Road trips

Road trips
“So you mean to tell me, you let her leave, just like that? Without trying to hold her back?” Eleanor inquired on the receiving end. This was the nth time she was asking Morgan that question since they started talking on the phone. The older rolled her eyes in annoyance.

The time currently read three in the afternoon and Morgan Daniels has been on a call with Eleanor for over thirty minutes. She had called and apologized saying the very instant she landed, she was headed straight for the hotel. So when she called, she began explaining what needed her attention so urgently, and then the topic of the conversation changed.

Morgan explained to her what happened with Maia and Janata starting last night, right to the instant when she left.  

“Yes, Eleanor” replied Morgan in a plain and monotonous tone.

“Are you fucking stupid?” she exclaimed suddenly, making the older woman furrow her brows in confusion, not knowing if Eleanor referred to her as stupid or to someone on the other end.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Fuck yes I am. Have you lost your senses?” she yelled.

“Can you not yell-“

“Don’t you bloody fucking tell me what to do. You messed up Morgan. That was your only chance at making things right, and you let her walk out of your house, upset. Who even does that?”

“I thought I was doing the right thing okay? She said she will never forgive me, I didn’t know what else to do”

“I don’t know Morgan, how about anything but letting her walk out of your bloody house. You may never get the chance to see her. Ever again” she exclaims.

Morgan Daniels was about to respond when a bipping sound distracts her, causing her to remove the phone from her ear. It was Eleanor, requesting a video call.

“I needed to see your stupid ass face,” she spoke once Morgan had answered the video call request and her face filled her screen. The older woman gave her a sly smile, not knowing what to say.

Eleanor lets out a sigh and Morgan watched her facial expression turn softer.

“I am sorry for yelling at you” she apologizes. "It’s just the way you’ve been talking about her, I thought you were going to seize this opportunity and fix things between you two”

“It’s okay Eleanor. Having you yell at me made me realize how stupid I was and I may have lost all my chances at making things right with her. But you have to understand Eli, her reaction to waking up in the same bed as me, hearing her say all of those things, it hurt me”

“I understand that. But you hurt her Morgan, and she has every right to feel the way she does”

Morgan Daniels understood where she was coming from. She understood where Maia was coming from. She messed up really bad that’s for sure, and she wanted to make things right between them. But then Maia said she would never forgive her and weakened her spirit.

“And I know I did, but how do I fix things between us when she doesn’t even give me the chance to?”

“I’m going to be honest with you Morgan because you’re my friend and I want what is best for you. You haven’t even tried getting her back. It’s going to take more than just ‘I am sorry’ to fix things’. You need to show her how sorry you are. Try and gain back her trust. Prove to her that she can be vulnerable with you, and that’s going to take a while. You don’t expect things to just magically go back to normal simply because you had apologized the day you bumped into her. It’s a whole process Morgan, you will have to start from a fresh. Take her out on dates, and buy her gifts. The things you would do when asking someone out. That is how you win her trust”

Right then and there, Morgan Daniels realized she was doing everything wrong. She was doing and saying the wrong things. But hearing Eleanor tell her these things, she realized what an even bigger asshat she has been.

“I love you, you know that?” Morgan asked the corner of her mouth lifting in a half-smile.

Eleanor smiled. Not her usual charming and kind smile. This one was cockier, but it didn’t border Morgan anyways, because I truly loved her.

“I know you do silly, but I don’t love you. The only reason I tolerate you is that you have the cutest daughter ever” she gushed. “How’s Lea doing? Can I speak to her?” she asks, sounding excited over seeing Morgan's daughter.

Eleanor's love for Lea was one of the reasons why Morgan her dearly.

“She’s having her nap” Morgan replied and watched Eleanor's face fall as she began to pout.

“Call me once she wakes up. I want to know what I can get for her on my way back” she explains.

“Not again Eleanor, you spoil her-“

“Your line is breaking Morgan, I can’t hear you” Eleanor faked, trying to avoid this conversation.

“You slimy bitch, stop playing-“

“Hello! Morgan? I’m hanging up” she says, giving the older woman the middle finger and before Morgan could react, the call got disconnected.

Slimy stupid little bitch. She cursed, then proceeded to throw her phone in bed.

Her conversation with Eleanor quickly swept into her mind. To gain Maia’s trust, she needed to woo her and ask her out again. After all, she never got to do that before they started dating. As her eyelids gradually closed, Morgan decided to take the rest of the weekend to figure out how to up her game with the red-haired



Monday quickly came. Lea, Eleanor and Morgan Daniels were currently in Eleanor's convertible, music blasting and singing Miley Cyrus ‘party in the USA’ at the top of our voices. They were some sort of road trip. A last minute road trip.

Yesterday evening, Lea and Morgan Daniels were cuddling on the couch, watching Frozen for the nth time when the door to the house flew open to reveal Eleanor standing on the threshold with a small suitcase and a backpack. The seven year old immediately got off the couch and ran in the direction of the door.

