Far Love (Book 1)

25 | Coming to terms

October 13th, 2023

I've come to terms with the fact that I won't see Dylan again and that my father has now been reaching out to Amy for the past four days to get in contact with me. I've even come to terms with the fact that the cafe is now up for grabs--all my hard work from the last three years going down the toilet.

It's all fine. I'm fine.

I've only lost my privacy, my dream, and the someone that was starting to take a big part in my life.

Walking throughout the house, I don't hear cameras anymore. They seem to have given up since I turned into a hermit crab. I enjoy the silence more every day and even turn on some music when Amy goes to work now.

I go to the kitchen to prepare lunch for us. That's how it has been. I started to feel guilty around day five of my hermit crab arrest, and started to help clean and cook to ease my guilty conscience.

I'm chopping veggies for a salad and I already have a pot of water boiling. I'm not great at cooking, but I really wanted to try this new recipe and she seemed intrigued too.

My phone rings so I pick up without looking. "Hey."

"Oh my god when are you coming back?" Nina complains through the phone.

That's a tricky question. I wasn't rooted to LA anymore so why would I ever come back? Amy seemed content with having me home again, so why go back to California.

"I don't really know," I dump the veggies over the lettuce in the salad bowl. "I don't really have a reason to go back anymore. I might just stay here, might even move somewhere around here."

My dad lives here in Oregon, and that's originally why I left after I graduated; to get away from him. But since the whole world knows my father is my father, why avoid Oregon anymore? Plus he lived farther away so why even bother?

"We are here," Mara interjects from the other side of the phone.

"Yeah, exactly," Nina pipes in.

"I'm really sorry guys, but I really have to do me for a while right now."

Nina says, "Yeah, I get that. We really miss you though."

"I miss you guys too."

I tend to the pot of water, putting noodles in, then return back to my phone on the counter, "I think I will probably end up coming back though. I can't afford to stay away from you guys too long. I might actually go sane."

I hear Nina giggle on the other side of the phone and a huff of annoyance from Mara.

Amy comes down the stairs from her loft-turned-bedroom and yawns. She's in pajamas and there is a satin bonnet on her head. She yawns once more as she comes up to the breakfast bar.

"Good morning," I laugh at her disheveled appearance.

She waves me off, "Is lunch ready?" She thinks for a second, "I really don't know how I'm going to survive when you leave again. You clean and cook and are like the best company."

I laugh again, "Yeah I just have to add the sauce to the noodles when they are done." As I turn to the pot I say, "And I don't know," through a giggle.