Take a Breath(17)

I settle down on my own and start eating. It’s s almost seven and I’m eating on my own. I think Jake is not due in until seven-thirty and I assume Matthew is out with his friends.

I finish my glass of wine and pour another. I’m feeling full and there is still a lot of chicken and rice left, so I put some aside for Jake to eat just in case he wants it when he returns. I take my glass and head for the sofa.

I remember I have to check the mail so I wander outside to the mailbox and see a few items hidden in there. I head back flicking through all the letters, most of them are for Jake of course, but I spot one with familiar handwriting on and stop in my tracks. It’s my mother’s writing. I would recognise it from anywhere. It’s very bold and big, and she curves her A’s in a certain way. I put the rest of the mail on the side and sit on the sofa to open the letter.





‘Dear Ana,

I’m sorry I left without a goodbye but I needed to get away. You’re old enough to look after yourself and I’m sure you would have preferred to stay where you are now. You’re settled with a good job and have your whole life ahead of you. I, as always get itchy feet and need to keep moving. Please tell Jake that I am sorry for everything and that I didn’t mean to hurt him. I think it was for the best anyway.

Take care sweet, Ana and I’ll be in touch soon.

Love, Mum. Xx’





I’m snapped from the letter with the sound of Jake coming through the door.

“Hey, Ana.”

I don’t look round. “Hi Jake, I left some rice and chicken on the side for you to eat.”

I hear him walk past. “Thanks, I’m really hungry.”

He disappears into the kitchen for a while and I sit on the sofa with my head buried in my hands, and the letter in my clutches. I can’t believe my mother has done it. Again. She’s just taken off without a goodbye, without anything and then three weeks later she decides to send me this crap. How could she do this to Jake and Matthew? How could she do this to her own daughter?

After a few minutes I feel a dip in the sofa realising Jake is now sitting next to me.

“Are you ok, Ana?”

I look up, tears in my eyes. This man is so beautiful. He oozes sex from every pore of his body. I can’t believe he asked me this and I can’t believe how Mum could have possibly left him.

He spies the letter in my hand. I look at him, then the letter. I pass it to him to read. He has to know. He reads, his expression quickly turning into a frown and sighs.

“I’m sorry, Jake. I expected this from my mum. I didn’t think she would do it this time but she has. I thought she really loved you and that she would stay. I’m so sorry.”

He looked confused. “Ana, what do you mean?”

I can’t bear to keep it in any longer.

“She has been doing this my whole life, Jake. She moves from one man to the next and has been dragging me along for the ride. I’m so sorry. You probably hate me now. I’ll find a place to stay and move out as quickly as I can. I know you can’t possibly want me around any longer, especially now you know she’s not coming back.”

He looks at me in shock and shakes his head. “I don’t want to hear another word about you moving out, Ana. This is your home and I could never punish you for what your mother has done. She has left the family, your family, and we must move on. I just hate the fact that she has left you without at least saying goodbye.”

He looks pained like he wants to say more, but bites his lip. A tear falls from my eye and Jake tenderly removes it with his thumb. The electricity from that one tiny touch sends my blood rushing through my whole entire body. I’ve never had this with anyone before.

Jake sucks in his breath like he felt it too and he looks on at me with a pained expression. I touch his hand and then everything goes silent.

Jakes bends down towards my lips and the flames between my legs are burning hotter than the sun. Is he really going to kiss me after all this time of dreaming he would?

He moves in further, and the further he does the more my heart is racing with such intensity I can almost hear it screaming through my ears. Our lips touch tenderly at first and the moan that escapes my mouth is like a sound of desperation. The hunger soon sets in as the moan I released has somehow opened the floodgates for him to push on. I feel him slide his tongue in my mouth and I let out yet another sound. This seems to drive him forward as I push my hands through his hair and squeeze him into me harder. I think I’m going to pass out with the intensity and heat rising through my whole being, but I can’t stop this, I don’t want to stop this. I have dreamed of this moment and it is here. Finally it is here.