Part 8 (2/2)
Sandra laughed. ”Are you related to Jeff and no one told me?”
”Why; does he like garlic bread?”
Sandra smiled. ”So? Deal?”
”Yeah, it's a deal. You need me to pick stuff up?” Addison asked.
”No,” Sandra replied. ”He loves to ride in the cart. What time?”
”Give me about an hour and a half?” Addison asked.
”See you then,” Sandra said.
Addison nodded and waved goodbye. ”See you.” She watched Sandra turn the corner and shook her head. It hadn't escaped her notice that every time Jeff's name was mentioned, Sandra had blushed. ”Well, well,” she mused as she headed to her office. ”Better get a move on Jeffrey,” she said and closed her door. She smiled and picked up her phone. ”Jeff? Yeah, I know you will be back tonight. No, nothing is wrong. Oh, will you just be quiet and listen! I didn't call about the meeting. I called about this weekend... Yes, I know. Just listen. I think you should come to Kansas. Why? Well, because I do! Geez! You know, it is your G.o.ddaughter's birthday,” she reminded him. Addison gloated when she heard his response. ”Sure, I am sure. Mm-hm. You can make it happen. Be like Captain Picard... Make it so.”
”So?” Sandra asked. ”When are you leaving for Kansas?”
Addison took a sip of her wine and smiled. ”Tomorrow at noon.”
”Really? I thought Jeff said you two had meetings until Friday?”
”We did. Now, he does.”
Sandra grinned. ”Couldn't take it anymore, huh? Not even my spaghetti helped?”
Addison sn.i.g.g.e.red. ”It helped. It's just...”
”Not Emma's.”
Addison smiled. ”It did help, actually-having you and Brody here tonight helped. It's too quiet here.
”Well, I doubt you'll be complaining about that much soon,” Sandra offered.
”You would think that. It's strange,” Addison said.
”What's that?”
”I used to get so frustrated by noise when I needed to work. Now? I don't know. If I don't hear something being banged on or there are no smudges on my papers... I don't know, I...”
”I get it,” Sandra said. ”I feel the same way lately,” she replied. Addison was curious. ”Since you started this whole reboot. Jeff? He's been away so much,” Sandra said. Addison listened, careful not to give away her suspicions in her expression. Sandra's gaze retreated into her wine gla.s.s as she continued to speak. ”I guess I have gotten used to hearing him come through the door. Brody looks for him. It's just so quiet lately. I can't concentrate.”
Addison smiled. It was difficult for her to believe, but she had the same problem. The sounds that accompanied her daily life had become part of the fabric that held everything together-even Addison's work. From time to time, Addison did need silence. Everyone did. Emma did too. Most days, Addison felt at home in the commotion of a household with a toddler at its center-a household with Emma holding them all together. She wasn't surprised at all by Sandra's revelation. Addison and Emma were both aware that Jeff had fallen for the actress. They both suspected that Sandra's feelings ran deeper than friends.h.i.+p. Both understood that the idea of exploring what those feelings might mean terrified Jeff. Addison was unsure if Sandra had realized how her feelings for Jeff had grown.
”I get it,” Addison said. Sandra looked up. Addison noted the insecurity in her eyes. ”I know you miss Dan,” Addison said.
Sandra nodded. ”I do,” she agreed. ”I miss Jeff more.”
Addison smiled knowingly. She could see the tears pooling in Sandra's eyes. ”Why don't you tell him that?”
”I don't know,” Sandra confessed. ”He's my best friend, Addison. I don't want to lose him. I can't lose him too.”
Addison pushed back her tears. She understood better than Sandra could guess. She had felt the same way about Emma. At times, she still did. Addison didn't fear Emma walking away from her. She was confident that they would never separate willingly. Like Sandra, Addison had lost the most significant person in her life once. That kind of loss conjured a brand of pain that a person never forgot. It lived inside a person every minute of the day. You learned to live with it. You never completely let it go. Addison had also learned that you couldn't walk away from loving someone because they might leave. People did leave. If not by choice, then as a result of nature. Someone always left, and someone was always left behind. That was part of life.
”I don't think you need to worry about that,” Addison told Sandra.
A weak smile tugged at Sandra's lips. ”I know he loves me.”
”It is pretty obvious,” Addison said.
”But, it's a lot to ask,” Sandra said. ”He loved Dan too.”
”We all loved Dan,” Addison said. The words were greeted with a genuine smile from Sandra. ”But, Jeff is in love with you,” she said honestly.
”It's a lot to ask. Brody is a...”
Addison held up her hand. ”Give him some credit,” she said. ”I can't tell you what to do,” Addison said. ”When Emma and I were first getting to know each other... When I realized that I was in love with her, I was scared s.h.i.+tless.”
”Why? Because she wasn't out?”
”Partly. Only partly. She made me feel like I had a place to land. Do you understand what I mean by that?” Addison asked. Sandra nodded. ”I had forgotten what that felt like. Losing that... I just couldn't bear that thought.”
Sandra sighed heavily. ”I know that I should tell him. I want to. I just...”
”It isn't safer to keep it locked up inside,” Addison said. ”Tell him the truth. Tell him why it scares you too.”
”Speaking from experience?”
”Yeah, you'd think a writer would be better at knowing what to say.”
”You seem to be doing a good job so far,” Sandra observed.
”Mm. With you, maybe. With a script. With Em? Sometimes, Sandra, it's still hard.”
”Why?”
”I'm not sure,” Addison said. ”Because she's where I land-wherever she is. It's just always been that way-from the first cup of coffee we shared, if I were to be honest. I don't know. I love her so much that sometimes I forget how much she loves me. Maybe that's it. I hate to admit that. Maybe that is it.”
Sandra smiled. ”You are a complete romantic, Addison.”
”Guilty. That doesn't make it less true. I can't tell you what to do. I do have a suggestion.”
”I'm listening.”
<script>