Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:00:58 -0800 (PST) From: K. Subject: Goodbye Love- part 6 Copyright and Disclaimer: 1. This is a fictional story with fictional characters. 2. No one is to steal this story under any circumstances. 3. This story deals with relationships and not sex, so if you're looking for a story with a lot of sex in it, this isn't the story for you. Hope everyone is doing well and I hope all you US readers had a great Thanksgiving! Here's part 6 titled "Thankful for Forgiveness" 'THANKFUL FOR FORGIVENESS' ****DELL**** It's been about a week since I've seen Eddie. Last time I saw him, he was going into the apartment of his ex-boyfriend. He's tried calling me a couple times, but I haven't returned them. I don't want to get mixed up in an uncomfortable situation. I hate drama and I see this as a sign that I should step away from him. It's too bad, I was really starting to like him. I'm in my apartment and looking at the series of paintings I did which incorporated photos of Eddie. I'm debating whether to keep them or start over on the collection to present at my next gallery opening. "Hello!" Ella calls out as she opens the unlocked front door to my place. She gives me a bright smile as she saunters in and sits down next to me on my sofa. "So you realize that it's Thanksgiving next week?" "Yeah," I nod. "You doing anything?" "I'm going to go over to my parents' place in West Covina. Do you want to come?" Ella asks. "No thanks." I shake my head. "I'm just going to work through it." "Still trying to distract yourself from thinking of Eddie, huh?" Ella asks. "Pretty much," I admit. It's not that big of a deal. Him and I never even went on a date, so it shouldn't be a big deal...then why does it feel like it is? Ella points out that I never exactly found out if Eddie was seeing his ex again or not. "Maybe he was just stopping by to say hi to him." "Even so, if they're back in each others lives then it's only a matter of time before some sort of feelings come back and I don't want to get in the middle of any of that," I reply. "Is this really how you deal with guys you like? You'll pursue them until there's a sign that things might get a little rocky?" Ella asks. "Sort of," I say, knowing it sounds ridiculous. Ella looks at me with her right eyebrow raised. "You'll never be with someone if you date like that. No person will be completely drama-free. Everyone has their baggage." Before I can respond to that, there's a knock on my front door. I walk across the room to answer it and am surprised to see Eddie standing in front of me. "Hi." "Hey," Eddie replies. He stares straight into my eyes. "Can we talk?" Eddie showing up right now is oddly perfect timing considering Ella and I were just talking about him. "Sure. Ella was just leaving, right?" "Yeah," Ella says getting the hint. "I was on my way out. Good seeing you Eddie." "You too," Eddie smiles as they pass each other at the door. As Ella leaves, Eddie comes in and I close the door behind him. "So what's up?" I ask nervously. "'What's up?' Seriously?" Eddie asks. "Why haven't you returned any of my calls?" I see the hurt in his eyes. It suddenly occurred to me how much it might have worried him that I never returned any of his calls. I just thought about myself. "I'm sorry." "What's going on? We kiss and then I don't hear from you," Eddie says. "Did I do something?" "No." I quickly interject. "Well, I don't know... I heard that you ran into your ex last week." I pause a moment before continuing, "And then I saw you go into his place." "Oh," Eddie nods his head understandingly. He looks down to gather his thoughts. "Why didn't you ask me about it?" "Because I don't want to get involved with something that is unresolved," I explain. "You haven't been single that long and I know you were with him for a long time. I understand that there are still feelings there." "There aren't," Eddie presses. "Can I explain what you saw last week?" I nod my head. "Sure." "Remember when Ella mentioned that River might be evicted from his place?" Eddie asks me. I nod my head. "I went to his place to give him money to cover his rent." "You did?" "Yes. Him and I aren't together, but I couldn't just let him get evicted. He has enough problems he has to deal with," Eddie explains. "I didn't want him to have to worry about finding another place to move to." "So you just gave him money?" I ask. "Yes. There's nothing going on between him and me," Eddie clarified again. While I can understand why he gave River money, a part of me still doesn't fully believe that someone would give that much money to another person unless there were some feelings there. He takes a couple steps towards me and takes my hands, "Besides, I want to see what can happen between you and