Loving Sofia Read Free Page B

go,” I hear Sofia say.  “I’m going to let you get some sleep, but I’ll see you in the morning, ok?” Before I have a chance to answer she continues, “Did you need anything else?  Are you hungry?”
    “Nope , I’m good.  Listen sorry about this.  I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” I say knowing all too well she doesn’t mind at all. 
    “No worries.  Well , good night.”
    I watch her go, and as if she took all the heat out of the room , my body suddenly feels cold.  I take my jeans and sweater off and lay on the couch in my t-shirt and shorts.  Before long my eyes feel heavy with sleep and I’m transported into dream land where Sofia is my wife and the rest of the world no longer exists.

Chapter 3.
     
    Sofia
    I wake up feeling more tired than ever.  Sleep has always been a big problem for me and even with the help from sleeping pills I can’t catch a goodnights sleep.  I stopped taking anything after reading all the side effects listed on each bottle.  I’m naturally messed up without the aid of drugs.  I make my bed, change into yoga pants and a t-shirt, and go to wash the sleep off my face.  I put my hair up in a messy bun and welcome the freezing water. 
    After I make sure that I look decent, I walk to the kitchen and start making coffee.  I’ve always said that whoever invented the coffee machine was truly a genius.  As much as I love my Starbucks, at five bucks a cup I would need a second job just to be able to afford my addiction.  So the special mocha I splurge on from time to time will have to wait. In the meantime, the homemade coffee is still my best friend. I’m about to pour a cup when Mark makes his way in. 
    “Good morning sunshine,” I say brightly. “Boy you look like crap.” I hand him the coffee and go look for the Aspirin. “Here take two of these and you’ll be good as new before you know it.”
    “Thanks Birdie.  Can you please turn down the volume when you talk?  I never understood how you could be so cheery first thin g in the morning.” 
    He takes the pills and sits down at our kitchen table by the window.  I can tell the light bothers him , so I pull down the shades.  I feel really bad for him, but I guess that’s what you get for drinking like an idiot.
    I pour another cup of coffee for myself and join him at the table.  We sit there without talking for a while.  I welcome the silence and let myself enjoy his presence.  All I can think about is how nice it would be to have someone to share my mornings with.  Mona is wonderful company , but I can’t fool myself into believing we will always live together.  With the way things are going between her and Jon, I know they will get married soon and I’ll be left alone. 
    “Are you doing anything today ?” Mark asks, watching me intently from above his cup. “I know Mona is busy so maybe we can go watch a movie or something.”
    Since we always spend time together there should be nothing weird about his invitation , yet I feel all excited. 
    “Sounds good,” I respond casually.  “I have to stop by the grocery story since we’re out of just about everything.  I swear feeding you and Jon is the best way to prepare me for when I get married.  I never knew how much a guy c ould eat.”
    “Cool.  I’ll go home and change . I’ll pick you up around noon?  We can go shopping after the movie.”
    We finish our coffees and after a quick hug goodbye, he’s gone.  I spend the rest of the morning cleaning up the place, doing laundry, and trying not to think about Mark. 
    I take a long hot shower and take my time getting dressed, choosing a pair of skinny jeans and a purple sweater.  Since I have almost an hour to kill, I take my laptop in the kitchen and start looking for jobs.
    I really hate the whole process and starting something new, but I have this strange feeling that things at work are going to go from bad to worse.  I’ve never told Mona just how bad things were. There were