---- Chapter 9 Unexpected Visitor I cut off all ties with Anthony and slowly forgot about him, eventually. A few days went by, and I was letting down my guard around Anthony and everyone around me. I even had the courage to make small talk with the fruit vendor. Anthony and I never talked about the quiet breakup either. I was on the couch, watching Anthony work. He was coming over with the vacuum cleaner, and I raised my legs, smiling at him. "I want strawberries, Anthony." He pinched my face. In mock anger, he said, "It's out of season." "T don't care. I want them!" "Okay, okay, I'll get it, princess." He was so resigned, and it made me think that the breakup never happened. We were still a couple. ---- Every day, after his shift was over, Anthony would come over just to tend to me. For once in my life, I was deserving of someone's care. From the moment I went back to the Marlins, I'd been thirsting for my parents' love. I thought they would be concerned about me, care about me, and ask me about all the things I'd gone through. The first thing they told me was that Yvette would be staying with us. Yvette never wanted to visit Grandpa either. My thoughts were still bothering me, but then Anthony came back with strawberries. He complained, 'I had to go through more than a couple of grocery stores for these." I was leaning on the door, listening to his complaints. He was washing the strawberries carefully, and then I was hit with another thought. 'Maybe marrying him isn't a bad idea.' I wasn't one to wait, so I cleared my throat. "Ant- ---- But then someone's phone rang, and it cut me off. Anthony took the call, but he turned on the speaker. "Anthony, we need your help. There's a surgery here..." I listened quietly, and when Anthony hung up, I grumbled, "I thought today was your day off." Anthony didn't want this either. He mused over it and said, "I'll get you strawberry ice-cream when I get back." "Get me two!" That made him stern. ''No. You can't have too much cold stuff." I turned to the living room, clearly unhappy. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back. "You're going to ignore me just because I won't get you two ice-creams? Oh, you're breaking my heart. Fine, I'll get the ice-creams, alright?"