All I Ask(93)

“Yeah, he really is.”

“But all I ever heard about was how great he was. Everyone here makes him out to be this great guy and I didn’t understand why you hated him so much. It’s been hard. And then Everly came and made my life hell, so I wanted out. But, Mom…” She pauses and my heart races. “I don’t think I want to go anymore.”

I don’t want to go either, but I wanted for just once, to be worth something more. I was finally being told “yes” instead of “no.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” I ask with a groan.

“Because if you want to stay, I wouldn’t hate it. I would have Mrs. Stinkers and her babies. I can still work with Dr. Derek at the clinic.”

I find a chair and slump down in it. This isn’t the conversation I expected to have with her. I thought she’d tell me how excited she is and how ready she is to meet me. Now she’s talking about staying there and her cat and friends. Right when I think I have it all figured out I’m made aware that I know jack shit.

“Chas…”

“I’m just saying…”

She’s just killing me, that’s all.

“We will begin the boarding process for flight 445 to West Palm Beach, Florida, in about twenty minutes. Please make your way to gate A-2.”

I sigh. “I have to go, Chas. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom. Make good choices.” She ends the call before I can say anything else.

I look down at the phone, seeing the missed calls from Derek. He has to be so mad or hurt. I know that I would be if he did that to me, and now I hate myself for doing it to him.

A text flashes.

Derek: I don’t know why you left like that but know that I love you.

Me: I love you. I’m sorry, please know that last night was perfect. You’re perfect. I just couldn’t go if I had to say the words.



I put the phone away and head to the store by the gate. In the back I grab a drink and a little girl comes over and smiles.

“Destiny!” I hear a woman yell.

I look down at the girl and she turns to the name.

“Destiny, get back here. Oh, God, you scared me!” Her mother yells with that frantic sound to her voice. “I thought I lost you. Don’t ever leave me like that, okay?”

My heart pounds as the name strikes me. Someone I love is on Destiny Lane. Someone I left.

Jesus. I need to get a grip.

The woman takes the little girl in her arms and walks off, kissing the side of her head as she goes.

I head out of the store, no longer thirsty, and walk toward the gate. There’s a store with a few toys in the window. I stop short when I see the creepy doll.

I quickly take my phone out to take a picture to send to Derek and stop. I have to stop doing this. It was my choice to leave and here I am, seeing all these things that remind me of him.

Instead of sending the photo, I drop my head and walk fast. If I don’t see anything, then I can get through this and do what I keep telling myself is what I want.

Florida is where the gallery is. Florida is where I will finally make enough money to get out from my parents’ thumbs, give Chastity a better life, and be something.

They’re already boarding, so I walk straight over to the gate attendant.

The couple in front of me are talking about their wedding and my chest starts to ache again.

“Do you think the girls will be okay?” the woman asks.

“They’ll be fine. This is our weekend. Our daughters will be just fine.”

She leans her head onto his shoulder. “I can’t believe we’re finally married.”

His eyes are so filled with love it makes my breath catch. “We waited long enough to finally be happy. It’s still so surreal. We’ve known each other forever…”

They start to walk forward and it’s my turn. “Miss?” The gate attendant stands there with her hand out.

I look down at the ticket and the tears I was holding back start to flood.

What am I doing?

Why am I here?

This isn’t the only chance I might have to do something with my art. There were tons of messages and comments asking to buy the paintings outright.

I’m going to leave for well over a year, and for what? A gallery. A gallery that didn’t know of me until that profile was made. I was fine before that app. Sure, I wanted more, but Derek saw the more in me when I couldn’t.

He’s what matters. He, Chastity, and Everly are all I need. They’re more than I could ever ask for.

We could make it through the time apart, I know that. But why make myself wait for the one thing in this world that I’ve wanted more than anything?

I can paint from that room.

I can sell them on my own.

Hell, I can open my own damn gallery. There’s about to be a very empty space above the store that has great views of the ocean.

“Miss?” the attendant says again, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Are you going to board?”

“No. No, I’m not. I have to go.”

I race out of the terminal and down to where the cabs are located. Thankfully, I find one willing to take me the hundred miles up to the island. The entire way, I can’t stop smiling.

This was the right choice. The only choice. Making a move like this should’ve been full of joy, but it wasn’t. He’s my joy. My family is my joy, not a gallery in Florida.