Love Child

29- To Spring

Light, light spring drifts in like a feather
used for torture, its touch
too much and not enough.
-To Spring, Roger Greenwald

I have two messages on my phone when I wake up the next morning.

One is from Harrison that I'm dreading to listen to and the other one is from an unknown number, which I'm also dreading to listen to. I don't know who it's from but I'm not so sure that I want to know either. I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth before I face my phone and actually listen to the messages that are waiting for me.

I listen to the unknown number's message first, because it seems like the least scary of the two.

"Hi, Eleanor. It's Jay. I talked to my dad—our dad?—about everything, and I need to talk to you about this too. I have a lot of questions. Anyway, let me know if we can meet for coffee or something."

It was short and sweet, which I appreciate, but I'm not sure what to do with that. Of course, I don't want to meet with him to answer all of his questions, but he must be going through some tough realizations right now and questioning his entire family situation. I know that he's been a dick to me, so I shouldn't have to do him any favors, but I think that I'll agree to meet him. It's probably the right thing to do.

As for the message from Harrison, I don't know if the message is from my boss or Micah's dad. They're obviously the same person but they have different motives. Either way, I'm sure that part of this message is going to include a very angry 'you're fired' vibe.

I have to listen to it though, so I take a deep breath and I listen to his message as well.

"Good morning, Eleanor. Micah told me what happened yesterday, I hope that you're doing alright. Anyway, I was hoping that you'd be able to pick up some paperwork from the Capitol tomorrow on your way into work. I'll email you more information later today. It's time sensitive, so I'll need them in the morning. Thank you. And let me know if there's anything that I can do to help you through this tough time. Have a good day."

That definitely was not what I was expecting it to be, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise. I'm not fired, which means that I won't have to go work for Silas. It might be awkward, Harrison being Micah's dad and all, but I'm sure that Micah will know not to come to the office while I'm there.

I try not to think of Micah because just thinking about him makes me want to vomit right now, but I also know that I can't stop thinking about him. It's impossible.

I slept in his plaid shirt last night, so I'm still wearing it. I lie back down in my bed and cover myself with the fabric. I had washed it since he last wore it, so it doesn't even smell like him. It just reminds me of him and it's all that I have.

I hadn't realized that Casey was awake until I hear the toilet flush and then he emerges from the bathroom to join me near my bed in the living room.

"Good morning," I say to him. "What do you want to do today? It's been a while since we've been to the Natural History museum."

"I actually have to get back to campus," He explains as he makes his way into the kitchen to grab an apple for breakfast. "I know a few guys that tutor kids at the public high school, so I'm going to see if they can help me get in there. Or since Josie goes there, maybe she can help too."

"Okay. But you know that you don't-"

"Yes, I do have to," Casey interrupts me because he already knows what I was going to say. "I know that it shouldn't be my responsibility, but it shouldn't be yours either. So, we will both just suck it up and deal with it. I can handle some more responsibility and it would do you some good to maybe take a load off of your shoulders sometimes."