Once Lea’s excitement had died down, Morgan asked her to go upstairs and brush her teeth. Suddenly, Eleanor had the brilliant idea to take a road trip down to Middenhall. She had everything covered.

And Morgan dare not refuse an expense covered trip.

They left the house as early as eight a.m. and they were already halfway into our trip. They stopped at the gas station for a refill and for Lea to use the restroom. Whilst Eleanor was refilling the trunk, Lea and Morgan made their way to the convenience store to get some sodas and snacks Lea could nibble on when they get back on the highway

Then, they were back on the highway, this time, without music blasting over the speakers of the car, as the rectangular roof of the car was put back in entirely.

“Are you excited about this trip Lea?” Eleanor asked, stealing a glance at Lea from the rearview mirror.

“Yes, Aunt Eli. I’ve never been here” she cooed, filling her mouth with gummy gums. Eleanor gave her a sweet smile.

“Are you going to take her there?” her question this time was directed to Morgan.

Morgan was quiet. She knew what Eleanor was talking about. She wasn't sure if she was courageous enough to face it as she will be reminded again that there weren’t here, and that will make the pain resurface.

Pain that she has been trying to bury.

“I don’t know” the older woman replied with a shrug and her friend looked at her momentarily before turning her attention back to the road.

Besides, how does she explain to Lea that she wasn’t her biological mom? Eventually, she would have to talk to her about it. But Morgan was hoping that that will happen when she would be old enough, not now.

“I think you should” was all Eleanor said as Morgan Daniels leaned her head on the side of the door frame, taking in the houses that were scattered all around, signalling that they were on the outskirts of the city.



The drive from the outskirts to Grassview - Middenhall was another hour's drive. But at last, they made it to the hotel. They will be staying at Sawa Hotel, where they were currently sitting in the lobby whilst Eleanor spoke to the blonde at the reception who, for no concrete reason whatsoever, gave Morgan a death glare when she saw them walk in.

She knew it was directed at her because she looked right back at her. Never backing her gaze.

“Okay, it’s settled” Eleanor announced, picking up her backpack that was lying on the empty spot next to Morgan.

“Oh, seems like the journey wore her out, she’s asleep” she added and only then did Morgan notice that her daughter was suddenly gone quiet.

“Here, let me have her backpack whilst you carry her. Our luggage will be sent up” Eleanor spoke. Lea in her arms, Morgan follow Eleanor as they walked to the elevator. It wasn’t long before the door to the elevator opened and they walked out in the quiet hallways.

“This is us” Eleanor informed, sliding the card over the doorknob and the door opened. The first thing Morgan did was walk to the bedroom to put Lea to sleep.

“How long will we be here?”

“For the entire week,”

“That’s long. How can you afford this? I know you don’t have any problem when it comes to money but it looks like you took the most expensive suite in the hotel and given the fact that we’ll be here for the rest of the week, well, that’s a lot”

Eleanor had poured herself a glass of whisky she got from the bar. Something Morgan found odd because Eleanor didn’t drink out of the blue, especially during the day, except when she was stressed. She gulped it in one go, twisting her face as she let the whisky burn her chest.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Like I said before we left Crestview, I have everything under control” she replies, falling on the couch.

“I know you have everything under control, but I will hate it if you overspend on this trip,” Morgan met her on the couch.

Eleanor let out a sigh. “This Hotel is owned by my father’s best friend. I called him yesterday morning before my flight to Crestview to inform him that I will be coming to Middenhall. At once, he asked me to come to stay in the Hotel like I usually do in the past” she explained casually, someone irritated that she even had to explain herself.

Okay, that made Morgan feel better.

“So, do you mind explaining to me while you’re drinking at” the older woman trailed off, picking up her phone to look at the time. “At eleven in the morning,” she continued.

“What do you mean, why am I drinking at eleven in the morning?” she questions.

“I mean it’s too early to drink”

“It’s never early to drink. It may be eleven a.m. here but it’s already seven p.m. somewhere” Eleanor justified. She was avoiding Morgan's question by giving sarcastic answers and it only confirmed Morgan's suspicions; that something was bothering her.

One, she was drinking this early.

Two, she became defensive when Morgan called her out. Morgan Daniels decided not to push any further and let Eleanor open up when she was ready.

“So, what do we have planned for the day?”

“Nothing. At least for now. I’ll freshen up and have a rest. You can do the same too. And then when we wake up, Lea and I will go out for dinner and a walk downtown, while you, my dear, will get ready for your date” she says standing from the couch.

Morgan took a moment to let her words sink in, and when they did, she froze. “I’m sorry, I thought I heard you say date”

“You heard me right. You’re taking Maia on a date” was all Eleanor said as she disappeared into the room.

What was she talking about? It is possible that the glass of whiskey taken may have hit the wrong spot? Morgan wondered to herself. Because why would her friend be spurring out words that confused her?

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