The Light in the Wound by Christine Brae Page A

on top of my head.
    “What if we were so poor that we had to live in those conditions? Would you still want to be with me?” he cooed into my ear.
    “As long as I have you, Jess. I would live anywhere with you.”
    “You know we’ll get there, right? College graduation is almost a check. Then Master’s. Then a job. And then, we get married.” He spoke so matter-of-fact, as if reading out directions on a map.
    “Why does it seem like such a long time yet?” I sighed.
    “It won’t be too long, baby. Promise.” He shook his wrist and fidgeted with a brand new TAG Heuer stainless strap watch.
    “You’re finally wearing it.” I smiled.
    “Issy, it feels weird. Such an extravagant gift.”
    “Five year anniversary, Jess. That’s gotta count for something, right?” I reached my hands behind me to caress his face.
    “Yeah, but all you got from me was a homemade card with a poem in it,” he teased.
    “It means more to me than you’ll ever know. You took time to make that for me.”
    “I feel like a GQ model now, you’re kind of dressing me up from head to toe. First the Citizens jeans, then these Dr. Martens shoes, now the watch.”
    “Oh, don’t forget that Lacoste shirt you’re wearing. No, wait ... no, stop. Stop tickling me. I was just kidding!”
     

     
    Senior year. Here it was. I spent the summer before school started visiting my mother in Canada. I stayed for two months, helping out with Gracie and visiting with my old friends. It turned out that husband number four wasn’t as well-to-do as she thought, so she had to get a job to help augment her spending habit. The problem was that she worked at a jewelry store, and with all her purchases, her paychecks were either zero or negative. She was back to sleeping a lot, and Gracie was growing up with my stepfather. I was still very happy to see my mother and spent many times with her at home, just talking and reminiscing about her life. Jesse was busy running two summer immersion projects at school, playing baseball and studying for his State Board exams. We tried to talk at least once a week, but he was often rushing to go or too tired to talk.
    Alex surprised me by stopping over to see me on his way to Europe to attend a conference with his father. My mother knew his parents very well, and although he took a hotel by himself in the city, he had meals with us and hung out with my family the entire five days he was there. He also met Chris and she shared many stories of our adventures together with him. He told her I wasn’t that same person anymore. I didn’t get upset with him because, in a way, I knew that what he said was the truth. Just being away from Jesse in another country was so different. At first, I missed him so much that I felt like I couldn’t function, like I couldn’t breathe. I cried when our phone calls ended and stayed up all night fearing the worst about what he was doing back home. About a month into my stay, however, my outlook began to change. I wore what I wanted to wear, kept myself busy and no longer had the time to immerse myself in my self-pity.
     

     
    I arrived from Canada two weeks before school started to a gorgeous guy waiting at the airport gate and clutching a bouquet of flowers. My heart soared and I took in that scintillating smile as he rushed over to me and swept me off my feet. We didn’t care that people were watching. Jesse kissed me ferociously, grabbed the back of my head and leaned me against one of the pillars that separated the airport gates. A few breathless minutes later, he finally set me down and we held hands as we walked toward baggage claim.
    “You’re wearing a skirt. You look beautiful.”
    I smiled at him lovingly. I hoped he wasn’t mad about my outfit.
    “Is Bernard here?” I asked. My left arm entwined with his right while I clutched my flowers with the other hand.
    “Yup, he’s already down there picking up your luggage. How was it, Iss? How’s your mom?”
    “She’s okay, a