“I love you too, honey.” For a moment, I stand rooted in place and stare as her car exits the airport drop-off.
This is it. The day I have been waiting for. Today, I am going home.
One of the hardest things I have ever done is sit on my ass and do nothing. Literally, nothing. Especially when I could be out there, trying to win back the love of my life.
But somehow, Micah has convinced me to sit in his house and be patient. To bide my time. The only thing keeping me sane is searching the internet for houses. Several nice houses have sparked my attention, but none of them give me a sense of fulfillment. And I think the reason is Cora.
If I buy a new home, I want Cora to be a part of the process. To hear her opinions on the appeara
nce—inside and out. Get her input on which kitchen she likes better. If the house gets enough light or has the right number of trees. Or maybe which house she pictures us growing old in together. Which house she imagines us raising children and grandchildren in, their little feet trampling through a large back yard and playing on swings.
I slap my laptop shut and stop staring at houses. No matter what I do to occupy my time, every piece of my life always circles back to Cora. She is literally in every thought I own—awake and asleep.
Turning on the television, I search for something to watch. When I scroll through the guide and see Lord of the Rings, I laugh. If the cosmos aren’t trying to tell me something, I don’t understand what the hell is happening. One sign after another pops up. From the second I decided to mend my mistakes and our past, fortune has been on my side. And after seeing this, I vow to not spend another day sitting on this couch, bored out of my skull, doing nothing.
Just as I start watching the movie, Micah bursts through the front door. “Guess what?” he asks, a little out of breath.
“Whatever you’re dying to tell me must be good if you’re out of breath.”
Micah flips me off. “Well, I was about to give you the best news since your return yesterday, but now I think I’ll wait.” He cocks his head and smirks.
Fucker.
“Don’t be a dick. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” I frown at him for a half second, but the sarcasm doesn’t go unnoticed. “What were you going to say?”
He stares at me a minute, tapping a finger against his lips. “A little birdie told me a specific photographer will be out and about tomorrow, taking photos.”
At his words, I fly off the couch and grab his face. Practically throttling his skull off his spine. “Where? Tell me where.” My voice frantic while my body sings.
“Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast. Tit for tat, my friend.” Micah waggles his finger in front of my face.
I drop my hands from his face. “What could I possibly do for you?” At this point, I would do just about anything to see Cora again. Sitting in this house is making me nutty.
“How about you just owe me one in the future? Deal?” Micah asks.
Definitely a deal I can’t pass up. “Deal,” I say. Micah extends his hand and we shake on it.
A minute later, Micah shares with me all the details Shelly told him about Cora’s shoot tomorrow. Shelly knows I have been back in town since yesterday, but Micah asked her to not make Cora aware. But by Shelly knowing I returned home, she and Micah have been secret go-betweens for me. Their sibling bond has never been better and I love how much they are team Gavin-and-Cora-together-again.
Later, when I try to fall asleep on the couch, I spend an hour planning how I will surprise Cora. I have it all mapped out in my head. But the hidden weight in my wallet makes me second-guess what might go down.
My only hope is she doesn’t run the opposite direction.
Fourteen
Cora
I park my car along Central Avenue, near Fifth Street. After I feed the parking meter, I walk into the nearest coffee shop and order a coconut milk latte.
After I’m slightly caffeinated, I wander for a few blocks. I take in all the sights, categorizing what would be great to photograph. Murals on select buildings. Downtown life. Restaurants and museums and shops to visit. The Sundial. The historical Vinoy hotel. Tampa Bay, from the St. Petersburg side. And that’s only downtown. I have dates scheduled to shoot other parts of the city.
Once I make it back to my car, I have over ten different sections of downtown St. Petersburg I plan to photograph. I grab my cameras from the back of my car and head toward the farthest location. As I stroll through the morning crowd, I glance over my shoulder a time or two. Every other storefront, I get this odd feeling someone is following me. Like my intuition is having a light bulb moment. But each time I check, I spot no familiar faces in the crowd.
Starting at First Street, I snap photo after photo. A restaurant here, another there. One storefront after another. Downtown has so many unique shops, it is difficult to choose what to photograph. So, I snap as many as possible. Once I go through the editing process, I will siphon out what stays and what goes.
The closer I get to my car, the more it feels as if someone is following me again. So instead of being obvious and staring up and down the street, I step inside a cafe and order a drink.
Once the young girl behind the counter hands me the drink, I sit one table away from the window and stare outside. Girlfriends flock into shops together, smiling and laughing. A man with a little girl on his shoulders walks by. Minutes pass and I recognize no one on the sidewalk, but the twinge in my gut remains.