me." He smiles softly and gives me a light kiss. "Are you sure?" I want this more than anything, but I want to be sure he does too. "I'm sure." The two of them were about to kiss when Ella rushes inside. "You will not believe what I just found out!" Ella gushes. "We were right in the middle of something," I tell her. "Well it can wait," Ella says. "River is gone." "What?" This news immediately gets his attention. "Apparently he packed up all his things and left this morning," Ella answers. "I just saw our landlord and he told me." I look to Eddie to try and read his face. What is he feeling about this? He rushes out of the apartment. Ella and I follow. The three of us go to River's place and open the door. Sure enough, it's completely empty. The only thing left is a painting of mine. It was the one I had given Eddie when we first met. "I really thought he would turn things around this time," Eddie sighs. "Poor guy." "You okay?" I ask gently. Eddie nods his head, "Yeah. I'm just sad for him." "I'm surprised he just left like that," Ella says. "I'm not," Eddie says. He goes and picks up my painting. "Let's go." The three of us walk out and close the door behind us. Ella goes back to her apartment as Eddie and I go back to my place. "You sure you're okay?" I ask him. "Yeah," Eddie says facing me. He takes my hands in his. "I'm good." He leans in and kisses me gently. I wrap my arms tightly around him and gently slide my tongue in his mouth which he warmly accepts with a quiet moan. This is the start of something great. "So..." Eddie begins. "What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" "No plans. Probably just working," I answer. "No you're not," Eddie shakes his head. "You are going to come over to my sister's with me and have Thanksgiving with us." I've never been invited to a holiday dinner before with anyone I've ever dated. Eddie and I technically haven't even been out on a date yet and he's inviting me to spend the holidays with him. "You sure?" "Absolutely." His eyes light up. "And my parents will be in town so you can meet them." "Wait a second-" I begin to protest. I've never spent the holidays with someone I've dated and now I'm already meeting his parents? Isn't this a bit soon. "It'll be great," Eddie beams. "But Eddie-" "You're going to love them," He tells me. "And I know they'll love you." Uh oh... ****HOLLY**** It's Thanksgiving already. Why did I agree to hosting dinner? Especially now? I'm pregnant and haven't told my parents yet. I decided to tell them today and thankfully Eddie will be here for support. He's bringing Dell with him, hopefully it won't be too awkward of an evening for him. I have the turkey in the oven, the mashed potatoes are all done, Eddie is bringing biscuits and a salad and my parents are bringing wine (unfortunately I can't drink any). I'm lucky that Eddie and I have great parents, we love them dearly, but I'm still nervous about telling them about the pregnancy. Especially considering I'm not with the father. Thinking about Jonathan still upsets me, but I'm trying my best to get over it. This will be the first year he hasn't spent Thanksgiving with us. Jonathan's family isn't exactly close so he always was with us for holidays. I feel a little bad that he'll be by himself today, but it's his fault. "Holly, we're here!" Eddie comes through the front door with Dell, biscuits and salad in hand. "Happy Thanksgiving." I give him and Dell a hug, "You too. Glad you can join us Dell." "Are you sure you guys want me here? I know that you're planning to tell your parents the big news today," Dell says. "He keeps insisting that he'll be in the way. I told him we want him here," Eddie says giving Dell a kiss. "We do," I affirm. "We're glad you're spending the day with us." "I really don't mind leaving if you think it will be uncomfortable," Dell offers. "Why are you so insistent that you'll be in the way?" Eddie asks. "Holly and I both said that we want you here." "I just know this is a sensitive situation," Dell counters. "It's actually good that you're here because we can take some of the attention off of Holly and focus on you," Eddie says. Eddie's back is turned away from Dell so he doesn't notice Dell's eyes grow wide, I sense that he's nervous. "Are you okay?" I ask him. "I'm fine," Dell smiles politely. "It just seems a bit early for me to meet the parents, isn't it?" "No," Eddie says as we walk into the kitchen. "Our parents live up in Seattle so we don't see them too often, so now may be the only time you'll get to see them for a while." "Don't be nervous," I tell Dell. "Eddie prefers the attention to be on him, so you and I probably won't have to worry much." "I am not that bad," Eddie counters. "Yes you are!" I laugh. "Look at this right now, this night is mostly about