Jessie couldn't believe what my mother had done but she wasn't surprised. I'd called ahead so she had an overnight bag made up for me when we got to the house.
"I hope your dad doesn't soften up when he gets here."
"I don't think he will." I picked up the bag and smiled when Peter took it from me, slinging it over his shoulder. "He was pretty pissed off."
"Maybe this will be his wake-up call."
"I can only hope." I gave her a kiss and a hug. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"You'd better."
From her house, we went to Peter's apartment and I was very surprised to find that little had changed about it, except that it was clean. While he went in his bedroom to collect some things, I explore a little, touching the beat-up tea kettle that had served us a lot of tea in the past and the Russian nesting dolls in a neat row on the counter by the telephone. It was then I noticed the large frame of pictures and they were all of me. Memories bubbled anew as I remembered where each of them had been taken.
"Remember that one?" He had snuck up behind me and pointed to one. The two of us were arm-in-arm, smiling at the camera with Styrofoam cheese wedges on our heads. He had a friend that was from Wisconsin and we'd worn them at a Packers party he'd thrown. The heat rose in my cheeks as I also remembered that we'd fucked in the bathroom during halftime.
"Yes, I remember."
His arms came around me, holding me close as we looked at the pictures together. "I look at this every day before I leave and I think about you. I'd wonder where you were. I'd wonder if you were thinking about me."
"I always thought of you, Peter." I turned in his arms, searching his eyes. "No matter how hard I tried, I could never forget you." We kissed again and just held each other for a few minutes, savoring the closeness.
"Taylor?"