Choice - it’s such a small word that belies the absolute havoc that can come into our lives after making one. If Elle hadn’t made the choice to follow her husband, if I hadn’t made the choice to apply at Howell-Lennox, if you hadn’t made the choice to show up on my doorstep the past four years and more importantly the last six months never would have happened. But if I hadn’t made the choices that I have over the last four years, this letter never would be necessary. I know that by now, you’re blaming yourself for this but this has nothing to do with you and everything with me.
I’m sorry.
Annika
She wasn’t sure what brought back the memory of writing the letter. It wasn’t as if she was doing anything to trigger the memory; putting groceries away and deciding if she wanted frozen pizza or macaroni and cheese for supper didn’t have anything to do with writing. But here Annika was, leaning against the refrigerator, sobs pouring out of her. And today wasn’t important either in her and Alex’s relationship or in Katie’s life. Today was just Thursday, tomorrow started her three day weekend (her first in a long time), and Katie turned five months old last week. The sobs were still coming out of her as she slid down the refrigerator, ending up sitting on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest.
If it was two weeks from now, she could understand the tears. It would have been their two year anniversary and Annika could definitely understand tears then; she had cried a bucket on their first year but her state of mind with all the pregnancy hormones hadn’t helped.
Lost in thought, Annika jumped when the doorbell rang. When she first moved to Madison, she was wary of answering the door. The fear always existed that it might have been Alex or Steve, which meant she hadn’t covered her tracks carefully enough. But when it had turned out to be the Avon lady, a neighborhood kid offering to mow her lawn or snow blow her driveway, or Roxy and Noah, she had calmed down. Making her way to the living room where the front door was, she wiped her eyes quickly and tucked her hair behind her ears.
Giving the peephole a quick glance, she opened the door.
“Hi Annie,” Roxy spoke as Katie wriggled to get to her mom’s arms. Annika smiled and grabbed Katie as she opened the door wider. Roxy noticed the trail of tears but decided to not comment on it.
“Hi Roxy,” she replied, “how was she today?”
“She was an absolute angel.” Roxy made her way into the living room. “Took a nap around 1:30 and woke up about four today. We also went shopping and planted some flowers, did some cleaning and some painting.”
“Sounds like to Mommy you had a big day today.” Annika spoke to her daughter. Katie babbled in response.
“We just took Wednesday out for a walk so she should be good too for a while. Noah’s almost done with the pictures from last week and he says he should be running those over tonight.”
“Thanks, Roxy.” Annika smiled.
“You’re welcome. Are you bringing her over for supper tomorrow night?”
“6:00 right?” Roxy nodded in response.
“Buh bye angel girl,” Roxy flicked Katie’s nose and left.
“Let’s see what’s for supper, huh pumpkin?” Annika spoke as the two made their way to the kitchen. Wednesday was already in there, waiting by her food bowl. “But first we need to feed Wednesday.” Sticking her daughter in the high chair, Annika turned her attention to her dog. A few moments of licking (on Wednesday’s part) and petting (on Annika’s part), the dog bowl was filled up and Wednesday was greedily eating.
“I think Miss Piggy as a name would have been more appropriate for Wednesday, what do you think?” Annika spoke aloud as she washed her hands and stuck a pizza in the oven. She then gave her daughter her bottle, which Katie finished as the timer on the oven rang. Placing Katie on the floor a safe distance away from the oven, she pulled it out and set it on top of the stove. Just as she was going to cut into it, the doorbell rang.
“I wonder who that could be.” Annika said out loud as she collected Katie and walked to the door.
Assuming it was Noah, she gave the peephole a cursory glance and gasped, her grip on Katie tightening. A squeal from Katie made Annika give her a frightened look and a temporary reprieve from being held too tightly.
“Oh no,” she breathed. Her hand tightening on the doorknob, her forehead resting on the door, Annika let out a groan. What was she suppose to do now. Jenna and Alex were standing outside on her porch, Jenna gripping her purse so tightly that her knuckles were turning white and Alex was reaching for the doorbell again.