me telling Mom and Dad the big news and what's the first thing we talk about when you enter the door? You!" "I'm not an attention-whore." Eddie points his finger at me. "We'll turn the focus to you, okay?" "Whatever," I roll my eyes. "You're really calm," Eddie observes. "If I were telling Mom and Dad that I was pregnant, I'd be freaking out." "If you told Mom and Dad you were pregnant, we'd all be freaking out," I retort as I open the oven to check on the turkey. "To be honest, I'm terrified about telling Mom and Dad." "You going to tell them its Jonathan's?" Eddie asks. "I haven't decided yet," I reply. "I want to see how they react to the pregnancy first." Eddie gives me a supportive hug. "Have you talked to Jon?" "Nope," Eddie replies. "I'm still pissed at him." "I don't think I've ever seen you two fight before," I think back at the friendship between Eddie and Jonathan while we were growing up. "Well he's never pissed me off like he did this time," Eddie answers. "I just need some space from him for a bit." "I hope you're not freezing him out because of my feelings towards him," I say. "I understand that he's your best friend." "I'm not," Eddie replies. "I told you what he did and what he said to me. What best friend does that?" "I think he was just trying to protect you," Dell chimes in. "There are other ways he could have done that," Eddie replies as he cuts some onions for his salad. He then turns to me, "Why don't you go relax a bit and rehearse what you're going to say to Mom and Dad. Dell and I will keep an eye on the turkey for you." "Okay," I nod. "Thanks." I walk out of the kitchen and relax on my sofa in the living room. I lay my head against the armrest and think of different ways to tell my parents the big news. So many different reactions come to mind when I consider possible approaches to this conversation. Mom, Dad, I have some news for you. You're going to be grandparents! I picture my parents either smiling and embracing me tightly OR I picture them throwing their hands up in disbelief and lecturing me on the practice of safe sex. I already had the safe sex talk with them once when I was a teenager, I don't want to hear it again now that I'm twenty-eight. I think of another approach. I see myself forcing tears out of my eyes to gain their sympathy. Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant and I considered an abortion, but I don't want to punish this child for my mistake. To this scenario, I see them rushing to my and hugging me tightly and telling me how proud they are that I have decided to have this baby OR I see them politely excusing themselves and leaving the apartment. I just need to ease them into this slowly. I will casually tell them that I have an announcement to make and that I love them and hope they have my full support. Yeah, that sounds good. A gentle knock on the door gets my attention. I suddenly feel my body tense up. It's my parents. The moment of truth is getting closer. I sit up and am about to head to the door, but Eddie rushes in and gestures with his arms for me to stay on the couch and relax. "Hey Mom! Hey Dad! Happy Thanksgiving!" Eddie greets our parents warmly with a big hug. "Hello sweetie," Mom says as wraps her arms around him tightly. He face gets smashed into her long dark, curly hair. She's wearing the purple cashmere sweater and black slacks that I got her for Christmas last year and the silver heart necklace that Eddie bought her for her birthday. So typical of mothers, isn't it? They always indulge their children by proudly showing off the things they have received from them. I gently graze my stomach with my palm. That will be me one day, proudly wearing tacky macaroni necklaces and bracelets that my child made for me in school. "Son," Dad says proudly as he gives Eddie a hug. Our father seems like the most macho man on the outside, but deep down is the most loving and caring man you'll ever meet. When Eddie came out to him, he took a moment of silence before embracing Eddie tightly and telling him that he loved him no matter what. After he hugs Eddie, he spots me sitting on the couch and comes over to me. "Hey princess." He flashes his charming smile and holds me tightly. No matter how old a girl gets, she never tires of her father's love and I'm no exception. I love my daddy. In many ways Jonathan is a lot like him. I think that is one of the reasons why I fell for Jonathan in the first place. Most girls want to find guys like their father's, especially if they're lucky enough to have such a great father like I have. "It's good to see you Daddy," I hug him tightly. "Have you noticed that I've lost my beer gut?" Dad says showing off his slim physique proudly. He's been going to the gym for the past six months and it's paying off. My daddy's