Elly and the Road Less Traveled

Chapter One

A suitcase wasn't high on Elly's Christmas wish list. Not this year. This year she desired a much smaller item, such as could be found nestled in velvet inside a hinged box. She had hoped the large package now opened beside her was a mere ruse, a clever trick by Brandon to keep her guessing. No such luck. She pasted on a smile and looked at him.

"It's Louis Vuitton," he said with a defensive air.

"I see that. Thanks." She turned her gaze back to the suitcase's brown checkered pattern, crumpling the wrapping paper she'd ripped off it. "It's exactly the one I wanted...last year." She muttered that snarky little addendum. But seriously, she'd spent months hinting about a ring and proposal only to be given the gift she'd solicited for last Christmas. Does this mean if I wait another year...

"There's more." Brandon gestured towards the suitcase. "Open it."

Elly brightened. She turned over the suitcase to find the zipper pull. Brandon had been messing with her. After three long years they would finally be engaged.

Do I want a summer wedding or fall? Maybe spring? Can I plan a wedding in less than six months? Will he agree to get married before finishing residency? Do I have to ask his sister to be a bridesmaid?

She flipped up the suitcase's lid and discovered a smaller, matching suitcase. Her face fell, but only a moment. She pulled the second suitcase out and opened it, too. Empty, save for some balled tissue paper. Elly slumped lower on the couch.

Brandon checked his phone. "I should go now."

"Already?" Elly searched his face for an expression of regret, but saw only the slight scowl he employed when concentrating. And right now that concentration remained directed at his phone. His thumbs tapped the screen. "But you like my gift, right?" Elly asked.

"Yeah." Brandon tapped his thumbs a few more times before lowering his phone and looking at her. "Of course." He flashed his smile as he picked up the small box from the end table. "I'll wear them next week at the party." He returned the box to the table and rose from his perch on the club chair's armrest.

Elly leaned forward with her head tilted, but Brandon either didn't notice or purposefully ignored her subtle request for a kiss. Affectionate gestures had never been his strength. Elly knew this. Yet disappointment weighed on her heart as she stood and followed him to the foyer. "You won't at least come home to sleep?"

He shrugged on his coat. "If I get a chance to sleep, I'll do it there. You know this."

Elly sighed. "Yeah."

Brandon's mouth turned down as he opened the door. "Hey, look. We'll have time together next weekend. At my parents'." He jutted his jaw towards the sofa. "Chance to use your new luggage."

Three days with his family. Elly forced herself to smile. "Yeah. I'll see you Monday, though?"

"Probably." He stepped out. "Late, though. Don't wait up."

The door shut behind him and Elly sighed again. She turned and faced the silent living room. Another holiday alone. Even the furniture seemed dejected, their empty seats blaming her for their disuse. In the beginning, things had been different. They'd hosted parties, gone out with friends. Brandon had spent every possible moment with her. Now he spent every possible moment at the hospital. Such was the lot of a neurosurgeon's wife.

No, not a wife. Not yet. Not even a fiancée. A girlfriend.

And lately, nothing more than a roommate.

Elly's eyes fell on the gift she'd given him. The gold cufflinks had been another subtle hint at the piece of jewelry she herself desired. As usual, her cue had gone unnoticed.