Love In Between

18

Roxie had been worried about Ava for a few days. She noticed that Ava hadn’t shown up to the office lately and she hadn’t heard from her. Roxie knew that something was wrong, and knew it had to do with Bruce’s disappearance, so she wanted to make sure that her boss was okay.

Mason on the other hand was bothered. If there was something he would ever wish for, then it would be Ava sinking more into depression everyday so he would never have to see her face again.

One evening, after work, Roxie decided to pay Ava a visit at her home to know if everything was OK.

Roxie was dressed in a casual yet stylish outfit. She wore a flowy white sundress that fell just above her knees. The dress was made of a lightweight, flowy fabric that billowed in the breeze. It had delicate spaghetti straps that held the dress up and a deep V-neckline that accentuated her cleavage. The dress was paired with a pair of light brown strappy sandals that showed off her pedicured toes.

Her hair was styled in a messy bun with a few strands of hair framing her face. She carried a small white leather crossbody bag that complemented her dress. She had a minimal makeup look with a hint of lip gloss, her earrings were small gold studs, and her sunglasses perched on top of her head. She looked refreshed and ready for anything as she walked into Ava’s house.

She knocked on the door and called out to Ava, but there was no answer. She tried calling her again, but the phone went straight to voicemail. Roxie was starting to feel concerned, so she decided to let herself in.

When Roxie opened the door and walked in, she was shocked by what she saw. Ava’s home was a mess. It was clear that Ava hadn’t been taking care of herself. Roxie could see that Ava had been going through a tough time, and she knew that she needed to be there for her friend.

As Roxie walked into Ava’s room, she was shocked by the state of it. Clothes were strewn everywhere, dirty dishes were piled up on the nightstand, and the bed was unmade. It was clear that Ava had been going through a difficult time.

Roxie noticed that Ava’s usually well-organized room was now scattered with papers, books, and notes. Roxie could see that Ava was clearly struggling and was worried about her friend.

“Ava?” Roxie called out as she made her way through the mess. She searched the house for her friend but couldn’t find her.

Roxie found Ava curled up on the couch, she was a mess, tears streaming down her face, Roxie knew that Ava needed her support and empathy.

“Ava!” Roxie screamed before rushing towards her. She was utterly shocked by the sight of her.

“Hey” Ava said, trying to wipe the tears that filled her face. She had spent everyday crying herself to sleep, only to wake up and cry again.

“I came to check on you, I was worried. How are you holding up?” Roxie asked, standing up from the bed to give Ava a hug.

“I’m hanging in there,” Ava replied, trying to sound upbeat. “Is there any news about Bruce? Has he come back yet?”

Roxie hesitated for a moment before responding. “No, Ava, I’m sorry. There’s still no word from him. But I promise to let you know as soon as I hear anything.”

Ava felt her heart sink at Roxie’s words. She had been holding out hope that Bruce would come back and explain his disappearance, but now it seemed more unlikely than ever.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“I just can’t understand why he would do this to me,” Ava said, her voice shaking. “I’m pregnant, Roxie. How could he just leave me like this?”

Roxie hugged Ava tightly and let her cry on her shoulder. “I know it’s hard, Ava. But I’m here for you. We’ll get through this together.”

She went to the fridge and grabbed a glass of water. She was very thirsty.

Ava told her everything that had happened with Bruce and how she had been feeling after his disappearance, how Mason had been taunting her and how she had been struggling to cope. Roxie listened carefully, she gave Ava a hug and reassured her that she would always be there for her.

As Ava continued to cry, Roxie could see the worry and stress etched on her face. She knew that Ava’s pregnancy was adding to her emotional turmoil and she knew she had to do something to ease her burden.

“Ava, my dear, you need to take care of yourself and your baby,” Roxie said, gently rubbing her back. “Worrying and crying so much is not good for you or the baby. You need to focus on taking care of yourself and your little one.”

Ava sniffled and wiped away her tears. “I know you’re right, Roxie. But it’s just so hard. I feel so alone and lost.”

Roxie hugged her tightly and reassured her. “You’re not alone, Ava. You have me and we’ll get through this together. I’ll be here for you every step of the way. And remember, you have a little one growing inside of you, who needs you to be healthy and strong.”

Roxie helped Ava clean up her home, made her some food and they talked for hours. Roxie listened to Ava’s struggles and helped her process her emotions.

As Ava and Roxie sat and talked, Ava couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of sadness and disappointment. She had been holding out hope that Bruce would come back, but as the days passed, it became increasingly clear that he wasn’t coming back. Roxie could see how much this was affecting Ava and tried to be as supportive as possible.

But when Ava told Roxie that she wouldn’t be going back to work until Bruce came back, Roxie knew that she had to be honest with her friend.

She told Ava that Bruce wasn’t coming back, and that she needed to come back to work before things got worse. She reminded Ava that Mason was a vindictive person and that if Ava didn’t come back soon, he would try to ruin things for her at the company.

Ava couldn’t bring herself to care about the company or about Mason at that moment. She was consumed by her feelings of sadness and disappointment, she felt like she had been betrayed and her heart was broken.

She couldn’t imagine going back to work and facing everyone, especially Mason.

After Roxie left, Ava cried herself to sleep. She knew that Roxie was right and that she needed to go back to work, but it felt impossible to her. She knew that she would have to eventually face the fact that Bruce was gone and that she needed to move on with her life, but the thought of it was overwhelming.