Choice - it’s such a small word that belies the absolute havoc that can come into our lives after making one. If Elle hadn’t made the choice to follow her husband, if I hadn’t made the choice to apply at Howell-Lennox, if you hadn’t made the choice to show up on my doorstep the past four years and more importantly the last six months never would have happened. But if I hadn’t made the choices that I have over the last four years, this letter never would be necessary. I know that by now, you’re blaming yourself for this but this has nothing to do with you and everything with me.
I’m sorry.
Annika
She wasn’t sure what brought back the memory of writing the letter. It wasn’t as if she was doing anything to trigger the memory; putting groceries away and deciding if she wanted frozen pizza or macaroni and cheese for supper didn’t have anything to do with writing. But here Annika was, leaning against the refrigerator, sobs pouring out of her. And today wasn’t important either in her and Alex’s relationship or in Katie’s life. Today was just Thursday, tomorrow started her three day weekend (her first in a long time), and Katie turned five months old last week. The sobs were still coming out of her as she slid down the refrigerator, ending up sitting on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest.
If it was two weeks from now, she could understand the tears. It would have been their two year anniversary and Annika could definitely understand tears then; she had cried a bucket on their first year but her state of mind with all the pregnancy hormones hadn’t helped.
Lost in thought, Annika jumped when the doorbell rang. When she first moved to Madison, she was wary of answering the door. The fear always existed that it might have been Alex or Steve, which meant she hadn’t covered her tracks carefully enough. But when it had turned out to be the Avon lady, a neighborhood kid offering to mow her lawn or snow blow her driveway, or Roxy and Noah, she had calmed down. Making her way to the living room where the front door was, she wiped her eyes quickly and tucked her hair behind her ears.
Giving the peephole a quick glance, she opened the door.
“Hi Annie,” Roxy spoke as Katie wriggled to get to her mom’s arms. Annika smiled and grabbed Katie as she opened the door wider. Roxy noticed the trail of tears but decided to not comment on it.
“Hi Roxy,” she replied, “how was she today?”
“She was an absolute angel.” Roxy made her way into the living room. “Took a nap around 1:30 and woke up about four today. We also went shopping and planted some flowers, did some cleaning and some painting.”
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“We just took Wednesday out for a walk so she should be good too for a while. Noah’s almost done with the pictures from last week and he says he should be running those over tonight.”
“Thanks, Roxy.” Annika smiled.
“You’re welcome. Are you bringing her over for supper tomorrow night?”
“6:00 right?” Roxy nodded in response.
“Buh bye angel girl,” Roxy flicked Katie’s nose and left.
“Let’s see what’s for supper, huh pumpkin?” Annika spoke as the two made their way to the kitchen. Wednesday was already in there, waiting by her food bowl. “But first we need to feed Wednesday.” Sticking her daughter in the high chair, Annika turned her attention to her dog. A few moments of licking (on Wednesday’s part) and petting (on Annika’s part), the dog bowl was filled up and Wednesday was greedily eating.
“I think Miss Piggy as a name would have been more appropriate for Wednesday, what do you think?” Annika spoke aloud as she washed her hands and stuck a pizza in the oven. She then gave her daughter her bottle, which Katie finished as the timer on the oven rang. Placing Katie on the floor a safe distance away from the oven, she pulled it out and set it on top of the stove. Just as she was going to cut into it, the doorbell rang.
“I wonder who that could be.” Annika said out loud as she collected Katie and walked to the door.
Assuming it was Noah, she gave the peephole a cursory glance and gasped, her grip on Katie tightening. A squeal from Katie made Annika give her a frightened look and a temporary reprieve from being held too tightly.
“Oh no,” she breathed. Her hand tightening on the doorknob, her forehead resting on the door, Annika let out a groan. What was she suppose to do now. Jenna and Alex were standing outside on her porch, Jenna gripping her purse so tightly that her knuckles were turning white and Alex was reaching for the doorbell again.
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*ponders ideas*
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*feeds the plot bunnies*
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I just really want to see Alex's reactions to the fact that he has a kid and to the note.
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Alex: ... *faints on doorstep*
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Annika: Alex? *concerned*
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