Alexander turned off the music app, silencing the room. He sat back in his office chair and stared out the window. A row of tulips was starting to bloom in his flowerbed. It had been four months since Charley had left, and all the snow was gone.

He sighed and looked back at his phone. The music did nothing for him. Why had the music uplifted him when Charley had been there? He’d tried repeatedly to get the same results after she’d left, but he couldn’t get that same feeling back. When she’d left, she’d taken the magic out of the music.

He glanced over at the corner where he’d kept Milly’s food bowl. It was empty. He hated to admit it, but he missed that little kitten. He knew Charley would be taking good care of her. He wondered what Charley was doing right now.

For the millionth time, he thought about calling her, but then he shook his head. Why would he call her? What would he say? He had no reason to call. No reason to talk to her. He was just lonely, that was all.

Dorothy came into the room and he turned to glare at her. “What?”

“Don’t you snap at me. Just because you can’t get up the nerve to talk to that woman doesn’t mean you can take it out on me.”

Alexander tried to smooth his features out. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She took a step towards him and put her hands on her hips. “What were you just thinking about?”

He was not going to tell her what she wanted to hear. “My music app.”

“Really? Because I’d bet you a thousand dollars you were thinking about Charley.”

He scowled at her but didn’t deny it.

Dorothy’s features softened. “Aren’t you tired of missing her?”

“I’m tired of being alone. That’s not the same.”

“Look at you. You’re back to the grumpy person you were before she came. You mope around the house all day. You’re not even in here working. You’re staring at your phone, wishing you could talk to her.”

He shook his head. “How do you do that? How can you know all those things?”

“I have eyeballs.”

He rubbed his temple. “I can’t do anything about it. She thinks I’m too old. And what would I say to her anyway?”

Dorothy walked over to his desk and held out her hand. “Let me see your phone for a second.”

He handed it to her. She swiped at the screen a few times. He leaned over to see what she was doing, but she turned away. A second later, she handed it back. “There.”

“What did you do?”

“I texted her.”

“You what?” He stood up and his chair shot backwards. He looked at the screen. His phone had sent a message to Charley.

Hey. How are you?

Alexander wanted to yell at Dorothy, but he was too mesmerized by the tiny dots blinking, indicating that Charley was texting him back. She had read his message and was responding. He stared at the phone, waiting for her response to come through.

I’m fine. How are you?

She hadn’t said anything spectacular, but still, his heart beat wildly in his chest. Dorothy leaned over to look at the message. “Well. I’ll let you chat with her. I just wanted to say your lunch is ready.”

“Okay, thanks.” He sat back down in his chair, not caring about lunch. Charley wanted to know how he was doing.

He hesitated, not sure what he should say. Finally, he typed out, Missing you, but then deleted it before sending it. Too strong. He didn’t want to scare her away. He’d really messed up when he’d blurted out that he loved her. He had to be cool.

Fine. Dorothy had Paul over the other evening.

He figured she might be interested to know what was going on with them.

Really? OMG! Are they a couple now?

He smiled as he texted back. Yes, they’ve been dating now for a few months.

That’s fantastic.

How’s Milly doing?

No answer came, and he thought maybe she was busy. He shoved his phone in his pocket and walked into the dining hall. Just as he sat down, his phone chimed. He pulled it out and smiled at the photo of a black cat curled up on a blanket.

She’s fine. Growing like a weed.

Dorothy came in and set down his bowl of soup. He showed her the photo.

“Is that Milly? She looks so big now.”

“I know.”

He texted back while Dorothy left to get the sandwiches. She looks like she’s doubled in size.

Definitely. I think she misses you, though.

The words stabbed at his chest and he sat there, staring at them for a full thirty seconds before he responded. She does?

His heart thumped as he waited for her response.

Yes. She seems sad.

Maybe you should bring her back for a visit. He stared at the words he had typed, his finger hovering over the send button. Was that too much? Should he delete that? He was about to backspace over it when Dorothy came in and startled him. When he looked down, he’d sent the message.

Crud. He hadn’t meant to do that. He waited for her to respond. The dots appeared, and then her message came.

Maybe I will.

He stilled. What did that mean? Was she actually saying she might come back for a visit? Or was she just playing with him? He wasn’t sure what to text back, so he set the phone down while he took a bite of his turkey sandwich.

Maybe I will. He read the words over and over. As he chewed, he realized if he didn’t say anything back, she might get the wrong idea. He picked up the phone and typed a response.

I’d like that.

***

CHARLEY SAT AT HER kitchen table, answering emails. The more she scrolled, the more depressed she got. The one and only job she’d gotten had been for Alexander. And it wasn’t even an appraisal job at all. She’d been home for four months and no one wanted to hire her. Last night, in desperation, she’d applied at the local diner to wait tables. She had to do something to pay the bills.

Milly jumped on her lap and purred. She petted the cat then set her back down on the floor. “Go play with your toy mouse.”

The kitten just looked at her. “Fine. Don’t do as I say,” she said, waving her away. Then guilt made her stomach churn. It wasn’t the cat’s fault she felt out of sorts. She was grumpy about having to stoop and get a job any high schooler could get. That, and she had hoped to hear from Alexander, but she’d only gotten silence.

Not that he had any reason to email her. Or call her. It was really dumb for her to be upset that he hadn’t. Her job with him was done, and that was it. She should be focusing on getting her career going instead of sitting around, wondering what Alexander was doing.

Her phone chimed and she picked it up. Her heart jumped into her throat. It couldn’t be. She blinked and tried to focus.

Hey. How are you?

Four simple words, but they sent her pulse racing and made it difficult to breathe. Alexander was texting her. She couldn’t believe it. She answered back.

I’m fine. How are you?

They chatted back and forth a little, and then he asked about Milly. She ran to find the kitten to snap a picture of her. After he commented on how much she’d grown, Charley typed in that she thought Milly missed him and hit send before she thought about it.

She does?

Charley held her breath as she responded. Yes. She seems sad.

As soon as she hit send, she regretted it. What was she doing? The cat was fine. She was the one who missed him. She was the one who had spent the last four months in a funk, not wanting to go out with her friends. Stupid.

Her phone chimed and she looked at the screen.

Maybe you should bring her back for a visit.

Charley almost swallowed her tongue. Was he inviting her to visit him? Was he saying something more in his message than just a simple conversation? Or was she hoping for something that wasn’t there?

She held her breath and sent a message back. Maybe I will.

When he didn’t answer right away, she thought maybe she was being too forward. Reading too much into his text. But then her phone vibrated and his answer came back. I’d like that.

Hope swelled in her. Maybe he did have feelings for her. But then, why didn’t he contact her in four months? Why didn’t he come out and say he missed her? Why was he skirting around the subject?

And then she realized it didn’t matter. He was still just the man who had tricked her into cleaning out his garage. No matter how much she missed him, she couldn’t think of him in any other way. She would forever be a silly young girl to him. And she would never measure up.