’s time to tell her.

Willow

Knocking on his office door, I don’t even wait for an answer. I just walk in knowing he’s expecting me. I stopped by Charlotte’s desk to pick up the take-out she ordered. Placing the containers on his desk, I wait for him to get off the phone. With a smile and wink it only takes him a few more minutes.

“Willow, before we eat, I want to talk to you about something.”

“OK shoot, what cha got for me?”

“I hope I did the right thing here, first let me start by saying I love you. And if this blows up in my face Amelia and Aiden will never let me hear the end of it.”

“You’re scaring me, what is it Amelia and Aiden know?” What does he have to tell me? He’s not going to ask me to marry him at the office is he?

“I’m just going to come out and say this.” Oh God, he is going to ask
me to marry him. Be cool, Willow. Let him get it out before you jump him saying yes, yes, yes. GOD yes!!

“I contacted your mother.”

My face went from grinning so bad it hurt to falling to the floor in half a second.

“YOU DID WHAT!”
I shout.

Standing
up so fast I knock over the chair. What is it with me and knocking over chairs?

“Why would you do that? You had no right to just go and do that!” Oh my God
, Amelia knew about this too? Tears stream uncontrollably down my face. I need to get out of here. I can’t even stand to be in the same room with him. I can’t even go tell Amelia I’m leaving, she knew too, and didn’t tell me. I rush out of the room, running to the elevator, stabbing the down button repeatedly.

Asher runs after me
shouting, “Willow, please wait.”

Seeing he’s getting to
o close, I rush to the stairs, clanking down the steps in my heels, sobbing hysterically. I don’t even have my car here, I need a cab. Opening the doors, Simon is standing at the curb leaning on the car reading the paper.

“Ms.
Emery, is everything OK?” he asks concerned.

“Simon, I need to go home
, can you please take me?”

“Yes Ms. Emery, right away
. I’ll take you to Mr. Wellington’s.”

“No, take me to my home please.”

“Yes, Ms .Emery.”

Just then the ph
one rings over the stereo system, I just know that it’s Asher.

“Hello
, Mr. Wellington,” he answers.

“Simon, is Willow with you?”
Asher asks.

“Yes sir,
she has asked me to take her home.”

“OK
, good, Willow sweetheart, please just let me explain,” he says, directing the conversation to me.

Shaking my
head, Simon eyes me in the rearview mirror. Burying my face in my hands, I cry softly.

“Um
, Mr. Wellington, Sir. Ms. Emery is not able to talk right now.”

“What do you mean she can’t talk, is she alright? Is she feeling
OK?”

“I’m not sure
, Sir. She just asked me to take her home.”

“Alright
, I’ll take a cab. Willow, when I get home we are going to talk about this, you have to let me explain.”

“Mr. Wellington
. Ms. Emery asked me to take her to her house.”

“Alright
, Simon after you take her home, please come back to the office and pick me up. Willow, I’ll be over as soon as I can. Please sweetheart, just listen to me it’s not what you think. Please let me explain.”

Shaking my head, I know there is no stopping him
, if that’s what he wants to do. I don’t have to hear what he has to say or let him in.

Running into my condo, slamming the door, I just want to scream
. I’m so mad. Lucy oh no, Lucy is at Asher’s. I have to sit in this condo all by myself without my furry friend to cuddle with. Stripping my clothes, I start a hot bubble bath. Grabbing a bottle of wine and a glass, I sink in the hot water, sobbing quietly to myself.

A banging at the door start
les me, but he can keep banging all night, I’m not letting him in. He had no right to call and talk to my mom without my permission. I can hear him still banging on the door begging, pleading for me to open the door. Not going to happen, there’s no way I’m letting him in.

After a few glasses of wine the banging stops. Getting out o
f the tub, I put on my soft pink bath robe. I tip toe to the front door, and look out the peep hole. I see Simon waiting in the car at the curb. But I don’t see Asher anywhere. A soft thump thump comes from the bottom of the door. Asher must be sitting against the door. Another thump, I think he’s banging the back of his head on the door.

It’s been hours, Simon is still sitting in the car. Poor Simon, I didn’t mean for him to have to wait in his car like this. Asher is still sitting against the door. Now I’m starving. Since we never got to eat lunch
, and since we have been eating at his house, I don’t have much food in my house. I left the office without getting my purse, so I don’t have my cell phone, and stupid me doesn’t have a house phone.

