Mom dropped me off at my second appointment with Marie. She also ended up speaking with her, but only for a couple seconds. And as I stepped foot into her office, I realized that her chairs were now the color blue, a deep blue. 

“I liked the purple ones better.” I said as I sat down crossing my legs. 

“They weren't quite my style anymore.” Marie crossed her legs and fixed her glasses to a point where they sat high and far back on her nose. “But anywho, how are you Esther?”

“I’m good.” 

“That’s great” she pulled out a clipboard from under her. “Anything new I should know about? Feelings?” 

I wanted to tell her about Toby but the damn holding back my emotions would only crack. So, I shook my head. “No, not really.”

“Well pooh!”  she purposely made herself sound like a child. 

❤

Toby Owen Callaghan was standing outside our door as we were pulling into the driveway. In a brighter pair of blue jeans and a short sleeve flannel shirt and the same black boots from the mall days before. Dad was the first to step at of the car and walk up to him. Then mom, and then me.

“So I guess you’re the tall and handsome boy I’ve been hearing so much about?” mom successfully shook is hand even though she had to literally break her neck just to meet his gaze. 

“I guess I am, ma’am.” Toby’s cheeks were that kind of deep embarrassment red.

“Well, I’ll leave you two love birds alone, but I don't know about your father, Esther.” mom started for the door.

Dad followed after mom. “Don't leave my sight you too.” he through Toby a rather threatening glare before he walked inside. 

“Cowboy.” I said, finally giving him my attention. 

“Troublemaker.” his voice was a bit deeper than before. “Your dad’s pretty cool.”

“In what universe?” I sucked in my breathe before I got up the courage to ask him. “What are you doing here?”

He stuffed his hands down into his pockets. “Well, my parents were getting on my nerves so I thought I’d come running to you.” 

“I’m flattered.” 

Toby laughed. “You’re cute when you're flattered.” 

“Thanks,” I couldn’t hold back the blood rushing to my cheeks. 

He tucked a few strands of his shiny hair behind his ear. “Do you maybe want to go for a walk?”

“Sure.”

❤

Before Toby and I could jump out of dad's grasp, I took him over to our bench beneath our tree. 

“So, how are you?” I asked. 

“Uh, good.” he answered leaning over to me. “How about you?” 

“I’m pretty good.” 

Toby squinted as he looked around, and as he ran his fingers down a long and thin branche looming over his head. “It’s beautiful out here and the sound of the stream is pretty soothing.” 

“Yeah, I really like that stream, but never really got the courage to go near it.” 

“Why?” he asked.

“Well, I saw a snake near the edge when we first visited it and it scared the hell out of me…and that made me sound like a complete coward.” 

“Wow, a snake?” he was laughing with his eyebrows high on his forehead. 

“It was scary!” 

“Was it tiny?” 

“Yeah…but…” 

“Oh my god!” 

“You know, you’re the one who started crying during that Star Wars movie.” 

“I didn’t cry!” he exclaimed. 

❤

Our walk up the street wasn't as relaxing as I thought it would be. There was little division between us and I couldn't really stop staring up at him. 

 After only a few steps, we came to a  stop at a small tree close to the street. “You know,” I said. “For someone who likes magic, you don’t do a lot of tricks.” 

“That’s weird, you should start checking your pockets.” 

I ended up pulling a red flower from one of my pockets. “You’re so cliché.” 

He grabbed the flower from my fingers. “Giving you a flower is cliché?” he moved in closer to me. “You know, in France, to give a flower from a free field is to declare your undying love for another, and the center represents the heart with the seeds representing the fragments it’s made up of.” he twirled the flower between his fingers. “And the petals represent beauty, your beauty.” He placed it behind my ear.

My cheeks were ablaze fifty shades of red. “Toby, can I ask what happened to your arm?”

Toby’s smile faded and his features softened. “My real daddy had cancer, and he decided to be an ass, and give it to me.” He removed his hat. 

“Wow, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” 

“It’s okay, six years cancer free. It’s not coming back, you can’t get rid of me that easily, troublemaker.” 

❤

“You both come for dinner!” yelled mom from the doorway as we walked down the street. 

Toby and I made our way to the dinner table after washing our hands. Mom and dad had made rice and vegetables. We all ate together, but the only thing Toby did was speack quietly and make me laugh.

“You two are adorable!” mom said.  

“Mom!” I said. 

“So Toby,” she went on. “Do you go to school?” 

He nodded. “Yeah, in the next town over.” 

“Why not here in Hilliard?” 

“My dad says that the teachers at this college are dumber than a bag full of hammers.”

Once we had all finished dinner, it was time for Toby to leave. Honestly, it made me feel horrible but at the same time relieved. Upon him departing, we both stood in the doorway staring up at the sky. 

“The sunset is so beautiful.” I said, looking at the rays seeping through my eyes. 

Toby leaned down close to me. “It’s always beautiful, you just need to find the right way to look at her.”

“Toby, you know we're just friends right?” It felt as if a million swords were peircing me through my chest. 

“Yeah,” he slowly stepped out of the doorway. “Unfortunately.”