Chapter 25 (Felicity)

                                        

                                              
The first thing I sensed when I woke was Caden's arms wrapped around me—the first time, in fact, since before my birthday. Through the back windows, I could feel late afternoon sun streaming in, touching the skin of my arms as it sunk down preparing to set for the day. The hum of the AC was still lulling me even as I forced myself to not fall back asleep. Laying there, I listened to my husband's steady breathing, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek.
It was surreal, this peace. After everything we'd been through; the fights, the silence, the separate rooms, the separate states even— yet here we were—together. The locket felt warm against my throat, laying between us, a sign of something deeper as it sat touching both our chests.
"Hey," he said softly, and I realized he'd been awake, probably watching me sleep.
"Hey yourself." I stretched slightly, but remaining wrapped in the warmth of his embrace. "What time is it?"
"Almost four."
"Hey—so, Macy will probably be getting home soon, right?" I asked while pulling up to a sitting position. Not waiting for his response, I continued "I want to call her," I said, sitting up slowly. "I need to thank her properly for everything she did. Make sure she doesn't think I blame her for the purse—and that she knows how much everything here meant to me."
Caden smiled, that soft expression I'd missed so much. "She's going to be over the moon to hear from you. She's been so worried."
I stood, went to the kitchen to brew a shot of espresso because, well I'm not sure functioning without the caffeine kick was really possible at this point. Returning with an espresso for each of us in hand, I gave Caden his and then reached for my phone on the coffee table. My heart was already lifting at the thought of hearing Macy's voice—at knowing how excited she will probably be. There isn't much more fun than sensing a kid's excitement—at any age, I've come to realize. Getting ready to hear her talk a mile a minute I smiled as I scrolled for her name.
Touching on her contact, I heard the phone rang once, twice, then—
"Hello?" Jessica's voice, crisp and slightly irritated.
My good mood faltered immediately—I double checked and confirmed I'd clicked the right name, "Oh—Hi, Jessica. It's Felicity. Is Macy available?"
A pause that felt loaded with something I couldn't identify. "She's... busy right now. Homework."
"Oh." I glanced at Caden, who was sitting up now, paying attention to my expression. Something in Jessica's tone felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on what. "Could you tell her I called? I wanted to thank her for something."
"I'll let her know." Jessica's tone was dismissive, like she was already ending the conversation.
The brush-off stung more than it should have. This was about Macy, not about whatever issues Jessica had with me. "Actually, could I just say hi quickly? It'll only take a minute."
Silence. I looked at the phone and saw that she had disconnected the call. What the hell? Looking over at Caden, I saw he was just as annoyed as I.
I called again. After a single ring, "Felicity, I said she's busy and can't speak right now." The call was disconnected again.
Caden stood up. "Are you kidding?" He pulled out his own phone and dialed Jessica's cell, placing the phone on speaker.
"Hi, Caden," was the response he got.
"Jessica, did you just hang up on Felicity? Twice?"
"Caden, Macy is busy right now," she says in a placating voice. "I was just trying to help her understand that it's not a good time. It's not my fault that Felicity went crying to you because she is sensitive."