Paul

Two Months Later

It felt good to be back, but different.

I couldn’t believe it had been almost six months since I’d left Shepherd’s Town. Nothing had changed in the town itself as far as I could see. Everything was still the same.

But I had changed a lot.

I’d worked hard since the day I left to rebuild my mother’s farm. Though it had been a hard fought battle, the farm was back up and running at full capacity. I was able to raise the six thousand dollars and then some to start hiring a full staff of farmhands, we had great crops coming in, the riding arena was up and running, and the stables were stocked full of horses.

It was all going perfect.

But now I had returned to pick up the pieces of my life. I felt so ashamed of the way I’d left things. I’d tried at first to reach out to Debbie. I’d tried to find a way to let her know what was going on with me. But when I really thought about it, I could have tried harder. I’d sunk into a deep depression over the loss of my father, combined with the stress of building the farm back up, I couldn’t have been the man that Debbie wanted or deserved.

The more time passed the easier it became to think less and less about it. I was too far over my head with work and with the emotional issues I was dealing with in the aftermath of my father’s passing.

But as things began to improve with the farm, I began to start piecing myself back together again.

And now I was the man that Debbie had fallen in love with. In my heart of hearts I knew that I’d done the right thing, but Debbie would probably not see it that way. I’d hurt her. I knew that. It killed me to know that.

But I was here to start fresh and make it right. I realized it was going to take some time, and I was prepared to take that time. I was going to do whatever it took.

I’d kept up the payments on the house I’d rented with whatever money was left over after putting it into the farm each month since I’d been gone. I was glad to see that everything was exactly as I’d left it, as I’d expected it would be.

I quickly got settled in and then drove to Debbie’s. I had to see her.

But, God I was nervous.

I stood on her porch for at least two minutes before I finally managed the courage to knock on the door.

A moment later the door opened and Debbie was standing there.

She looked beautiful. It was as if I was looking at her for the very first time all over again. I’d missed her so much.

It took me a moment to realize that she was different.

I couldn’t believe it… no… it couldn’t be…

She was clearly at least five months pregnant.

“Um, hi…” I started.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Debbie said.

“I… I… I’m back,” I said. I could hardly think straight. What the hell had happened? Debbie went and got pregnant that quickly after I left?

“Oh, are you? Well, that’s nice,” Debbie said. “You bastard! You have a lot of nerves showing up here.”

“Let me explain—"

“I’m not interested in your explanations,” Debbie said.

“Well, I think you have something to explain too!” I shouted back.

“I don’t owe you a damn thing,” Debbie said. “Get out of here. I never want to see you again.”

With that she slammed the door in my face. I heard the deadbolt snap into place.

“Debbie! Wait! We have to talk!” I shouted. “I tried to reach out to you but you never responded to me. Please let me talk to you!”

But Debbie did not come back to the door. It remained slammed in my face.

Adrenaline was coursing through my body. I felt so many emotions all at once. My head was practically spinning. How the hell did this happen? What was going on? It was like my worst nightmare.

I drove back to my place and sat down on the couch. I felt sick all over. Debbie had met someone else and gotten pregnant. And it happened that quickly? How… how…?

I just couldn’t think of any rational answers to this question. A month. She only waited a month?

“Why…?” I asked out loud. “WHY!” I shouted flipping my coffee table over and spilling the contents to the floor.

I sat back down and tried to get a grip. I was going to figure this out. I would find a way to talk to her. I was back in town and she couldn’t avoid me forever. I had to have some answers.

There was some piece of the puzzle I was missing. I was sure of it. It had to be better than this. There had to be a better answer.

I just wished Debbie would talk to me.

I sat there on the couch fighting tears. I don’t know how long I sobbed, but at some point I fell asleep.

When I woke up my only thought was still Debbie.