After a few more hours, Simon is gone. I think Asher is too, but I’m not going to open the door to find out. Lying on the couch in the dark, my doorbell rings. Checking the peep hole, it’s a delivery guy.
I’m not falling for it. I’m starving and I could rip into whatever he has in those bags. But I’m not opening this door. A soft knock and an equally soft voice from the delivery man, “Ma’am, I’ve been instructed to leave these bags at the door for you and to tell you he’s not here and to please call him. Whatever all that means. So, I’m going now. Enjoy your dinner.”

I wait
a few minutes after he leaves to see if it’s a trick, and that Asher is really not here. Nobody seems to be out there. Cautiously opening the door, I grab the two bags and slam the door locking it behind me. Inside one bag is Chinese food, the exact same order we had the first night we ate dinner. In the second are my purse and a card. I throw the card on the coffee table and dig into the food. Not only do I eat my order, but what he ordered too. My cell phone is chirping every few seconds alerting me to a text. Finishing both helpings of food, I dig my phone out of my purse. I have twenty seven missed texts. Scrolling through them most of them are from Asher, I ignore those. A few are from Amelia, begging me to please call her. There is even a text from his mom, who I didn’t even know had my number. I feel bad for ignoring the ones from his mom and Amelia, but I just can’t talk to anyone right now.

Lying
down on the couch tears just pour from my eyes, I didn’t even know I had that many tears to cry. The card on the coffee table is burning a hole in my vision. Placing my foot on it, I shove it off the table. I fall asleep alone in the dark silently hiccoughing.

Asher

I never would have thought Willow would have reacted like she did.
Hearing Simon tell me she wanted to go back to her house, I knew it wasn’t a good sign. Banging on her door, I pleaded for her to open it and talk to me. After hours of not even a sound from her, I had to let Simon go home. Dropping me off at my house, I got in my car and went back to the office to talk to Amelia. I had rushed out of the office so fast after Willow that I didn’t even tell anyone I was leaving.

Back in the office, Amelia was already
aware that Willow took off upset, and that I ran off shortly after. Sitting in her office, I told her everything that happened.

“Asher,
I hate to tell you I told you so, but I told you I thought this was a bad idea.”

“I honestly didn’t think it was
a bad idea. Her mother was so open and willing to get back in touch with Willow.”

“Honey, she
hasn’t seen or heard from her mom in twelve years. I know she’s not seeing the bigger picture here, but right now she thinks you betrayed her.”

“I tried to explain, she wouldn’t hear me out. Can you talk to her for me please?”

“I’ll text her Asher, but I think the best thing right now is to give her a little space.”

“The results from h
er testing are tomorrow morning, and she is supposed to have her port taken out. She can’t go through all that alone.”

“Asher, I’m sorry
. I don’t know what to tell you about that, I don’t even know where her doctor is. She had chemo treatments next door, but her doctor’s office is somewhere else.”

“She didn’t even e
at lunch, and it’s getting late. I don’t think she has any food in her house.”

“Her purse is here, why don’t you order her some food and have her purse and dinner delivered. And
, Asher, take my advice and give her some space to think. I know that’s going to be hard. Hopefully, she will talk to me and I can explain for you. Even if she doesn’t want to see you, I’ll see if she’ll let me go with her to her appointment tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks sis, I’ll go drop off her pur
se and order her some dinner from a restaurant. If you talk to her, let me know right away.”

Getting a hug and a nod from my sister, I make my way to the Chinese restaurant
with instructions on exactly what to do. Heading home, I feel like an even bigger ass when I realize Lucy is at my house. She doesn’t have her dog there to make her feel better. After a quick walk and putting some food down, I can’t just sit here. I head to my parents’ house.

With my head hanging
, I knock on the door. Mom answers, she doesn’t even ask what the problem is. She wraps me in a tight hug bringing me into the house, pours me a glass of milk, and tells me to spill. I tell her the whole story. She said the same thing as Amelia. Giving her Willow’s cell phone number, I make her promise she will try to talk to Willow too.

Headed home, I crawl into bed, with Lucy curled in the crook of my stomach. Today did not turn out like I had hoped.