Mom dropped me off at my second appointment with Marie. She also ended up speaking with her, but only for a couple seconds. And as I stepped foot into her office, I realized that her chairs were now the color blue, a deep blue.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAEOkFajebO0
578Please respect copyright.PENANAZmPpR1RowL
“I liked the purple ones better.” I said as I sat down crossing my legs.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAYwwEN80pvL
578Please respect copyright.PENANAFKYjUQtwHF
“They weren't quite my style anymore.” Marie crossed her legs and fixed her glasses to a point where they sat high and far back on her nose. “But anywho, how are you Esther?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAF8cT5Tmw2Z
578Please respect copyright.PENANAabPngBlMc3
“I’m good.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAtoKLIEh2wd
578Please respect copyright.PENANAuM57JMv9V9
“That’s great” she pulled out a clipboard from under her. “Anything new I should know about? Feelings?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAXYPcrDy2Pw
578Please respect copyright.PENANAXM2DqxaAyi
I wanted to tell her about Toby but the damn holding back my emotions would only crack. So, I shook my head. “No, not really.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAXpNWbdINoY
578Please respect copyright.PENANAmN01LvoWRN
“Well pooh!” she purposely made herself sound like a child.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAwodLMozXbd
578Please respect copyright.PENANA0QzLOCW58A
❤
578Please respect copyright.PENANAnSfjeCyKZs
578Please respect copyright.PENANAABlKmotPdz
Toby Owen Callaghan was standing outside our door as we were pulling into the driveway. In a brighter pair of blue jeans and a short sleeve flannel shirt and the same black boots from the mall days before. Dad was the first to step at of the car and walk up to him. Then mom, and then me.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAK6HPGC1UAZ
578Please respect copyright.PENANARfWwUCCzHX
“So I guess you’re the tall and handsome boy I’ve been hearing so much about?” mom successfully shook is hand even though she had to literally break her neck just to meet his gaze.
578Please respect copyright.PENANA8qpXMQsWcy
578Please respect copyright.PENANAdRAHc99bBc
“I guess I am, ma’am.” Toby’s cheeks were that kind of deep embarrassment red.
578Please respect copyright.PENANA7QPqU5LMwO
578Please respect copyright.PENANAo4JzJqZwaZ
“Well, I’ll leave you two love birds alone, but I don't know about your father, Esther.” mom started for the door.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAoKF9zegrD2
578Please respect copyright.PENANA0JgWnfgZx4
Dad followed after mom. “Don't leave my sight you too.” he through Toby a rather threatening glare before he walked inside.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAXWOv6uKQcd
578Please respect copyright.PENANABmkcH6iB2t
“Cowboy.” I said, finally giving him my attention.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAiyRsmntU2e
578Please respect copyright.PENANAiij9YJJF5X
“Troublemaker.” his voice was a bit deeper than before. “Your dad’s pretty cool.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9utd2bi2b
578Please respect copyright.PENANAF6erAkkL37
“In what universe?” I sucked in my breathe before I got up the courage to ask him. “What are you doing here?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAc6MnA1hjzw
578Please respect copyright.PENANAh6FVJNGFSt
He stuffed his hands down into his pockets. “Well, my parents were getting on my nerves so I thought I’d come running to you.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAN4ShmwflB6
578Please respect copyright.PENANAhAqCDYKXaa
“I’m flattered.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAiyIszjJxBZ
578Please respect copyright.PENANAJHmSUJbA2p
Toby laughed. “You’re cute when you're flattered.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAPCdfHetYtO
578Please respect copyright.PENANACATUeBhLpr
“Thanks,” I couldn’t hold back the blood rushing to my cheeks.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAWyDnvRP7NY
578Please respect copyright.PENANAM9L0MscRvj
He tucked a few strands of his shiny hair behind his ear. “Do you maybe want to go for a walk?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAdLiEVKWLuZ
578Please respect copyright.PENANAbRUfu5wiaC
“Sure.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANA4gH5a7PFKt
578Please respect copyright.PENANA0CxXdZobF1
❤
578Please respect copyright.PENANAzbNVyOWEKB
578Please respect copyright.PENANAlZYlcIWCII
Before Toby and I could jump out of dad's grasp, I took him over to our bench beneath our tree.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAQD47lW0K8a
578Please respect copyright.PENANAwDhoITySic
“So, how are you?” I asked.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAcaPGjnoD00
578Please respect copyright.PENANAbVZM8QOrIF
“Uh, good.” he answered leaning over to me. “How about you?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANA5PxG27ofiS
578Please respect copyright.PENANAJXZv2m4wDY
“I’m pretty good.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAUmqvVdp42J
578Please respect copyright.PENANAdmhImtIwU4
Toby squinted as he looked around, and as he ran his fingers down a long and thin branche looming over his head. “It’s beautiful out here and the sound of the stream is pretty soothing.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAzkKm7U5pkl
578Please respect copyright.PENANAiRAkdNsLmS
“Yeah, I really like that stream, but never really got the courage to go near it.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANA4zbhXCwW9o
578Please respect copyright.PENANAvzxZ0RiG4f
“Why?” he asked.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAyO9C70jXvP
578Please respect copyright.PENANAgNcI8GliUp
“Well, I saw a snake near the edge when we first visited it and it scared the hell out of me…and that made me sound like a complete coward.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAltGPMaSiqD
578Please respect copyright.PENANAVj4T8o2GMC
“Wow, a snake?” he was laughing with his eyebrows high on his forehead.
