Mrs. Avery

Chapter 20

The morning came too soon. Evan woke up before Agnes and just looked over her sleeping shape beside him in the dull light. His heart got a heavy ache that seemed to bounce from the top of his chest to the bottom and then back again. This reality started to feel crushing.

Agnes woke up from his gaze on her skin and lazily rolled onto him. He push down his emotions and smiled as she laid her head on his bare chest.

"This does not look like breakfast sandwich making." She muttered and wrapped her arm around him.

"My deepest apologies."

"Mmm." She said and drifted back off to sleep. She didn't like the idea of sleeping their time together away, but she was tired and sleep was easy. Sleeping with him was safe, it kept the loneliness out and that was comforting.

As promised, Evan slipped out of bed to make her breakfast and she woke shortly after he had gotten up. She took a moment and just soaked in the room. She had spent so many wonderful nights here with him, including last night. She slipped out of bed in search of her panties and bra. She located them with ease, but then struggled to find the dress until she remembered the dramatic invitation she started in the living room and then walked through the archway to see it laying in a crumpled pile. She smirked as she picked it up. He turned and whistled at her while he continued to cook their breakfast. She shook her head and walked over to him while sliding the dress over her head.

She wrapped her arms around his stomach and just laid her head on his back. They swayed that way until he was done cooking and then went the table. They ate in silence and smiled at one another. She affectionately rubbed her foot along his and he returned the gesture.

They heard a large crash from the hall.

"Mrs. O'Neil is home then." She almost always dropped the keys right before her door and she had a massive set of keys.

"Should we put on a show for her?"

"Huh?" He mumbled taking another bite.

"You know, when I leave. Really let her know that she ought to make you some feel better muffins?"

He smiled as he caught on. "You want a dramatic exit?"

"Always." She smiled wickedly.

"Okay then." He shook his head at her, but his brilliant teeth were showing.

They finished eating and then Agnes collected her things.

"I think that's it." She said scanning the kitchen absentmindedly.

He had been sitting at the table just watching her run around collecting items. This was the final end, the real one, and it felt too soon. He stood up when she set everything down on the table. Taking all the things that had been there for so long, like the hairbrush, toothbrush, sweatpants, and other odds and ends, it just felt like she was ripping pieces of them apart. But, those pieces belonged together and this was just wrong, it was all wrong.

He embraced her immediately and both of their breathing became irregular. Evan squeezed his eyes shut and squeezed her. She squeezed back. After a few minutes, she huffed through her nose to calm herself.

"We can't keep dragging this out."

"I know." He said begrudgingly.

She took a plastic bag and threw all of her things in it and he just sat back down at the table defeated.

She took a deep breath. "Are you ready for the show?" She said trying to sound cheery.

"Oh yeah." He said trying to mimic her enthusiasm. She was about half way to the door when he spoke again. "We were a shitty love story anyway, you know."

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him. Those words cut like a dagger even though she wasn't completely sure what they meant. "What?"

"It took him 6 years... Jesus... really eight years to realize that he wanted her forever." He paused. "That's a shitty love story."

She paused and then slowly walked back to him. She put a hand on his cheek and guided his face up to hers. "Not all good things spring out of thin air." She shrugged. "It was a slow growing affair, but our love story will always be one of my favorites."

He turned his face down and felt the water pool at the corner of his eyes. He pushed his cheek into her hand. She leaned down and kissed him goodbye. It was the most bitter kiss he had ever shared with her, but still he didn't want it to end. He wrapped his hand around the back of one thigh. He felt like he couldn't let go of her.

Finally their lips parted. "I have to go now, okay?" her voice cracking as she spoke.

He nodded and worked on collecting himself as she walked away. She took a few deep breaths as she reached for the door handle.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

Despite his aching heart, he smiled at the bullshit she was about to pull.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" She yelled and then whipped open the door. "DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT ME WHEN YOU MADE THAT DECISION?!" She frantically waved her arm at him to join in.

"AGNES, I'M NOT GOING TO FIGHT ABOUT THIS ANYMORE!"

"OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT THIS ISN'T GOING TO RUIN YOUR LIFE! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! JUST SHUT OFF MY LIFE TO GO BE YOUR HOUSEWIFE IN PENNSYLVANIA! PENNSYLVANIA OF ALL THE FUCKING PLACES!! MY GOD YOU ARE SELFISH! I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE! I'M LOSING MY MIND DEALING WITH YOU!" She had carried on this charade into the hall, grabbing at her hair, and flailing her arms a bit.

They noticed the door to Mrs. O'Neil's pop open slightly, but didn't acknowledge it.

"Agnes, please just come back in and we'll talk about this inside." He said in one of those hushed angry voices a little more loudly than a real hushed voice to be sure that Mrs. O'Neil wasn't missing out.

"THE HELL I WILL! I'M DONE! SOMEONE ELSE CAN BE YOUR PENNSYLVANIA HOUSEWIFE!" And then she stormed down the hall to the elevator and went to the parking garage. She laughed at herself when she finally climbed into the driver's seat. She fished out her keys and started the car. She was about to put it into drive, but then she hesitated, sat back, and took a deep breath instead. Her lips started twitching down and then it was so far out of her control that she broke down into the steering wheel.