4. A little bit of sunshine

“How are you?” he asked, adding non-dairy creamer to his tea.

“Fine. Fine. How are you? You look kind of pale, Ed. Are you okay?” she asked.

He just watched her silently for awhile. Abby got flustered. Maybe she had been too personal.
He shifted in the chair and softly said, “Not really,” in response.

Abby took a sip of her tea and tried not to stare at him but she did let her gaze stop on his hands that seemed strong, a little chapped, with a standard Band-Aid on the pointer finger.

“I’m glad you called,” she said finally.

He tried to force a little smile for her.

“So how did you get my number?” she began, “I didn’t give it to you at the furniture store.”

“Didn’t you?” he asked, slyly raising his eyebrows at her.

“No,” she said, “I have a very good memory.”

“I’m sure you do,” he said.

She took a drink of her tea. “Well, Ed. What do you want to talk about?”

“I called Peter. He gave me Cheryl’s number. Cheryl gave me yours,” he said.

“Oh,” she said, realizing that it sounded like he went out of his way to get her number which made her grow nervous.

After a couple minutes of silence that had made Abby’s heart pound, she finally said, “I don’t know what to say.”

“That’s okay. This is the first time I’ve done anything social in …in a long time,”

“So….your relationship?”

“Over,”

“I’m sorry,”

“I confronted her the day I saw you,” he said bluntly.

“Oh. Good for you. You deserve better,”

“You don’t know me,”

“No, I don’t. But everyone deserves loyalty,” she said.

He watched her, his blue eyes moist with emotion and said, “Too bad it’s so hard to find.”

Abby smiled at him.
“I’m kind of messed up,” he said.

“Isn’t everybody?” Abby asked.
He shrugged his shoulders.

“You look like you could use some sunshine,” Abby announced.

“Is that a song?” Ed asked.

“No, it’s two for one at the zoo today. Let’s go,” Abby said, grabbing their empty ceramic cups and setting them near the trash bin.

Ed had a strange expression on his face and Abby couldn’t tell what it meant.

“Unless you have other plans?” she added.

“No. No plans,” he said.