This Love

25

Sunday morning I find myself smiling when I wake up remembering how much fun my party was. The first thing I see when I open my eyes is the dress I wore, which hangs over my closet door. My hand goes to the nightstand where my phone sits, I grab the device bring it closer. My eyes glaze over the notifications as I unlock the phone, "WAIT DON'T" I jump my phone dropping out of my hand as I look up. Lexi comes into the room her eyes wide, she looks at my phone and then back at me. I lift an eyebrow confused by her behaviour, "why not?" I ask, she shakes her head and approaches the bed quickly snatching my phone before running out of the room.

A few minutes of chasing her around the house later I finally grab the device. "Callie, just remember that we love you and nothing they say will change that" Lexi's comment worries me as I open Instagram. My finger taps on slideshow of pictures I posted last night from my birthday, she's kind of young for Daniel, wow that dress really brings out the ugly in her, he should end it already they won't even last, she's such a dork with those glasses, she shouldn't be posting pictures on Instagram at all, what does he see in her, she's probably cheating on him with all of those hockey players she's always around. Hands come to my shoulders making me look up, "how can they say these things?" I sob, Lexi brushes away my tears with her thumb, "some people have nothing better to do, they're most likely jealous and this is the only way they know how to express that" the tears keep rolling down my cheeks as she pulls me into a hug. "It's never gotten this bad" I mumble into my friend, "nothing like a birthday to get the trolls out and attacking" she tells me and sighs. We stand in the kitchen hugging for a few minutes so that I can calm down.

The silence surrounding us is broken when my phone starts ringing in my hand. I pull away from the hug lifting the device, my lip trembles when I see that it's Daniel, "you should answer that Cal, he really cares about you" I look up at Lexi who is smiling at me. "But what if they're right? Maybe I am too young for him, maybe this won't actually last" Lexi steps forward placing her hands on my shoulders, "don't even start babe, that man is what you've been waiting for all of these years, he would do anything for you" she explains, I sniffle as one lone tear rolls down my cheek, I quickly wipe it away while nodding at her.

My phone stops ringing but after a few seconds it starts up again, "talk to him" I take a deep breath before pressing accept, bringing my phone to my ear. "Danny" I say my voice cracking as the waterworks start up again, "Callie, babe, don't cry" he tells me softly, "they were so mean though" he sighs and I wipe more tears from my face as I sit on the couch. "They were, they are, there will always be mean people in this world, but we just need to remember that the most important people in our lives know what is real and what is not" I sniffle my hand tightening around the phone, "you're right" I mumble tucking my legs under me, "I know this is tough Cal, but you have this whole group of people in your corner who love you and care about you and wouldn't let anything bad happen to you" my shoulders relax at his words as the tears slow down.

"I wish you were here" I say quietly while playing with the hem of my pj shirt, "me too gorgeous" he tells me. We fall into a silence, a few seconds later I hear a noise on Dan's end, he huffs, "someone's at the door I'll be back" he says and I hear him put the phone down. I'm biting my lip as I wait for Daniel to come back on the line my gaze staying on my lap. "Callie?" I tilt my head up at his voice, "yeah?" He sighs, "I have to go, practice sessions start today" I smile slightly even if he can't see me, "that's okay, you have a job to do" I mumble into the phone, "text you later okay" he tells me, "sounds good, have a good practice hotshot" he chuckles, "I'll try gorgeous" I smile and hang up the phone. Dropping the device next to me on the couch as I lift my glasses to rub my eyes. 

"Wow that man sure knows how to make you smile" I look up to see Jill smiling at me, I shrug not wanting to admit that Daniel has been really good for me in the short few months that we've known each other. "This is not a shrugging matter Cal, you would still be crying after talking to anyone else, but talking to him somehow made it better" I sit in silence biting my lip as I come up with a reply, "when he talks the tension leaves my body and nothing is as bad as it seems, I don't know how or why but it's something that i've needed for awhile now" I explain a smile coming to my face. When Jill doesn't say anything I look over, her head is tilted a smile on her face, "what?" I ask confused, "you'll figure it out in time Cal" is all she tells me before walking into the kitchen to make some breakfast. I blink a few times my brain not processing her cryptic reply, so I forget about it and go get changed for the day.