doing? That’s all I meant.”
“Brad’s fine. He’s on rounds now.” Toying with her fork, Andy inhaled a sharp breath, then said, “The truth is…I’ve been thinking about maybe breaking up with Brad.”
“Really?” Emma said, setting her own fork down.
“Yes, but I’m not sure. I don’t want to do anything impulsive-- because, you know, I’m not sure if we’re just in a blah phase and maybe it will pass.” Preempting any reaction from her sister, Andy commented, “I know you probably think I should.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Emma replied in her usual even tone.
“I know you’ve never really liked him.”
“Again--I never said that.”
Impatiently, Andy stopped twisting her fork and looked at her sister dead-on. “I can tell. How come? For real.”
For a moment, Emma glanced off to the side as if that were where the diplomacy could be found. “Well, Brad always just seemed so slick--and kind of shallow. I’m sorry,” she amended quickly, “maybe I’m wrong.”
“Mom loves him,” Andy feebly pointed out.
With a wry sort of look, Emma tilted her head. “Of course she does. Brad’s wealthy and nice-looking, with a prestigious career and impeccable manners. What’s not to love--from a mother’s point of view?”
“Okay, but from a sister’s point of view…?” Andy pressed.
Emma looked a bit reluctant before she answered, “I guess my read is that for half of the relationship you were away at school. You guys were leading totally separate lives. And in a way, you still are--you never seemed to have much in common. Look, I know he’s got the stats. Mom loves stats. But…” Emma gave a questioning shrug. “What’s holding you guys together?”
When Andy hesitated--because she honestly didn’t have an answer to that--Emma said, “Don’t get me wrong. I know sometimes there i s just a deep love, and there doesn’t have to be an itemized list of common interests. Sometimes there is just that strong bond between two people.” She didn’t have to say it; Andy knew that Emma was, at least on some level, referring to the love she’d shared with her late husband, Connor. They’d been high school sweethearts and pretty much attached to each other, until Connor was sent overseas and killed in combat four years ago.
Andy wasn’t about to compare h erself and Brad to Emma and Connor--even implicitly. “We don’t have that big love,” she admitted. “But…I just like knowing he’s there for me.” She threw a hand over her eyes. “I guess that sounds so wrong!”
“Of course it’s not wrong,” Emma assured her, reaching across the table to pry Andy’s hand off her face. “Half of any relationship is about leaning on the other person.”
“Really?” Andy said almost tremulously, looking for some affirmation or maybe wisdom.
“Yes, but that’s the weird pa rt. You’re implying that Brad is some sort of a crutch, but in actuality, you really don’t lean on him much. So what’s even the point? You never stay at his place, and you don’t talk about him that often--not anymore. Honestly, it seems like you’ve outgrown him.”
“Maybe I can’ t handle change…?”
“What BS! If you couldn’t handle change, then why would you move out of mom’s big house, and into that comparatively small apartment?” Mentioning the apartment brought Tragan to her mind again. “Just don’t be so tentative,” Emma told her firmly. “I know it’s hard to let go, but Brad’s not the only game in town. Other people are there for you, too--and anyway, you’re way stronger than you think.”
When the waitress re-appeared to check on them, she noticed that they’d barely eaten their salads. “Everything all right?”
“Yes, fine. Can I have another Sprite, please?” Emma said.
“Sure.” As she reached over the table to grab Emma’s glass, Andy caught sight of someone about
“Brad’s fine. He’s on rounds now.” Toying with her fork, Andy inhaled a sharp breath, then said, “The truth is…I’ve been thinking about maybe breaking up with Brad.”
“Really?” Emma said, setting her own fork down.
“Yes, but I’m not sure. I don’t want to do anything impulsive-- because, you know, I’m not sure if we’re just in a blah phase and maybe it will pass.” Preempting any reaction from her sister, Andy commented, “I know you probably think I should.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Emma replied in her usual even tone.
“I know you’ve never really liked him.”
“Again--I never said that.”
Impatiently, Andy stopped twisting her fork and looked at her sister dead-on. “I can tell. How come? For real.”
For a moment, Emma glanced off to the side as if that were where the diplomacy could be found. “Well, Brad always just seemed so slick--and kind of shallow. I’m sorry,” she amended quickly, “maybe I’m wrong.”
“Mom loves him,” Andy feebly pointed out.
With a wry sort of look, Emma tilted her head. “Of course she does. Brad’s wealthy and nice-looking, with a prestigious career and impeccable manners. What’s not to love--from a mother’s point of view?”
“Okay, but from a sister’s point of view…?” Andy pressed.
Emma looked a bit reluctant before she answered, “I guess my read is that for half of the relationship you were away at school. You guys were leading totally separate lives. And in a way, you still are--you never seemed to have much in common. Look, I know he’s got the stats. Mom loves stats. But…” Emma gave a questioning shrug. “What’s holding you guys together?”
When Andy hesitated--because she honestly didn’t have an answer to that--Emma said, “Don’t get me wrong. I know sometimes there i s just a deep love, and there doesn’t have to be an itemized list of common interests. Sometimes there is just that strong bond between two people.” She didn’t have to say it; Andy knew that Emma was, at least on some level, referring to the love she’d shared with her late husband, Connor. They’d been high school sweethearts and pretty much attached to each other, until Connor was sent overseas and killed in combat four years ago.
Andy wasn’t about to compare h erself and Brad to Emma and Connor--even implicitly. “We don’t have that big love,” she admitted. “But…I just like knowing he’s there for me.” She threw a hand over her eyes. “I guess that sounds so wrong!”
“Of course it’s not wrong,” Emma assured her, reaching across the table to pry Andy’s hand off her face. “Half of any relationship is about leaning on the other person.”
“Really?” Andy said almost tremulously, looking for some affirmation or maybe wisdom.
“Yes, but that’s the weird pa rt. You’re implying that Brad is some sort of a crutch, but in actuality, you really don’t lean on him much. So what’s even the point? You never stay at his place, and you don’t talk about him that often--not anymore. Honestly, it seems like you’ve outgrown him.”
“Maybe I can’ t handle change…?”
“What BS! If you couldn’t handle change, then why would you move out of mom’s big house, and into that comparatively small apartment?” Mentioning the apartment brought Tragan to her mind again. “Just don’t be so tentative,” Emma told her firmly. “I know it’s hard to let go, but Brad’s not the only game in town. Other people are there for you, too--and anyway, you’re way stronger than you think.”
When the waitress re-appeared to check on them, she noticed that they’d barely eaten their salads. “Everything all right?”
“Yes, fine. Can I have another Sprite, please?” Emma said.
“Sure.” As she reached over the table to grab Emma’s glass, Andy caught sight of someone about
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