Over the Moon

Over the years Wolf has orchestrated so many aspects of my life it’s almost dizzying. Countless hours and days have been spent going through the folder, second-guessing everything, and still coming up with the same conclusion and being pissed off about it. As much as I want to hate him for every bit of influence, every manipulation, and for being so goddamn selfish, I am grateful. He provided more protection than harm and that tips the scales of my anger in his favor. The fucking kicker is that I came to another conclusion, I love him.

But momma raised no fool. Love is not enough. Not when we have so much history that I was blind to for years. The move to Portland and my new job has given me a fresh start. Wolf hasn’t contacted me since the day of the race. He is actually doing what I asked.

Portland is smaller than Chicago but there is a bustle here that settles my nerves. My apartment is close to work, so I walk there after my morning run. There is a running group made up of the residents in my building that I have yet to reach out to. Not sure what is holding me back. The weather has nice enough, but something is missing. Like a piece of me has been lost somewhere.

Today marks my third week with my new company. I leave the elevator and walk toward my sixteenth-floor office. Travis, my assistant, greets me as I turn the corner.

“Good morning, Aubrey. Here are your messages and there was a delivery for you this morning. It’s on your desk.” A delivery?

“Sure thing, boss.” And off he goes. That man is a workhorse.

I enter my office and drop my purse onto the lounger. This office is very much like the one I had at Lawson's but this time I have my own ensuite. I look out across the city. My view of the harbor is great during the day but absolutely stunning at night. It almost makes me want to book more evening meetings so I can take it all in.

I toss the stack of messages on my desk and see a small cardboard box with a small, stamped label, Sugar, Sugar. My favorite donut shop here. I open the box and see a frosted donut with Oreos cookie pieces on the top. I don’t see a message, or anything attached. One should not eat randomly delivered donuts, right? Screw it, I pick it up and take a bite and my eyes are forced closed so I can focus on the flavors. This donut is delicious.

My phone rings and Nate’s face pops up on the screen. I put down the donut and wipe my hands before I pick it up.

“Ha! Well hello to you too. How’s your morning going so far?”

“Not too bad. What’s up?”

“Well, I got something I want to talk to you about.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Not really. I am downstairs, can we go somewhere to talk?”

“You are here? In Portland?”

“Yup. I am in the lobby right now.”

“I will be right down. We can go to the deli next door. It’s early so it should be quiet.”

I reach the lobby a few minutes later and I spot Nate, but he is not alone. “Hey, Nate. Hi, Violet.” I say politely though I am confused as to why she is here.

“Hi, Aubrey. It’s really nice to see you,” she says as Nate places an arm around her waist.

“Wait, is this what you wanted to talk to me about? Are the two of you together?” I ask.

Nate says, “Yes,” and Violet says, “No,” at the same time. They share a look and then Nate turns to me and says, “Let’s go over to that deli.”

Not long after, we are sitting in a booth with a sandwich and a drink each. If I am going to get ambushed, I am not doing it on an empty stomach. Nate and Violet haven’t touched their food when I am over halfway through my Rueben. I put it down and take a drink of water. “Okay, spill it.”

“Do you remember when we were kids and mom wouldn’t let me join boxing?”

“Yeah. You were so angry.”

“I was. I told her I hated her, that she was a mean mom and that I was going to run away.”

“You did run away. You did that whole kerchief tied to a stick bit and went to the creek behind Cooper’s cornfield.”

“Yup. I stayed out there all day and into the night. I hated it. But I said I was going to do something, so I did. Do you remember what you did?”

“I came to check on you and brought you a blanket. God, you were so miserable. It rained and you had no coat or rubber boots. You sat in the mud for hours. You are lucky you didn’t die, Nate.”

“The only reason I didn’t is because you convinced me to come home. Mom was stubborn. She knew exactly where I was, but she refused to come get me. She regretted our fight but wasn’t going to make the first move.”

“I am enjoying this trip down memory lane but what is this all about?”

He takes a bite of his sandwich for dramatic effect, and I wait impatiently. He folds his hands on the table and leans in. Like I said, dramatic.

“You are in the mud.”

“You are by the creek, on a rainy night, sitting in mud.”

“You are losing me here, Nate.”

Violet chimes in, “You are miserable here, Aubrey. You decided to come here when you were angry and hurt and didn’t have the whole story.” She spreads her arms out and says, “This is your mud.” Jesus, they are perfect for each other.

“So, this isn’t about me. This is about Wolf.”