578Please respect copyright.PENANASXAxc7eJn5
578Please respect copyright.PENANAhg038eD2S8
“It was scary!”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAp9D5LcDfg8
578Please respect copyright.PENANAsgCCvWIXqx
“Was it tiny?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAyfLMpMcZjV
578Please respect copyright.PENANA9XdrBoADTW
“Yeah…but…”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAW3w3gYUiRg
578Please respect copyright.PENANAcy04sfutxR
“Oh my god!”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAcnN4RsJNCd
578Please respect copyright.PENANAcykxdM80tg
“You know, you’re the one who started crying during that Star Wars movie.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAs7VMFfXeWi
578Please respect copyright.PENANAu3j9LWuBzq
“I didn’t cry!” he exclaimed.
578Please respect copyright.PENANA6oGAXr8xDO
578Please respect copyright.PENANA5alEBERqf6
❤
578Please respect copyright.PENANAxIiVQzWLLq
578Please respect copyright.PENANASSxwE2EQXq
Our walk up the street wasn't as relaxing as I thought it would be. There was little division between us and I couldn't really stop staring up at him.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAc7DGwHMG2T
578Please respect copyright.PENANAKsGo6pJC4x
After only a few steps, we came to a stop at a small tree close to the street. “You know,” I said. “For someone who likes magic, you don’t do a lot of tricks.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANA4YHBxctmb0
578Please respect copyright.PENANArqeNwwBd7U
“That’s weird, you should start checking your pockets.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAAJ5LvG13oU
578Please respect copyright.PENANAfs8BKPwOKi
I ended up pulling a red flower from one of my pockets. “You’re so cliché.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAJ96r7JWWVI
578Please respect copyright.PENANAcTcoVGFItJ
He grabbed the flower from my fingers. “Giving you a flower is cliché?” he moved in closer to me. “You know, in France, to give a flower from a free field is to declare your undying love for another, and the center represents the heart with the seeds representing the fragments it’s made up of.” he twirled the flower between his fingers. “And the petals represent beauty, your beauty.” He placed it behind my ear.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAa3eCYDcS5o
578Please respect copyright.PENANATEEtdw9fIx
My cheeks were ablaze fifty shades of red. “Toby, can I ask what happened to your arm?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAgRHOmxn2b2
578Please respect copyright.PENANA97gINQOTxk
Toby’s smile faded and his features softened. “My real daddy had cancer, and he decided to be an ass, and give it to me.” He removed his hat.
578Please respect copyright.PENANA5OIgL9Ty7v
578Please respect copyright.PENANADG2L1PktpU
“Wow, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANA6danX1Xvxc
578Please respect copyright.PENANAtJDij9EzPh
“It’s okay, six years cancer free. It’s not coming back, you can’t get rid of me that easily, troublemaker.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAXvu9XtDTZk
578Please respect copyright.PENANAsH8spZCMGf
❤
578Please respect copyright.PENANAva1m96KOsC
578Please respect copyright.PENANAODwI0nTLmk
“You both come for dinner!” yelled mom from the doorway as we walked down the street.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAYELUd7bxC5
578Please respect copyright.PENANAwceF8RNToT
Toby and I made our way to the dinner table after washing our hands. Mom and dad had made rice and vegetables. We all ate together, but the only thing Toby did was speack quietly and make me laugh.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAesynKMHzwg
578Please respect copyright.PENANAu4ep9MJm33
“You two are adorable!” mom said.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAFXa2meup53
578Please respect copyright.PENANAVOa59bMo2q
“Mom!” I said.
578Please respect copyright.PENANA1cVZIR4Gi3
578Please respect copyright.PENANArkLwP7h1ZC
“So Toby,” she went on. “Do you go to school?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAm2ebiG47iP
578Please respect copyright.PENANAv4FaV1XF4A
He nodded. “Yeah, in the next town over.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANA1OH9gTLWa8
578Please respect copyright.PENANAnm5VKNrbgL
“Why not here in Hilliard?”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAjtQFr83wcD
578Please respect copyright.PENANAVEPD4Pfpz5
“My dad says that the teachers at this college are dumber than a bag full of hammers.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANAceYg869K2w
578Please respect copyright.PENANAy2WKYJpQhl
Once we had all finished dinner, it was time for Toby to leave. Honestly, it made me feel horrible but at the same time relieved. Upon him departing, we both stood in the doorway staring up at the sky.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAIvgfiH04ch
578Please respect copyright.PENANAfId2YNO6uR
“The sunset is so beautiful.” I said, looking at the rays seeping through my eyes.
578Please respect copyright.PENANA34o4dgyo3Z
578Please respect copyright.PENANAAUGAfOKy2u
Toby leaned down close to me. “It’s always beautiful, you just need to find the right way to look at her.”
578Please respect copyright.PENANA7NPEfrE2JF
578Please respect copyright.PENANACky3bSb29k
“Toby, you know we're just friends right?” It felt as if a million swords were peircing me through my chest.
578Please respect copyright.PENANAOXg67PSAtJ
578Please respect copyright.PENANAbsPjEmoe6v
“Yeah,” he slowly stepped out of the doorway. “Unfortunately.”
ns18.222.97.243da2