22. True
“I helped your grandma roll her hair tonight while we watched reruns of MASH. It reminded me of the summers we used to spend up here. You were on Blue Magic duty and I was in charge of handing off the rollers. God, I can’t believe that was 20 years ago. And I can’t believe you’ve already been gone for one of those years.”
I sighed, trying not to jump straight into my feelings.
“We talked about my fail of a date and grandad tried to get us drunk. Not that I needed much help. I nearly finished a bottle of wine at the restaurant by myself.” I snorted, still a little tipsy. “Can you believe that man had the nerve to ask me why I was leaving with Greyson after his card declined?”
I sat in silence, smiling into the darkness of the room as if she would say something. But that wasn’t how these voicemails worked. They would forever be one-sided.
“In totally unrelated news, I wrote a chapter before I picked up this phone to call you. It had nothing to do with what happened in the hallway of that restaurant.”
I dropped my voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“But just between me and you, mama was right. Maybe. Ok, definitely. One release and I was able to type more in my notes app tonight than I have since I got to Bliss Peak. Ain’t that some shit? I guess with some of my tension gone, the words had no choice but to flow.”
I toyed with the spare pair of night clothes I kept here and rolled on my back, looking up at the popcorn ceiling.
“Remember when you used to say we were too old to still be on a family phone plan? But every month, you paid your half of the bill and never went to get a new plan no matter how much you fussed? Well, look at us now. I never have to worry about some random white man claiming your number one day because I’m still paying the bill. You’re stuck with me.”
I sighed, looking at her name inked across the inside of my pinky.
“I miss you, Promise. I wish Heaven had FaceTime so I could see your face again. I miss your smile and how much you used to suck your teeth at my genius ideas. I just miss…you. I know you did what you did and you felt it was the best, but I—I just want you here, sis. You were my ace. My partner in crime for every little thing. And now you’re…gone. You’re supposed to be here, Promise. I wish you’d just given me one more chance to hug you. I could really use one of your hugs right now.”
Tears wet up the side of my face while I continued talking into the phone, laid out across the bed in my grandma’s guest room.
Lady was at my side, her head resting on my torso like she knew I needed the extra affection.
“Anyway, I didn’t want nothing. Just wanted to tell you that. I love you so much.”
When I hung up the phone, I threw my arm across my mouth to muffle the sound of my sobs. I fell asleep like that, sprawled across the bed with the light still on. And when I woke up the next morning, Lady was gone but one of my grandmother’s quilts was draped over me.