With a heavy heart I went back to Emily to notify her that Abby was already on the plane.
Emily seemed quiet, but I knew better.
Her reaction to any stress was to close herself off and not talk. An introvert...
I hugged Emily and said, "Lady, before leaving, Abby asked me to check on you on a regular basis and make sure that the two best friends, Buck and Lucy, play together as often as possible. To tell you the truth, I love your company and be happy to spend time with you as often as possible, but the last thing I want is to bug you. So you tell me what should I do."
Emily watched me for awhile and then said, "Brad, I told you my opinion about you before. I think that you genuinely wish to help me. But you do not have to! I am an independent adult and can take care of myself. You are young and you'll be better finding friends your own age..."
"Emily, I think that you are missing my point. Since I arrived here, I met new people in the college I teach. I dedicated every extra time to teach Abby and later loving her. At the same time I learned to like you too. A lot! I am not offering charity, god forbid! It can be a symbiosis. The two of us can occasionally go to the dog park together, or even to movies and restaurants. I can visit you whenever you want it. What I am trying to convey is, that we can stay good friends even if Abby is not around, so neither one of us feels lonely. When you get tired of my bad jokes and rude personality, just tell me to leave..."
Emily stared at me again and whispered, "Brad, what do you want me to say?"
"Ma'am, will you please join me to a good French restaurant next Friday night, please?"
At last I saw a smile on her face, "OK, I'll go with you to a restaurant, but please, don't treat me like a child who needs help..."
"And since you already agreed to a restaurant-date, will you also come with me to the dog park whenever you have free time? Abby will be happy if you watch her bitch... sorry, Lucy... taking charge over Buck."
"I'll go to the dog park, but I don't think that I am in shape to chase the dogs around."
"Emily, you do not have to do that. They play by themselves in a dedicated area. Once they are tired running together, we can just stroll there. There are several benches and the fresh air will do you good."
"Brad, you should be a salesman. You are good at convincing people to do whatever you want. Just like the saying - You can sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo..."
I grinned, "I'll sell you a refrigerator some other time. For now I am happy to keep in touch with you, even though Abby is far away."
...
In the first 10 days after our separation, Abby and I e-mailed on a daily basis, making sure to add loving symbols or emojis.
As time passed our e-mails became less frequent, especially coming from her.
I assumed that the stress of being in a new town and getting used to her new environment took a toll on her. I wasn't upset.
In the first month I went with Emily few times to the dog park.
She turned out to be a more interesting friend.
with time her trust in me grew and she opened up about Abby growing up, about her own shuttered dreams after the traumatic divorce and even her previous relationships.
I used our growing friendship to invite her to 3 different restaurants and 5 movies!
Emily was still 'complaining' that I was wasting too much time and money on her instead of going out with younger friends, but it became more of a ritual than a real issue.
It was apparent that she liked my company.
She made dinners for me two evenings on workdays and at least once on a weekend.
The next two weeks I continued e-mailing to Abby, but got no response.
I even tried to call her phone. Nada...
Two days later I received a long e-mail from Abby.
In short, a nice guy in her class helped her find a place to live. He carried the used furniture and electrical appliances. He was... perfect.
After they were done rearranging her apartment, he took her to a bar to celebrate. They both got drunk and ended up sleeping together on her new bed... She hated herself for doing it to me, but on second thought, I was far away from her and most likely would not see her in many months, if not years... She still loved me, but it was time to let go!... She was now committed to the new guy. Abby added, that she still hoped that I won't take it on her mother, because I was the only one she trusted, otherwise she'd end up lonely and miserable...
To say that I was devastated was an understatement!
I closed my eyes and recalled the happy moments we had together...
The same evening I was supposed to go for a dinner at Emily's.
Should I skip it, so she won't see me in a bad mood?...
It took me an hour, but then I opted to go there and just tell her the truth.
I arrived to Emily's familiar house dressed nicely and as always, I brought fresh flowers.
Emily smiled at me. She had on a simple blouse and skirt set.
She didn't need anything else. Emily looked very good without showing off!
I kissed her cheek, handed her the flowers and heard the usual, "You really didn't have to do it..."
I chuckled, "It smells good here. Is it the food or... you?..."
Emily blushed and slapped my hand lightly, "Brad, stop making fun of oldies!"
Once we finished the tasty meal, she looked at me and mumbled, "Brad dear, I know about the e-mail you got from Abby... She notified me 15 minutes ago. It was unexpected, but she goes to college in Boston for several years. I am sorry, because you two were a nice couple. Brad, I got used to you here and I like you a lot. But if you decide to never come back to visit me, I'll understand..."
"Emily, I think you know by now that I like you for who YOU are and not because of your connection to Abby. If it's OK with you, I'd like us to continue seeing each other."
Two large tears appeared in her eyes, "I hoped you'd say that..."
I hugged her tight. Now it was only the two of us...
We continued our meetings and going to the dog park. I helped Emily fix the leak in the basement and drove her car to the mechanic to take care of the gear that on occasions got stuck.
I became her helper and I didn't mind it at all.
I loved talking to her - Now that all her initial shyness was gone, we could chat about anything.
One beautiful Saturday I invited Emily to stroll with me in the park.
She accepted it with a smile, but warned me that unlike her daughter, she was no teenager.
I chortled and said that my goal was to take her out of the house, walk on the trails and show her the nice sights. I'd take the photo camera and shoot pictures of her when she was happy.
Emily grumbled, "You keep forgetting that my young years are over. I suggest that you use your photographic skills on a less wrinkled subject..."
"Emily, shut up! I think that you are gorgeous. I mean it! It's not just a compliment. Why do you always underestimate yourself?..."
She blushed and did not respond.
The air was fresh and pleasant. We found a free table and sat down to have a picnic.
I arranged a table cloth, utensils, bagels with cream cheese, lox fillets and tomatoes. I also brought a bottle of Chardonnay.
Emily stared at me, "Brad, you are spoiling me... How will I survive once you decide to move away?..."
I gazed at her and whispered, "Pretty lady, why would I want to move away from you?!... By now you spoiled me so much more."
The hours passed too quickly. We separated in late afternoon.