| TITLE: Harmony AUTHOR: Kasey SUMMARY: Post-Galileo II (As in my second in a series of post-Galileo fics) RATING: PG DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Wish they were, might be someday � if I inherit them somehow. THANKS: Lieutenant and Dis, my beta Diva-Nazis! (Don�t ask, it�s a VERY VERY long story) I pick up the phone and promptly hang it up again. C�mon, Mal, do this. You can, it�s not like this is your first time breaking up with a guy, you�ve been through the motions. Actually, they usually break up with you first, but that�s not the point. And I find myself arguing with myself and referring to myself in the second person more and more often. It�s one thing to refer in the third person, but second is more unusual� And now I�m lecturing myself on third-grade grammar. Instead of just picking up the damn phone and getting it over with. Go figure. So finally I do. Dial the phone, that is. And I listen until his answering machine picks up. Damn. You can�t break up with someone over the answering machine, that�s like rule number one of breaking up. Number two is not to do it as you�re running to the plane, number three is never to combine one and two. �H-Hey, Rich, it�s me�� And then I hear his voice. So he WAS home. �Hey, Honey.� �Hey, how are you?� Smooth, Mallory, you saw him two hours ago. �Good, you okay? You sound distracted?� �Yeah�� �The Seaborn guy? You saw him at the concert?� �Yeah, but that�s not�I mean, that�s not why I�m sorta outta it right now.� �Then what�s wrong?� �Nothing, I - We have to break up, Rich.� I hear a thud. �What was that?� �What? Oh, I�I was walking as I talked to you and I just, sorta, ah, tripped.� Go figure. He�s even klutizer than Sam. �You�you heard what I said?� �Yeah. That�s why I tripped. Mallory, Honey�what�s wrong? Did I say something? Do something? Use the wrong fork at dinner? Anything�Please tell me what I did.� �It�s not a specific thing, Rich, it�s just�Things between us don�t work.� Why�d you say that, you KNOW he�s gonna ask for examples� �Like what things?� Damn. �Just�I don�t know, it�s just not working, and I�m very sorry and you�re a very nice guy, but�� �Yeah. I get it.� �I�m sorry�� �Okay. I understand�� He sounds like a wounded puppy�I hate when that happens� �Maybe we�ll see each other around�� �Yeah. You know how to find the ice arena.� �Yeah.� An awkward silence, imagine that. �Bye, Rich.� �Bye.� And he hangs up. There. Was that so hard? I feel like scum. He sounded so sad, so heartbroken, like he wanted any explanation of what he did wrong, of why I didn�t love him anymore�When it truth it wasn�t him, not at all�It was Sam. It was me. It was the fact that Sam had gotten to me again and I knew that and we worked better than Richard and I ever did. I hate hockey, I don�t have the slightest interest in it. But it was one of those guys, where you go along with it because you think maybe it�ll work, even though you know deep down it won�t. Whereas politics�I could understand, I could argue, I could debate� Which was another thing. Richard and I didn�t fight, it was just he backed down for me, agreed with whatever I said. And while I know people who would love that�I don�t want to be the czar, I don�t want a man who�s just subordinate to me entirely. Sam and I�we fight, we argue, we debate. And I love every minute of it. Point and counterpoint�I think I should�ve been a lawyer, I really do. �Cept I love kids, so there�s a perk of teaching. And in a law office I doubt the people give you lots of presents and drawings and share with you all their hopes and dreams. Just a guess. And so here I am. Broken up with Richard Anderchuck, and trying to get up the nerve to call Sam Seaborn. Boy, this is a fun night. |