always been a handsome man, his dark hair only has hints of grey in it which gives him a distinguished look, he has a square jaw that's full of masculinity, but his eyes are always soft and twinkling which makes him approachable and non-intimidating. Since he's lost weight, he looks like he's forty-five instead of sixty. "You look great Daddy." I give him a gently kiss on the cheek. I then greet my mom warmly. "Hi Mom." "Hey honey," Mom says giving me a big hug. While I love my mom dearly, it's no secret that I've always been closer to my father while Eddie's always been closer to her. It's not that I love my mom less or anything, it's simply the fact that Dad and I have more in common with each other. Him and I both love history and photography and nature. Eddie and Mom on the other hand are more into performing arts, entertainment, and stuff like that. One time Dad took me camping for a weekend while Mom took Eddie to New York to take in a Broadway musical. I think that alone clearly shows the distinction between our personalities. "Mom, Dad, I want to introduce you both to Dell," Eddie says gesturing to a quiet Dell standing in the entryway of the kitchen. "Hi," Dell answers shyly. "It's nice to meet you both." "So you're Dell," Mom approaches him and gives him a generous hug. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Eddie's talked a lot about you this past week." "Hello Dell," Dad shakes Dell's hand firmly. "So you're the new man in my son's life." "Oh...I guess so." Dell's face turns pink, clearly a little uncomfortable with the attention he's getting. Eddie seems oblivious to it. "Why don't you two pour yourselves some wine in the kitchen. I need Eddie and Dell to help me with something," I say. Mom and Dad both go into the kitchen, leaving the three of us alone in the entryway. I slap Eddie on the arm, "What's the matter with you?" "What?" Eddie asks confused. "Can't you see that Dell's nervous," I answer. "He's not nervous," Eddie scoffs. He then turns to Dell, "Are you?" "Yes," Dell bluntly answers. "Look, you two talk, I'm going to go entertain Mom and Daddy," I say leaving them alone. ****EDDIE**** I take Dell's hand, the two of us walk together and sit on the sofa in the living room. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?" "I don't know," Dell shrugs. "Do you not want to be here?" I ask. Dell quickly answers, "It's not that. I've just never done this before." "Eaten Thanksgiving dinner?" I'm not following. "No. Met the parents of someone I'm dating," Dell replies. "This is all new territory for me." "It is?" "Yes." He takes a deep breath before continuing, "I've never settled down anywhere. I've gone from place to place and that's the same with all the other relationships I've had." "I don't understand." "I've never been with a guy long enough to ever meet his parents," Dell explains. "And we just started dating and getting to know each other and already I'm here with your family on Thanksgiving eating dinner with your parents. This is all new to me." "I see," I nod. "I'm sorry for rushing you into this." "Can I ask you something?" Dell asks. "Of course." "Why did you want me to come over for Thanksgiving dinner with your family so badly?" Dell asks. "Was there a reason?" "Well you said you were going to be alone and I didn't want that," I tell him. "Is that it?" Dell asks, sensing that there's more to it than that. I'm quiet for a bit before admitting, "And I suppose that I was trying to rush this." "You and me?" Dell asks. "Yeah," I reply. "Why?" Dell wonders. "Why rush this?" "You'll hate me when I tell you," I sigh, knowing deep down why I rushed things with us. "Just tell me," Dell says. "If you want this to work we have to be honest with each other." "River," I admit. "I wanted to move on from River as quickly as possible and I like you a lot so I figured the best way to move on would be to get things serious with us." "I see," Dell says. He takes his hand in mine. "Eddie, I like you. We don't need to rush this, okay? Let's just see what happens naturally." "Okay," I nod. "I'm sorry. Do you want to leave?" Dell debates about it for a bit before deciding, "No. I'll stay." "Are you sure?" I ask. "Yeah," Dell answers. "I'm sure." He stands up from the sofa, "Let's head into the kitchen with the rest of them." I stay seated a moment longer to absorb what Dell told me. He said he doesn't settle down anywhere. Does that mean that this thing between us is just temporary? Before I could have time to think about this anymore, I hear my mom call for me in the kitchen. "Eddie, where's Jonathan?" Mom asks as I join them. Holly hands me a glass of wine. "He couldn't make it," Holly answers rolling her eyes. "Everything okay?" Dad asks. "He's not working too much at that auction house, is