shed. It was exactly how I felt as well, but no amount of arguing, pleading, or crying would change it. I tried multiple times and failed.
“I’m done talking about this, okay? I’d rather hear about you going ass to mouth in a port-o-let, if you don’t mind.”
I was hoping my sharp quip would make him spit out a little bit of his food, but he knew what I was doing and was unmoved. For the rest of the afternoon, the topic was not brought up again, and I doubted he would unless I did it myself. I found comfort in knowing that we only took what the other offered. No pushing or prying. We could simply be. In a time so uncertain of anything, it was the one thing I knew I could count on.
We had taken our fortune cookies with us to the car and cracked them open on the drive back to the club.
“You will come to realizations in your life that will change you forever,” David said as he handed me the fortune and added, “in bed.”
“Oh, can’t forget the in bed part. Let me see what mine says.” Snapping open the tan cookie, I ate it before flipping over the small piece of paper. It was a small quirk I had picked up one point for some unknown reason.
“Your choices will change the world...in bed.” I chucked the paper in the drink console between our seats and shrugged.
“Those are some pretty heavy fortunes. I wonder what happened to the ones that just said that you will be lucky next week.”
Nodding in agreement, I picked up the fortune again and rubbed it with my fingers. “No shit.”
For being cheesy tokens, they seemed to be pretty accurate. Rather than putting it back in the console, I shoved it into my pocket to keep as a memento. Talking to Erin made me acknowledge what I already knew. This was only temporary.
The scorching March sun gave no relief during daylight hours. Any rain that passed through evaporated before hitting the ground. Without the swamp coolers running, the house often felt claustrophobic at times. It was nearly ready for repair. All of the debris had been cleared. The furniture that was salvageable was in the garage, and the dingy shag carpet had been ripped out with the sub floor being prepped for the tiles I had picked out the week before. Sitting on the front porch, I used my forearm to wipe my brow of the sweat that never seemed to cease pouring.
“Toni, let’s take a break. It’s a perfect time for me to take you somewhere.”
Looking up under a hand that created shade from the harsh light, I shrugged my shoulders and stood up. “Okay, let’s go, captain.”
We crawled into the GT where I took a whiff of my armpit and cringed. Making a fake cough, I lifted my arm and fanned it with the other hand. “Smell my funky greatness.”
“Wow, you are such a lady.”
David rolled down the windows, and the hot, desert air whipped around us loudly. We both laughed while heading back into town.
“Where are we going?”
David looked at me with the most mischievous smile. Not another word came out of him until we pulled up to the rink. “I thought you might appreciate this stroll down memory lane.”
As I looked at the massive brick building, the images of years sitting in the rafters watching him do drills poured in. I never stepped foot on the ice. I simply enjoyed the reprieve from the heat it offered.
As he opened the door, an arctic blast hit us in the face.
“OMG, this is awesome. It’s perfect. Let me go crawl up in my spot for a while.”
Shaking his head, he chuckled loudly. “Oh no, you’re going out in the rink. You’re not getting out of this. Time to lace up, sweetheart.”
The large, white expanse full of kids became a feared landscape. Toddlers with those trainer bars scooted carefully in a circular motion as the more experienced kids flew by.
“You’re fucking kidding. No way, I’ve never done this. I can’t afford to bust my ass out there!”
Still guiding me towards the skate rental, he was relentless. His own set was slung
“I’m done talking about this, okay? I’d rather hear about you going ass to mouth in a port-o-let, if you don’t mind.”
I was hoping my sharp quip would make him spit out a little bit of his food, but he knew what I was doing and was unmoved. For the rest of the afternoon, the topic was not brought up again, and I doubted he would unless I did it myself. I found comfort in knowing that we only took what the other offered. No pushing or prying. We could simply be. In a time so uncertain of anything, it was the one thing I knew I could count on.
We had taken our fortune cookies with us to the car and cracked them open on the drive back to the club.
“You will come to realizations in your life that will change you forever,” David said as he handed me the fortune and added, “in bed.”
“Oh, can’t forget the in bed part. Let me see what mine says.” Snapping open the tan cookie, I ate it before flipping over the small piece of paper. It was a small quirk I had picked up one point for some unknown reason.
“Your choices will change the world...in bed.” I chucked the paper in the drink console between our seats and shrugged.
“Those are some pretty heavy fortunes. I wonder what happened to the ones that just said that you will be lucky next week.”
Nodding in agreement, I picked up the fortune again and rubbed it with my fingers. “No shit.”
For being cheesy tokens, they seemed to be pretty accurate. Rather than putting it back in the console, I shoved it into my pocket to keep as a memento. Talking to Erin made me acknowledge what I already knew. This was only temporary.
The scorching March sun gave no relief during daylight hours. Any rain that passed through evaporated before hitting the ground. Without the swamp coolers running, the house often felt claustrophobic at times. It was nearly ready for repair. All of the debris had been cleared. The furniture that was salvageable was in the garage, and the dingy shag carpet had been ripped out with the sub floor being prepped for the tiles I had picked out the week before. Sitting on the front porch, I used my forearm to wipe my brow of the sweat that never seemed to cease pouring.
“Toni, let’s take a break. It’s a perfect time for me to take you somewhere.”
Looking up under a hand that created shade from the harsh light, I shrugged my shoulders and stood up. “Okay, let’s go, captain.”
We crawled into the GT where I took a whiff of my armpit and cringed. Making a fake cough, I lifted my arm and fanned it with the other hand. “Smell my funky greatness.”
“Wow, you are such a lady.”
David rolled down the windows, and the hot, desert air whipped around us loudly. We both laughed while heading back into town.
“Where are we going?”
David looked at me with the most mischievous smile. Not another word came out of him until we pulled up to the rink. “I thought you might appreciate this stroll down memory lane.”
As I looked at the massive brick building, the images of years sitting in the rafters watching him do drills poured in. I never stepped foot on the ice. I simply enjoyed the reprieve from the heat it offered.
As he opened the door, an arctic blast hit us in the face.
“OMG, this is awesome. It’s perfect. Let me go crawl up in my spot for a while.”
Shaking his head, he chuckled loudly. “Oh no, you’re going out in the rink. You’re not getting out of this. Time to lace up, sweetheart.”
The large, white expanse full of kids became a feared landscape. Toddlers with those trainer bars scooted carefully in a circular motion as the more experienced kids flew by.
“You’re fucking kidding. No way, I’ve never done this. I can’t afford to bust my ass out there!”
Still guiding me towards the skate rental, he was relentless. His own set was slung
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