"I have," I said. "The thing is that I've been so busy with Sophie that I barely have time for anything. But Elaine was really good and took Sophie in the afternoons occasionally so I could go to my studio and get some work done. I might finish my MA if we come back to Manhattan for part of the year."
"You're thinking of that?"
I nodded. "I miss Manhattan. San Francisco is great but this is my home."
"That's great. I'd be so happy if you moved back and we could try to be friends again. I miss you."
I smiled. "I miss you, too."
I did miss Dawn. I missed having a best girlfriend who understood me and was there for me. Dawn had crossed a line when it came to Drake, and at one time, I wasn't sure I could forgive her completely, but now, I felt that I might be able to forgive her, even if I couldn’t forget. We could have coffee or tea now and then if she showed an ability to accept my life for what it was.
"Let's not let too much time pass between visits," she said. "I know I was wrong in the past, but I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends again – real friends."
I nodded, my heart squeezing just a bit at the thought we might be friends again.
"How about you?" I asked, wondering whether she had someone special. "Are you seeing anyone? I know you and Kurt were seeing each other for a while."
"That ended pretty quickly, but we're still friendly at least. But no, I'm still an old maid." She shrugged. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride."
"You'll find someone," I said and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "When you least expect it, you'll look up and see someone and he'll see you and that will be it."
"That's what happened w
ith you and Drake, right? Although, you were a bit more reluctant at first. You fought it."
"I did," I said, smiling to myself as I remembered meeting Drake and finding out he was the Dom I was going to meet for an interview. "I overcame my reluctance pretty fast. I never looked back. Not once. He's a perfect match for me."
"You're lucky." She sighed. "I hope I can find my own perfect match."
We talked some more about my father and how his health was and what Heath was up to in Haiti and then she glanced at her watch.
"Well, I guess I better get going," she said and stood up, carrying Sophie to the door. She gave her a big kiss on the cheek and then handed her to me. After she put on her shoes, she stood up and gave me a hug.
"I hope we can do lunch one day, before you leave."
"I'll talk to Drake. He can take Sophie for a few hours and we could go to Katz's Deli if you'd like. I feel like some good corned beef."
She smiled. "I'd love that. I haven't been to Katz's Deli for years."
We hugged again and then she left, taking the stairs back down to the entrance.
I watched her on the security monitor and saw that she waved before she exited the building.
I went to the window and followed her as she walked down the street to the subway stop. From there, she'd take the train to Harlem General for her shift as a pediatric nurse.
I took Sophie over to the living room and put her back down on the floor with her toys. Then I went to get a bottle ready for her afternoon nap. While it was heating up in the bottle warmer, I watched out the window at the street traffic, the sounds of the city coming in through the open window. I loved the city.
I wanted to move back. But I wanted my father and Elaine to come back as well. I hoped Drake was right – that if we could find a better place for my father to live, he might be quite happy to come back to Manhattan for part of the year. As much as I loved and missed Manhattan, I wouldn’t leave my father for very long. I knew he was ill and probably didn’t have a lot of time to live. I wanted to spend as much time with him as I possibly could. I wanted him to watch Sophie grow and to remain close to Drake.
Drake had lost his father too soon, and so I wanted us to be as close a family as we could possibly be.
So, we'd try to spend as much time with him and Elaine as we could.
That was one thing Lisa had taught me – life was too short and humans too fragile to waste.
Chapter 20
DRAKE