CHAPTER 33 #2
“They’re on their way back. They’re driving separately because they’re moving back in here.
Well, my house. They packed their stuff, I guess, so they needed the space for it and wanted their cars here.
I’ll get the rest of the details when they get here.
Also, I’m going to order a pizza in about forty-five minutes.
” She moved to snuggle into Myra’s side.
“Can we stay like this until they get here?”
“They’re coming here?”
“Well, to my house,” Elisa replied and kissed the top of Myra’s breast.
“Sure. We should get Buster in a few, though.”
“Yeah,” Elisa agreed softly. “Do you want to come to dinner?”
“I don’t think I should,” she replied. “But I can be here for you after.”
“Okay,” Elisa said, not arguing further, which told Myra that she was right to not attend their reunion dinner.
About an hour later, she kissed Elisa goodbye and patted Buster on the head as they went home.
Myra didn’t know what to do with herself then since she’d planned on spending the day working on the house, so she went back inside and found something to cook herself for dinner.
Then, she pulled out her computer, did the paperwork she’d been putting off, and reviewed the work schedule for the week.
When the doorbell rang, she expected it to be Elisa telling her what happened at dinner, but she was surprised to see AJ standing there when she opened the door.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi,” she replied .
“Can I talk to you?”
“Sure.” She motioned for him to come inside. “Do you want to sit? Want a drink or something?”
“Do you have beer?”
“Yes, but not for you.” Myra smiled at him.
AJ laughed and said, “Had to try. It’s been a rough few days.”
“I heard,” she said and motioned again for him to sit on the sofa, which he did.
“Do you love my mom?”
“What?” she asked as she sat down next to him.
“Do you love her? I’m about to leave for school, and so is Adele. I don’t want her to be alone or with someone who will hurt her.”
“Oh,” Myra said with a nod. “I care about your mom a lot, but I think when I say those words for the first time, they should be to her.”
“You said when ,” AJ observed.
Myra just winked at him instead of responding.
“Cool,” he said, nodding a bunch. “So, I need to apologize to you. I was a dick.”
“I think I get it. You walked in on your mom and me. That’s a pretty big shock.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the woman thing. I don’t care about that. I mean, it’s weird, yeah, but it’s who she is, so I get it. I’ve just been dealing with a lot, and I took it out on Mom and you. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Mom and I did at dinner. And Adele, too.”
“Okay,” Myra said, not wanting to pry.
“But it’s weird,” he added. “Everything’s happening all at once.
I thought my parents were supposed to be together forever, you know?
They were supposed to be happy, and I was supposed to be smart enough to go to the same school as Adele.
I don’t like being without her. I know that sounds weird if you’re not a twin, but that’s how it feels sometimes: she got in there, and I couldn’t.
I was also supposed to be at school already, practicing with my new team and trying not to think about it, but I had to get into a lame school that has no coach yet, so there’s no summer practice.
” AJ leaned back and sighed. “And when I saw you with Mom… It’s like she’s moving on without us; without me.
She bought a house. She got a dog. She has a girlfriend now.
We’re about to go off to school, and it’s a lot. ”
“AJ?”
“Yeah?” he said, turning his head to her.
“Your mom needed to get out of that house to be happy.”
“I get that now.”
“But she spent months fixing up that house next door. Your rooms were the first things she worked on. She bought you both beds, hung curtains, and got you clothes to hang in the closets. She finished the living room next and started on the kitchen before she realized the damage, but she didn’t put her own room together until right before you all got here.
Your mom has always and will always put you and your sister first. When she found out that you two wanted to stay with your dad for all your breaks, it hurt her.
I don’t say that to make you feel bad. I just want you to understand something: your mom will never move on with out you. She hoped to move on with you.”
AJ nodded again and said, “My dad is an asshole.”
“I heard you defended your mom today.”
“He said some shit to her that is not okay,” he replied.
“I’m glad you were there. I wish I would’ve been.”
“It was better that you weren’t. He would’ve just said bad stuff to you, too. We talked to Mom. We’re staying here for breaks and stuff, and we’ll visit our friends and maybe stay with them. I don’t know yet. Adele and I are just really mad at him right now, so we don’t want to be there.”
“I get it,” Myra said.
“Then, there’s Adele dating the girl I like.”
“I heard that, too.”
“What do I do with that? ”
“Well, is it that you really like Wendy, and that’s the main thing? Or is it something else, like Adele dating another girl?”
“It’s that my sister is moving on, too,” he replied. “Because I’m pathetic.”
“You’re not pathetic.” Myra smiled at him. “You’re just growing up, and growing up sucks sometimes.”
“Tell me about it.”
“But it’s also pretty cool,” she added. “You’ll learn new things about yourself, discover what you want to do with your life and who you want in it as well while learning to live without the same people being in your life every single day.
You’ll learn how to do your own laundry, how to cook ramen in the microwave, and how many spice packets you can add before it’s too spicy. ”
“You did that?” he asked.
“Yes. My record was five.”
“Five? Damn.”
“I’m from New Orleans. We know spicy.” Myra then paused for a second and added, “You’re going to fall in love, and it might last forever, or you might get your heart broken, but everything that happens to you now is going to help you handle things later.”
“Why can’t I just get to the later and know all the stuff already?”
“If you can answer that, I think we’d all like to know,” she replied.
AJ laughed a little and said, “Mom wanted to know if you wanted to come hang out with us. We’re going to watch a movie and just chill.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your family night.”
“I think she could use you there,” he replied, standing up. “And it’s cool with me and Adele.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah. And if it’s cool with you, maybe we can still do the city hall thing one day soon.”
“Yeah, we can plan it,” she replied.
“Cool,” he said.