This Life (COMPLETED)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Things have been uncomfortable between Alexander and I the last few days and with our wedding less than a week away now my anxiety is building. After he drank that third glass of whiskey that night he told me he was going out. I tried to stop him but he got a cab anyway. He went to hang out with some colleagues from work. He doesn't have very many friends and sometimes I feel to blame for that. It was my death that closed him off to people for years and then he just concentrated on raising Luna. Now that I'm in his life again he sometimes hangs out with other professors, but very rarely. He hangs out with my friends and I sometimes, but I know it's weird for him since we are all around his daughter's age. He had asked a cousin of his to be his best man, he isn't really in contact with him much, but I secretly think it's because he didn't know who to ask.

This is just one of the many things that worry me. Alexander since he was a kid has made his life revolve around me. He didn't have a great relationship with his parents so he went to me, he didn't have siblings but he had me, his cousins lived across the country but he had me, most of our friends ditched me once I got pregnant so he ditched them for me... Once I had Luna and passed away, Luna took my place. He focused solely on raising her, not caring for his own life outside of her. Luna once confided in me about this.

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"Charlie can I talk to you about something?" Luna asks me as we walk through the mall. We were having a girl's day, Alexander was being grumpy that we didn't invite him, but I knew he'd be bored following us around. Instead he stayed back by himself.

I look to Luna to see how serious she is and my mind starts reeling with what she could possibly want to talk about... "Are you pregnant?" I blurt out and her eyes widen in shock.

"No! No what? No I wanted to talk about my dad!" She rushes out and I breathe a sigh of relief. I wouldn't mind if she was pregnant, but she's still only nineteen and I don't want her to have to worry about raising a child when she's still in school and not financially stable.

"Oh!" I gasp; her words suddenly register in my head. "Wait what about him?"

She gestures towards a restaurant and I nod as we walk in and get seated. After we order drinks she finally speaks. "Do you ever think he's lonely, but doesn't realize it? I mean he's revolved his entire life around the two of us. Charlie, I don't think he has a single friend..." She says with a concerned look on her face.

I never actually thought about this, but now that she brings it up I can't help, but realize how right she is. "Huh... How was he when I was—you know—not here?"

She gives me a sad smile. "He kept to himself for the most part. My grandpa says he had friends in college, but after he graduated he never reached out to them again. As I was growing up he dated around a little bit, but never introduced me to anyone because he told me he'd only introduce me to someone he'd want to keep around. He made some friends with coworkers at the high school he worked at, but once we moved he didn't keep in touch with them either... I know he talks to people at the college, but he never like hangs out with anyone. I just don't understand how he could've gone so long being alone," she finishes and I feel a permanent frown on my face.

Alexander didn't like talking about the years he spent without me; only if it had to do with Luna he'd share stories. I noticed that he only ever spent time with Luna, and me but it didn't occur to me that he really didn't have a life outside of us.

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After that talk Luna and I had, I spoke to Alexander. He tried convincing me that he didn't need anyone besides Luna and I, but I insisted he needed to expand his horizons outside of us. I told him how Luna and I spent time without him and without each other and he needed to do the same. After our talk he started talking to his colleagues more often and accepted their invitations to go out for drinks after work some days. He isn't extremely close to any of them, but he will hang out with them from time to time.