he?" "He's fine," I reply. "There's just some stuff going on." "What stuff?" Mom asks. "Stuff," Holly and I reply in unison, trying to give as brief an answer as possible. "Well I don't understand. He's always with us on holidays, how come he didn't come tonight?" Mom asks wanting a better answer than the one we're giving her. "He just couldn't make it," I tell her. "Why don't we sit down to eat?" I try changing the subject. "Well let me call him," Mom says taking out her cell phone. "I'm practically his other mother, he should be here." "Don't call him!" Holly snaps. Mom and Dad both look at her curiously. Dad inquires, "What's going on?" "Is there something wrong with him?" Mom asks as she puts her phone away. "I told you guys, he's fine," I say. I look towards Dell who takes a couple steps back as if trying to get away from the line of fire. "We just had a little fight, that's all," Holly explains. "A little fight?" Dad asks. "About what?" "It's nothing Daddy. Can we just eat?" Holly asks. "Sweetie, we tell each other everything," Dad says as he gently rubs Holly's back. "What is it?" Holly glances my way, in her eyes I can see that she's ready to tell them the news. I shake my head, trying to discourage her from doing it before dinner, but her face is resolute. "Are you sure?" "Yeah," She replies. "Mom, Dad, we need to talk. Let's go into the other room." Holly and my parents leave the kitchen, leaving Dell and me alone. "Some Thanksgiving, huh?" I ask. "It's definitely interesting," Dell replies. He then asks, "So is Jonathan spending today alone?" "Probably." I feel a bit of guilt at the thought of Jonathan alone on Thanksgiving. "What about his family?" Dell asks. "He never knew his dad and he was never close with his mom. Growing up he was always at our house. My parents practically raised him." "And he's alone today?" Dell asks. "That sucks." "Well, he pissed Holly and I off," I defend myself. "I understand about Holly, but it sounds like he was just trying to protect you," Dell says. "He went behind my back and interfered with my life," I tell him. "But from what you've told me, it sounded like you were resigning yourself to being in an unhappy relationship," Dell says. "He wanted better for you." "Yeah, I went from a guy who was an alcoholic to a guy who might leave me at any moment's notice," I say under my breath. "Excuse me?" Dell asks. "Nothing," I shake my head. "No, what did you say?" Dell asks. I shake my head. This is the most awkward Thanksgiving ever. "When we were talking in the living room, you said you never stay in one place for too long. Are you going to do that here?" "Honestly, I don't know," Dell says. "All I know is that the way I feel about you is different than any other guy. I'll stay as long as it feels right. That's the best I can offer right now. It's too soon in our relationship for me to say anything else." "I see," I nod my head. It's not exactly the answer I wanted to hear, but I understand it's the best he can give me now. This is an interesting relationship I'm in with him. I don't know how long it'll last. It's kind of scary. "But can I offer some advice?" Dell asks. "Sure," I nod. "Talk to Jonathan," Dell says. "I've never had a friendship with someone like you have with him. You should appreciate it." "He called me weak," I say. "Only a best friend would be that brutal," Dell says. I don't say anything, I know he has a point. ****HOLLY**** "You're pregnant?" Mom asks me in disbelief. "Yeah," I reply. "Pregnant." "I see," Mom says as she takes a moment to absorb this news. "And you're keeping it?" "Yes," I reply. "Do you think that's a bad idea?" "No." Mom looks up and gives me a small smile. "Actually I'm proud you're going to go through with it instead of having an abortion." "Well I'm not," Daddy says as he stands up from the sofa and paces around the living room. "Have you thought about your career?" "Of course I have," I reply. "But I can take the baby with me." "Oh yeah?" Daddy's clearly upset. "You travel all over the world. You go to third-world countries to take photographs. You think you can just take a baby with you to those places?" "Obviously I will have to make some changes." I try my best to stay calm. I've never had my dad talk to me this way. "You were so driven to be a successful photographer and your mother and I fully supported you!" he lectures. "Toby, calm down," Mom says to him. She then turns to me, "It'll be okay sweetie." "Thanks Mom." I smile gratefully. "Don't downplay this Cheryl," Dad barks. "This is horrible!" "Toby!" Mom snaps back. "Dad, I'm trying to do the responsible thing," I tell him. "It's a little late for that," He retorts. "I can't be here. Let's go Cheryl." "No. We are going to stay and talk about this," Mom answers. "You can. I'm