note. She left it folded under a magnet on the refrigerator. Before
leaving Cora put the bowl of marinating chicken back in the fridge. “Too bad
I'll miss out; I love the way she cooks.”
Cora left Jules' place by the back door. With a sad
smile she paused at the street and looked back to the house. She then walked
part of the way and caught a city bus to the exchange. Sam's apartment was only
a three minute walk from there. She climbed the steep steps to his building and
let herself in. If he was home the door would be unlocked, which it was. She
found him sprawled out on the floor in his bedroom with an arm over his eyes.
“ Hey. You kinda' left me stranded there,
dude.”
Sam looked up at her with no reaction then laid his arm
over his face again.
“ You know you should go over there and talk
to your lady. She's pretty upset, Sam.”
Sam twitched his hand as if to flick off whatever Cora
said to him. He kept his silence.
“ Listen, mi querido hermano , you
can't blame Jules for any of this. It's not her fault; she didn't have a clue.
If you want to be angry, be angry with me.”
Sam didn't look at her and continued to
shield his eyes. “Don't worry, I am angry with you.”
Cora bent down to sit on the floor next to Sam.
“Brother, don't let this little incident stand in the way of your happiness.
Jules is an amazing woman; she's a keeper. And I can tell she cares for you a
lot.”
Sam suddenly sat up “Little incident. Oh, I do love
your tasty choice of words, Cora. You and Jules... it makes me... I don't know
what I feel. I’m making love to a woman who made love to my sister. How would
you react if I had been humping your boyfriend? Hmm, oh but excuse me. You
don't do guys, do you? Crap, this stinks Cora. Thank you for ruining
everything.”
“ The only one who is ruining anything is
you, Sam. Nothing has changed; no one has changed. Jules is still that
wonderful sensitive, bright and quirky woman that I know you care for. You’re
still my brother and I’m still your sister. Don't mess this up because of some
weird aversion you have to the idea of two women together. I'm not with her
now. You are. I’m only sorry that I let her go.”
“ Oh great, I get your cast-off lovers like
some already chewed gum.”
At this, Cora started laughing. She collapsed on the
floor next to Sam and laughed until she was gasping for breath.
“I.. oh god I can't believe you just said that. It's
sounded just like when you were little. A little Sam. Oh what a riot.”
Sam looked at his sister laughing beside him. He wanted
to slap her. He also wanted to laugh too, but he wouldn't allow her the pleasure.
No matter what their circumstance growing up Cora could always manage to make
Sam laugh. Even when he was throwing a fit she could turn the moment on its
head and make some joke to reset the emotional charge.
Cora sat up and put her right arm around him slapping
him on the back. “You have to admit, Sam this is a little funny. Don't you
agree?” Cora said this as she lifted her hand to tousle his hair.
“ It's not at all funny, Cora. As you can
see, I’m not laughing.”
Cora took a deep breath. She looked at Sam with a
loving, patient smile on her face.
“Oh, Sammie. I love you so much and I want you to be
happy. Just be happy, please? Don't make the same mistakes I have made. Jules
is a gem. She really is a jewel! She's everything I'd want for you. Don't let
her get lost.” She paused, waiting for a reply but Sam continued to stare down
at the floor picking at the carpet with a stubborn scowl.
“I gotta' go, bro'. I'm due back at the clinic. I will
call you.”
She leaned over and kissed his rough face. ”Hasta
luego.” And she was gone.
Chapter Ten: Black Brew
Jules slept on her couch. She dreamed again of the
house by the lake.
She opened the door with care and left the
meager room with caution until she stood outside under tall, deciduous trees
with huge leaves. The trees were unfamiliar
leaving Cora put the bowl of marinating chicken back in the fridge. “Too bad
I'll miss out; I love the way she cooks.”
Cora left Jules' place by the back door. With a sad
smile she paused at the street and looked back to the house. She then walked
part of the way and caught a city bus to the exchange. Sam's apartment was only
a three minute walk from there. She climbed the steep steps to his building and
let herself in. If he was home the door would be unlocked, which it was. She
found him sprawled out on the floor in his bedroom with an arm over his eyes.
“ Hey. You kinda' left me stranded there,
dude.”
Sam looked up at her with no reaction then laid his arm
over his face again.
“ You know you should go over there and talk
to your lady. She's pretty upset, Sam.”
Sam twitched his hand as if to flick off whatever Cora
said to him. He kept his silence.
“ Listen, mi querido hermano , you
can't blame Jules for any of this. It's not her fault; she didn't have a clue.
If you want to be angry, be angry with me.”
Sam didn't look at her and continued to
shield his eyes. “Don't worry, I am angry with you.”
Cora bent down to sit on the floor next to Sam.
“Brother, don't let this little incident stand in the way of your happiness.
Jules is an amazing woman; she's a keeper. And I can tell she cares for you a
lot.”
Sam suddenly sat up “Little incident. Oh, I do love
your tasty choice of words, Cora. You and Jules... it makes me... I don't know
what I feel. I’m making love to a woman who made love to my sister. How would
you react if I had been humping your boyfriend? Hmm, oh but excuse me. You
don't do guys, do you? Crap, this stinks Cora. Thank you for ruining
everything.”
“ The only one who is ruining anything is
you, Sam. Nothing has changed; no one has changed. Jules is still that
wonderful sensitive, bright and quirky woman that I know you care for. You’re
still my brother and I’m still your sister. Don't mess this up because of some
weird aversion you have to the idea of two women together. I'm not with her
now. You are. I’m only sorry that I let her go.”
“ Oh great, I get your cast-off lovers like
some already chewed gum.”
At this, Cora started laughing. She collapsed on the
floor next to Sam and laughed until she was gasping for breath.
“I.. oh god I can't believe you just said that. It's
sounded just like when you were little. A little Sam. Oh what a riot.”
Sam looked at his sister laughing beside him. He wanted
to slap her. He also wanted to laugh too, but he wouldn't allow her the pleasure.
No matter what their circumstance growing up Cora could always manage to make
Sam laugh. Even when he was throwing a fit she could turn the moment on its
head and make some joke to reset the emotional charge.
Cora sat up and put her right arm around him slapping
him on the back. “You have to admit, Sam this is a little funny. Don't you
agree?” Cora said this as she lifted her hand to tousle his hair.
“ It's not at all funny, Cora. As you can
see, I’m not laughing.”
Cora took a deep breath. She looked at Sam with a
loving, patient smile on her face.
“Oh, Sammie. I love you so much and I want you to be
happy. Just be happy, please? Don't make the same mistakes I have made. Jules
is a gem. She really is a jewel! She's everything I'd want for you. Don't let
her get lost.” She paused, waiting for a reply but Sam continued to stare down
at the floor picking at the carpet with a stubborn scowl.
“I gotta' go, bro'. I'm due back at the clinic. I will
call you.”
She leaned over and kissed his rough face. ”Hasta
luego.” And she was gone.
Chapter Ten: Black Brew
Jules slept on her couch. She dreamed again of the
house by the lake.
She opened the door with care and left the
meager room with caution until she stood outside under tall, deciduous trees
with huge leaves. The trees were unfamiliar
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