Living Next Door To Alice

16/ Start Of A New Life

FP had been tossing and turning all night, replaying his conversation with Alice over and over again. Had he done the right thing by staying friends? They confessed they saw each other as more than that, and still nothing happened.

Sure, their lives were complicated enough without dating someone, but he if he really went to the root of his answer, he had only shut her out because he was scared.

All she said has made so much sense. There was never a right time to choose for your own happiness. So, he should just go for it, right?

A little more nervous than he had hoped he would be, he walked over to the apartment across of where he lived, and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Alice opened. She was surprised to see him.

"Hey, good morning. You want coffee?" She gave him a sweet and inviting smile.

"Yeah, would love to. If I am not interrupting." FP cleared his throat a little uncomfortable but returned the smile she gave him.

"You never are." She winked, stepping aside and let him in.

While Alice made a new brew of fresh coffee, FP took a deep breath as he prepared to tell her that he wanted to see where this was going with them.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday night. I think that I—" Before he could even finish, Alice interrupted him as she assumed what he was feeling.

"Don't worry about it, you were completely right. With everything going on with Polly now it might not be a smart move." She send him a sympathetic smile, as if she was trying to apologize for pushing him last night.

He wasn't the only one who had been up all night, she had been tossing and turning herself, and replayed all the things he had said to her. She realized that he had been right. This wasn't the time to date, not when she had a run away daughter that was upset because of her.

"You think so?" FP asked confused, as he tried to hide the disappointment in his voice. This wasn't how he had planned for their conversation to be going.

"Yeah, you opened my eyes. I mean, I should focus on my relationships with my daughters, don't I?" Alice smiled sweetly and she truly believed she had convinced herself.

She'd find out not that much later that she was making a huge mistake.

"I am glad we cleared that up." FP smiled awkwardly and accepted the coffee she had made him. He decided not to push it any further.

Alice frowned slightly. She didn't want for him to look at her and their friendship differently now.

"We're okay, I hope? I still meant what I said. That doesn't change."

FP send her a soft smile. "We're more than okay, Alice. I meant what I said, too."

"You're special, FP. You really are." She walked over to him and embraced him tightly.

The scent of his signature cologne was so comforting to her, but she couldn't get caught up into all the emotions it triggered.

Alice pulled back a little and let her hand stroke over his cheek as she looked into his soft, brown and innocent eyes. She planted a featherlight kiss on his lips and smiled.

**

Polly had walked around the house nervously. Ever since she had arrived in New Jersey she was debating with herself how to break the news to her father. There was no perfect way, but she needed to tell him. This wasn't a secret she could carry on her own. She needed her father to hold her and tell her it would all be fine.