First, read the post from December 15th, if you haven’t already.
Ashley’s breakfast meeting wrapped up around 9:30. Her next appointment wasn’t until afternoon, so she found an empty table near the window and ordered a latte. She watched the crowds of people making their way to work. A few snow flurries were beginning to fall and she remembered the forecast was for snow.
“Hey, Ash, mind if I join you?” Alex said.
“Of course not, sit down,” she said.
She and Alex had worked together on several projects over the past year and had become good friends. Their co-workers sometimes teased them about spending so much time together.
“Good meeting, huh? I like the way this project is coming together,” he said.
“Yeah, me, too.”
“I really love your ideas. You add a lot to the team.”
Ashley smiled. “Thanks. It’s been fun to work on.”
The waitress brought Ashley’s drink. Alex ordered coffee and a bagel.
“Ya know, you really should share more of your ideas with the group. You were pretty quiet this morning,” he said.
Ashley took a sip of her latte and watched the snow starting to fall a little harder. She thought about when she was a little girl and how she’d wish for enough snow to close schools.
“I guess I didn’t sleep very well last night. I…” Ashley’s voice trailed off.
“What?” he said.
“Oh, I don’t know, it’s Kyle and me.” Ashley thought a moment while staring out the window. “We haven’t really been getting along lately.”
The falling snow and streetlights now reminded her of a ski trip she and Kyle had taken a few months after they’d gotten married. Everything had been so romantic. The dinners, the sleigh ride, holding hands while ice-skating. That had been just three years ago, but felt like another life.
“Really? What’s going on?” Alex asked.
The waitress brought the coffee and bagel Alex had ordered. Ashley watched him spread cream cheese on the bagel and take a sip of coffee. She sipped her latte and thought about where to begin.
“I don’t know. We really don’t talk much. When he’s not working, all he does is play golf or watch sports.”
Alex nodded his head in agreement.
“Like last night—all he did was watch football while I worked. He didn’t do one thing to help, but of course he wants me to take care of his needs.”
Alex reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Well, I don’t think he knows how good he has it,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said. “I appreciate that.”
They sat quietly for a few moments, then Alex said, “Trish and I are having a little trouble, too.”
“What? Really?” Ashley said, somewhat surprised. She’d always thought Alex and Trish had a great marriage.
“Yeah, we’re just not connecting. She’s just into her own stuff right now. She works a lot and when she is home, she says she’s always tired.”
Ashley and Alex continued to talk and lost track of time. Two hours later, there were several inches of snow on the ground. Ashley’s cell phone buzzed inside her purse. She pulled it out and saw it was Kyle.
“Do you need to get that?”Alex said.
“No, it’s not important,” she said as she dropped the phone back in her purse.
To be continued…