“Punk, can you honestly say you are happy here?” Nate says as he leans back and puts his arm around Violet.

“Portland is okay.”

“Do you hear yourself? Portland is a great city, but it isn’t for you. Where is your heart right now?”

I just look at him, my eyes start to tear up. Violet leans forward and grabs my hand. “We know about everything. I yelled at him, and Nate gave him a well-deserved punch.”

I look up at Nate. “You punched him?” Pride fills up in my chest with a little anger, to my surprise, right behind it.

“I did because he deserved it, but he doesn’t deserve this.”

“And what is that?”

“To lose the love of his life because she wants to stay in the mud.”

“Enough with the mud already! God! I get it.”

“Morning, son. Hope you brought your appetite. I told Mable you were coming, and she is bringing out a lumberjack’s special for you.” He folds the newspaper he was reading when I walked in and tucks it behind the salt and pepper shakers.

“How are the Blue Jays doing this year?”

“Not too bad at all, Wolf. One of these days I am going to get to Toronto for a home game.”

“That sounds like a good time. Have you been to Toronto before?”

“No. Millie and I were planning on visiting her brother in Nova Scotia and then driving west the year she passed away.”

“Oh. I am sorry, Jim.”

“Nothing for you to be sorry for. But that is kind of why I asked you here.”

A large plate filled with scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, sausages, and bacon is placed in front of me. “Morning, Wolf. Would you like coffee?”

“Yes please, Miss Mable.” She chuckles at that and pours me a cup.

“I haven’t been a Miss in decades! Enjoy, gentlemen.”

I start to dig in as Jim clears his throat. “Millie and I were married when we were nineteen years old. That woman didn’t make it easy though. Did I ever tell you the story of how we met?” I wash down my toast with a swig of coffee before I speak.

“No, I don’t think you have, Jim. I would love to hear about it.” Over the years I have grown very fond of Jim. I have a dad, but Jim has been like a father figure to me. I have been working in his workshop helping him with projects here and there. Fine-tuning my skills and listening to all the wisdom he can bestow upon me.

“It was a hot summer’s day, and I was down at the beach tossing a Frisbee with a few of the guys.” He slaps his leg. “When I was young and spry. Bruce tossed it a little too hard and I had to make a run for it. I caught it but not until after I tripped over a family picnic. I apologized and helped them straighten up and that is when I looked up and saw the woman of my dreams. She was gorgeous with brown hair, brown eyes, and a really nice shape to her. The boys and I had a few beers earlier, so I had no fear in me. I asked her out and she said yes. Over the next week, I saw her every day and even kissed her at the drive-in.”

“Sounds like an old movie.”

He laughs. “It does, doesn’t it? Well at the end of the week her family was going home to Nova Scotia. I was heartbroken but more than that, I was stubborn. When I put my mind to something, that’s it. I took my dad’s Oldsmobile and drove up the coast. A month later, I took her home and made her my bride. Next to when the kids were born, that was the best day of my life, and she would have told you the same.”

“That is a nice story, Jim. I am sorry I never got to meet Amelia.”

“Me too, son. I am sure she would have loved you.” He takes a sip of his coffee and picks at the carrot muffin Mable dropped off as he was telling his story. “I heard a story the other day.”

“Oh yeah? What about?”

“You might have heard about it. There is this man, right? He fell ass over tea kettle for a woman. He spent years protecting her from everything, even himself. When the stars finally aligned, they leaped together only to land separately. The man confessed his love but let her get away. She moved to the big city, while he stayed behind being a miserable bastard to everyone around him.”

“It rings a bell,” I say. He seems to know more than I thought.

“Well, here is something you might not know. The woman he loves is also miserable and just as stubborn as her daddy.” I haven’t heard from Aubrey for weeks. I assumed she was happy with her new life, without me. “Wolf, I love you like a son. But boy, you screwed up letting her go to Portland.”

I rub my face with my hands. “I had to let her go. I fucked up, badly. I told her everything and left it up to her. If she can forgive me, I will be here, waiting.”

“How did you fuck up, Wolf? You made sure my baby girl got away from a sick man at Scout & Murphy, you made sure she knew about Derek and gave her a place to live, you supported your brother, and managed to get Aubrey home to me safe and sound. So what? Do you think love isn’t enough? You’re wrong. Love is everything, and everything else is nothing. You proved you loved her before you even knew it yourself. Damn it, I’ve known for years.”

I am stunned at everything he knows and for some reason, he isn’t threatening to sic Nate on me for everything I did to Aubrey.