bed.
“You think you can just come back home after all this time and everything is going to be like it was a decade ago? Some of us moved on, bitch,” Sarah says as she advances on me.
My eyes go to the kids that are out of earshot, and not noticing the commotion. Brody steps around me into his sister’s path. “Yeah, well some of us tried and couldn’t. So speak for yourself. This is her brother’s house. If you have a problem you should go back home,” he tells her firmly, but with respect.
Sarah casts her eyes around the crowd before coming back to him. “This is my friend’s house. I’ve been here more than she has.”
“This is her brother’s house. Get a grip,” he tells her impatiently.
“No,” I say, surprising everyone. I squeeze the cups I’m still holding, their lids go flying. “Let’s do this.” I stick a finger in both cups to loosen them and shoot it like an oyster. I hand Brody my trash, licking my finger. “Come take a walk with me, Sarah.”
We walk away from the group, Sarah much taller than me. She was always big boned, but striking. She had the curves I always wanted. We could never share clothes growing up, and even though she was a grade behind Brody and me, she has always been taller than me.
“Lay it on me.”
She takes a deep breath before shoving her fingers in her black hair. “You don’t know what he went through when you left, Juliet. And for you to just march in here and have him falling at your feet makes me want to puke.”
“What do you mean? I didn’t come here to get him back. He literally was in my driveway when I pulled up. He’s insinuated himself into my life. He’s getting to know my kids and seems to genuinely like them, but Jesus. It’s only been a week.”
Sarah looks at me with chocolate eyes full of contempt. “He can’t help but push himself into your life. Ever since you were widowed his life has been on hold here. He’s done everything for you, when you weren’t even around to appreciate it. If you aren’t going to take this seriously, then shut it down and let him move on. Finally.”
I watch my feet as the grass catches my long skirt and shows glimpses of my toes. How are you supposed to feel when someone tells you that the man whose heart you broke has been waiting for you since you left him to carry on a life of your own? I felt like shit. I felt like a user. Ungrateful. Unworthy.
I twist to look back at the deck. My family starting the grill, the women laughing over a table of side dishes and doing more shots. They were going to be hammered tonight.
My eyes pull me to the man I’ve loved for more than half of my life. He’s laughing with my sister and holding my little niece in his arms as he tickles her. As if he knows I’m watching, his head turns and our eyes meet. His chuckles slowly fade and a crease forms between his brows in concern. I give a weak smile and start walking toward him, leaving Sarah behind. He studies me before giving a half smile and offering me the Pepsi in his hand.
When I reach Brody, I take the toddler instead and kiss her apple cheek. I turn to my sister and say, “So, Darcy, I hear you’re working for a famous rock star these days. Give me the deets, sunshine.”
~
We eat like kings. I get peer pressured by my own mother to slurp more shots and we laugh. Will puts his baby to sleep as the sun sets, letting his wife enjoy the company. We chase fireflies with my kids and a few sit in mason jars around the picnic table, to be released later. As the night goes on, Brody’s chair not so mysteriously moves closer to mine. By the time I’m ready to leave, they’re touching and his arm is on the back of my chair. I feel him randomly pulling strands of hair out of the bun on top of my head.
My eyelids feel tingly, my nose numb. I’ve got a good buzz. But everyone else is trashed besides Brody and Will’s wife Dez. We laugh hysterically at our family’s increasingly outrageous stories. Mothers
“You think you can just come back home after all this time and everything is going to be like it was a decade ago? Some of us moved on, bitch,” Sarah says as she advances on me.
My eyes go to the kids that are out of earshot, and not noticing the commotion. Brody steps around me into his sister’s path. “Yeah, well some of us tried and couldn’t. So speak for yourself. This is her brother’s house. If you have a problem you should go back home,” he tells her firmly, but with respect.
Sarah casts her eyes around the crowd before coming back to him. “This is my friend’s house. I’ve been here more than she has.”
“This is her brother’s house. Get a grip,” he tells her impatiently.
“No,” I say, surprising everyone. I squeeze the cups I’m still holding, their lids go flying. “Let’s do this.” I stick a finger in both cups to loosen them and shoot it like an oyster. I hand Brody my trash, licking my finger. “Come take a walk with me, Sarah.”
We walk away from the group, Sarah much taller than me. She was always big boned, but striking. She had the curves I always wanted. We could never share clothes growing up, and even though she was a grade behind Brody and me, she has always been taller than me.
“Lay it on me.”
She takes a deep breath before shoving her fingers in her black hair. “You don’t know what he went through when you left, Juliet. And for you to just march in here and have him falling at your feet makes me want to puke.”
“What do you mean? I didn’t come here to get him back. He literally was in my driveway when I pulled up. He’s insinuated himself into my life. He’s getting to know my kids and seems to genuinely like them, but Jesus. It’s only been a week.”
Sarah looks at me with chocolate eyes full of contempt. “He can’t help but push himself into your life. Ever since you were widowed his life has been on hold here. He’s done everything for you, when you weren’t even around to appreciate it. If you aren’t going to take this seriously, then shut it down and let him move on. Finally.”
I watch my feet as the grass catches my long skirt and shows glimpses of my toes. How are you supposed to feel when someone tells you that the man whose heart you broke has been waiting for you since you left him to carry on a life of your own? I felt like shit. I felt like a user. Ungrateful. Unworthy.
I twist to look back at the deck. My family starting the grill, the women laughing over a table of side dishes and doing more shots. They were going to be hammered tonight.
My eyes pull me to the man I’ve loved for more than half of my life. He’s laughing with my sister and holding my little niece in his arms as he tickles her. As if he knows I’m watching, his head turns and our eyes meet. His chuckles slowly fade and a crease forms between his brows in concern. I give a weak smile and start walking toward him, leaving Sarah behind. He studies me before giving a half smile and offering me the Pepsi in his hand.
When I reach Brody, I take the toddler instead and kiss her apple cheek. I turn to my sister and say, “So, Darcy, I hear you’re working for a famous rock star these days. Give me the deets, sunshine.”
~
We eat like kings. I get peer pressured by my own mother to slurp more shots and we laugh. Will puts his baby to sleep as the sun sets, letting his wife enjoy the company. We chase fireflies with my kids and a few sit in mason jars around the picnic table, to be released later. As the night goes on, Brody’s chair not so mysteriously moves closer to mine. By the time I’m ready to leave, they’re touching and his arm is on the back of my chair. I feel him randomly pulling strands of hair out of the bun on top of my head.
My eyelids feel tingly, my nose numb. I’ve got a good buzz. But everyone else is trashed besides Brody and Will’s wife Dez. We laugh hysterically at our family’s increasingly outrageous stories. Mothers
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