taking a cab back to our hotel. I'm so disappointed in you Holly." He grabs his coat and storms out. I've never seen my dad like that before. I feel my eyes well up with tears. Mom wraps her arms tightly around me. "Don't worry sweetie. He'll come around," Mom says. "This isn't the most ideal news, but we'll get through this as a family, okay?" "Thanks Mom," I sigh holding her tightly. I never thought my dad would talk to me the way he did. I was always his little girl. Later that night, after my Mom left to go back to the hotel to talk to my dad, Eddie, Dell and I were sitting together at the dining room table picking at the left over pumpkin pie. "I can't believe Dad spoke to you that way," Eddie says. "You okay?" "No," I reply. "How can he not be more understanding?" "Did you tell him that Jonathan's the father?" Eddie asks. "Are you kidding? He was pissed off enough, I didn't want to add more fuel to the fire," I shake my head. I apologize to Dell, "Sorry about tonight. I'm sure this wasn't how you were hoping to spend your holiday." "Don't worry about me," Dell says. "I should be the least of your worries right now." "I should probably go over to the hotel and talk to him," I say. "Now?" Eddie asks. "Yeah. I won't be able to sleep otherwise," I say getting up. "You want me to come with you?" Eddie offers. "No. I should do this on my own. Thanks though," I give him a hug. "I'll see you later." "Good luck." "Sorry for tonight Dell." I give him a big hug too. "Hope you don't run away from us after all this craziness." "I've seen worse," Dell says. "Hope things go well with you and your Dad." "I'll be back later." I quickly put my coat on and grab my keys. ****EDDIE**** After Holly leaves, Dell wraps his arms around me. "Intense night, huh?" "Definitely," I reply. "You have someone you need to go see too," Dell points out. "You think I should tonight?" I ask. "Yes," Dell urges. "Fix him up a plate of food and go see him." I nod my head, knowing he's right. ****JONATHAN**** This Thanksgiving sucks. I'm home alone, watching bad television. I usually spend it with Holly, Eddie and their parents, but obviously I fucked that up this year. I'm picking at some Chinese food and sitting on my couch when I hear a light knock at my front door. "One second," I yell as I set my plate of food down and walk to the door. I open the door and am surprised to see Eddie holding a plate of food in his hand. "Hey," Eddie says. "Hi." We are both quiet for a moment before he says, "Can I come in?" "Yeah. Of course," I move out of the doorway so he can come in. "I brought you some food," Eddie says handing me the plate filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables and yams. "Thanks," I smile gratefully. "I've just been picking at some orange chicken and fried rice." "Well that's no good," Eddie says with a light laugh. "How've you been?" "Eh. I've been better," I reply. "I've been feeling pretty shitty." "Me too," Eddie replies. "Eddie, I'm really sorry," I sigh. "I know you are. I'm sorry too," Eddie says. "I know you were just trying to look out for me." Eddie goes over to my sofa and sits down to relax. "Anything that has to do with River is still a hot button for me." "I know," I say sitting down next to him. "I shouldn't have kept it a secret that I went to talk to him. I just didn't want you to get stuck in a bad relationship with him forever." "I understand that," Eddie answers. "And I really appreciate that you care enough about me to do that." "I'm also sorry for calling you weak," I add. "You're anything but weak. To stay with River for as long as you did, that took a lot of patience and strength." "And I'm sorry for bringing up your engagement to Amanda. That was below the belt," Eddie says. "It's okay. Let's just put everything we said behind us and move on. Deal?" I extend my hand to him. "Deal." We shake hands and give each other a hug. "I love you bro." "You too," I tell him. I then look at the plate of food he brought me. "Mind if I eat?" "Go for it," He says picking up the remote control and changing the channel on the television, making himself at home. Fifteen minutes later, I've eaten most of the food and we're watching It's a Wonderful Life when his cell phone rings. An unfamiliar number pops up on his caller ID. "Hello?" Eddie answers. I see his face go serious and his eyes grow wide. "Oh my God. Yes, I'll be right there." He hangs up the phone and stands up quickly. "We have to go to the hospital." "What's wrong?" I ask. "Holly was just in an accident." We both rush out of my apartment and head to the hospital. ************************************************************************* To Be Continued... With any comments, questions or feedback please e-mail me at ilj4ever44@yahoo.com. Thanks so much!