Sofia reaches out to Jay

April’s shaping up to be pretty nice this year. So far, it’s full of sunny days without the brutal heat kicking in yet, and nice enough to go enjoy the outdoors. I’ve been hitting the park more after shifts, shooting hoops with friends or just jogging to clear my head. My birthday’s coming up in less than a month, and this is one I’m actually excited for beyond just another birthday. Twenty-one means legal beers without the hassle of a fake ID, which sometimes works, but other times, people don’t quite buy it.

Then one afternoon while I’m heating up some lunch in the microwave, I get a random call from an unknown number. My phone doesn’t tell me it’s potential spam, so I get ready to fuck with the poor person on the other end if it’s someone wanting to tell me about the free trip I won.

“Hello?”

There’s a pause long enough that I’m just about to hang up, then someone on the other end finally speaks.

“Jay?”

“Yeah,” I reply, deciding it’s not a telemarketer since I’ve never had one call me by just my nickname initial. A few more seconds go by before I speak up again. “Check it, if you’re still trying to say the kids mine, I’m telling you it can’t be, because I had my testicles replaced with neuticles, which is why they’re so huge,” I say, hoping to get some reaction from the woman on the other end of the line.

“Uh,” I hear when I’m done, “sorry, it’s Sofia- you deliver my food sometimes. I- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called.”

I nearly drop the phone, instantly recognizing the name and voice. Why did I delete her number? “No-Yeah! Crap. Yeah, Sofia, I know who this is. And no, I’m sorry. I just have a lot of idiot friends that like to call and play pranks. I shouldn’t’ve- Ugh” I groan, instantly feeling like a jackass.

There’s another moment of silence that makes me so uncomfortable, I feel the need to say something else.

“So… uh, what can I do for you, Sofia?”

“I’m not really sure why I’m calling exactly,” she starts. “I guess I should start by saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry for a lot of things. First of all, I’m sorry it took me two days to even text you to say thank you for the Hot Wheels. That was rude of me. Mateo loved them and he still plays with the Range Rover every single day. I should’ve said something right away, I just… I didn’t know how to respond without making it weird. Things were tense at home that week. My husband… well he brought them in from the front door. He wasn’t thrilled about the gift, and I needed to keep the peace for the boys.”

“It’s okay,” I respond, leaning against the counter, and ignoring the microwave that had gone off a minute ago. I’m so focused on trying to stay calm, I barely caught what she was telling me. “You didn’t even have to text me at all. You’ve just been so generous when I’ve delivered to you, that I wanted to do something in return, and thought he’d have fun with them.”

“That was very kind of you. And I appreciate it more than you know.” There’s another pause as she takes a deeper breath like she’s trying to figure out what else to say. “I’m also sorry for how I acted at the restaurant. I was… caught off guard and I handled it badly. I shouldn’t have brushed you off like that.”

I feel my throat tighten with my own embarrassment. “Please, you don’t have to apologize for that. That was completely my fault. I shouldn’t have walked up to you in the first place. I should’ve taken the hint when you didn’t answer me before. It was inappropriate, and I swear, I knew better.”

She hear what sounds like a courtesy laugh come through the phone. “Maybe. But I still could’ve been ****. And then when you texted a while back… yes, that was inappropriate. But I’m still sorry. I never saved your number out of respect for my husband, and I didn’t know what to say when you texted me. He also made it very clear he didn’t appreciate it.

“Sure,” I start, not really positive what to say. “I guess no guy would appreciate some rando texting his wife. So again, my bad, not yours.”

“Thank you, but it’s ok. You already apologized. I thought about calling you the other day to apologize, but I had to search for your number on my phone bill online. Then earlier today, I kept meaning to reach out, but every time I started to put in your number, I talked myself out of it. Anyway, I guess that’s it. I just… wanted to say I’m sorry for all of that.”

Having screwed up with her so many times already, I don’t push it. I don’t ask any questions or go fishing for details. If she’s not offering them, for once, I’m not gonna be stupid and ask.

“Hey, don’t think anything of it,” I say instead. “Family’s gotta come first. I’m just glad you’re ok.”

“I’m… working on it,” she says after pausing for a second. “I shouldn’t have let it go so long without saying anything. To you or about the toys. I just wanted to make sure you knew I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose.”

“Thanks for saying that,” I tell her. “It means a lot.”

“Okay. Good. I… I should go. The boys are too quiet, and that never leads to anything good,” she finishes, and I think I can hear a little bit of a smile in her voice.

I smile in response, out of reflex. “Go save the day. Oh, and Sofia?”

“Yeah?”

“Anytime you want some food delivered, just let me know. If I’m out and about, I can just grab it for you quick so you don’t have to pay the delivery fee.” I feel as dumb as I possibly can the moment the words come out. I essentially just implied that a woman who lives the lifestyle she does, can’t afford to have her food delivered.

Thankfully, she’s as kind as always, and only giggles softly. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll keep it in mind. Good night, Jay.”

“Yup, night. Uh, I didn’t-” I start to try and backpedal, but she hangs up before I can.

I stand there staring at my microwave, trying to wrap my brain around the fact that she just called me. It was just an apology, but it was also from a woman who’s clearly been carrying a lot more than she’s let on. And if her husband hadn’t been ok with anything before, why’s she suddenly calling me now? What changed?

I wolf down my food, unable to think of anything else, and so I text Dan as soon as I’m done eating.

Enjoying the story? You can support my work on Patreon where this story is currently through chapter 60 at the time of this posting. Happy reading!