𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐖 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓; nipsey hussle

𝟐𝟏 | 𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌'𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄

"Hello, Lauren here. Sorry, I missed your call! Leave a message after the be—"

"Damn it," Adam mumbles to himself, tapping the red icon to end the call.

HE HASN'T HEARD FROM Lauren since last night and this was the fifth time she's sent him to voicemail within the past hour. She's never sent him to voicemail and when she does, it usually means one thing and one thing only: she's upset at him. Adam's left hand light taps in nervousness against the steering wheel of his Tesla. There's a three-hour time difference between New York and Los Angeles, so he could only imagine how late it was for him to blow up her phone like a madman.

I guess I'll try again one more time, he hopelessly thought to himself.

Adam unlocked his phone and tapped Lauren's contact name before being directed to the call screen, two quick rings, and her voicemail again. Lauren's voice message introduction became catchy after the many times he's called. The sound of a beep sounded through Adam's ear, signaling him when to leave his desired message.

"Hey, Ren. I, uh— I was calling to see how you're holding up after last night. I'll be headed to the hospital in a few hours to prep for surgery, so I won't have my phone with me if you happen to call. You know I'll always come running for you. Talk to you soon." And with that, Adam ended the call. Placing his phone in his pocket, he glanced at the home screen in search of the time, seeing the photo of his wife that's been his only wallpaper for the last two years.

Rachel was the epitome of Adam's happiness. From the moment he first laid eyes on her in graduate school, he knew he'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, without any question. Rachel was the best woman and wife any man could ever ask for, especially Adam. To him, Lauren reminded him much of his wife, which is the reason why Adam has been in love with Lauren for an entire decade in the manner that he is. She's beautiful and she's smart.

Adam grabs hold of his wife's favorite bouquet of flowers and a single-framed photo of her dressed in her gown on their wedding day with a smile he's longed to adore. He exits his vehicle with full hands and proceeds to their normal meeting spot. The sun was setting beautifully, creating an ambiance right on cue. After a few steps onto the freshly-cut grass, he takes his place at his usual seat on a wooden stool. In these moments, his gold wedding band always felt slightly tighter than normal. The orchids and lilies Adam brought last week have officially shriveled and perished, per usual.

He removes the rustic flowers with the sweeping of his palm and replacing them with freshened blooms and framed photo upon the engraved angel of stone.

"Forever remembered, forever missed," Adam speaks as he takes his place upon the stool. One foot was perched on a wooden stoop while the other dangled freely. He continues, "A loving wife, daughter, and sister."

He sighs, "Just when I thought I'd get used to saying that, here I am," he chuckles as he fiddles with his wedding band. Silence consumed him as he tried his best to gather his next words. Eleven years and counting, yet this was never easy for Adam. Being a widow was never easy. Some days were worse than others. Those were the days when Adam would drink himself into unconsciousness, but he was a firm believer that the good always outweighed the bad.

"I'm on call for surgery tonight, so I can't stay long," Adam speaks. He continues, "Your mother came to visit last month. Apparently, she was in the neighborhood and thought it'd be nice to stop by without a phone call as usual. She hates my damn guts. She uh— she always has," he smiles.

Adam slightly clears his throat to mask his obvious emotions.

"She thinks it's in my best interest to sell the house," he chuckles again at the thought of his mother-in-law's advice. "This house is too big for you to be in it by yourself... as she never ceases to mention."