56
Abi leans over in her bed to turn the lamp off. She exhales deeply as she lies back down and settles into her pillow.
“Are you ok?” I whisper into the darkness. She lets out a sigh, probably getting tired of everyone asking.
“I’m fine,” she answers, pulling the blankets higher.
“How was Mark?” I ask, not wanting to go to sleep yet. In the morning, we have to leave again. I’m looking forward to seeing Gaia, but I’m going to miss being home with family, even if they’re not officially mine.
“He’s doing well. He’s dating Suzie,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Who the fuck is Suzie?”
“You know Suzie. From home economics?” Doesn’t ring a bell. I shrug. “She said your cake was lopsided, so you swapped her sugar for salt and sabotaged her frosting? She got a D for that cake.”
“Salty Suzie!” I exclaim, now it’s all coming back to me.
“Yes.” Abi laughs loudly. It’s the first time I’ve heard her laugh in forever. “Well, now I guess she’s Stay-at-Home Suzie. She and Mark have moved in together, down the road from his parents’ place. She’s not working right now, so she does all the cooking and cleaning, making it a real home.”
“Stay-at-Home Suzie. I like that. I guess he got what he wanted, a domesticated girlfriend.”
“He seems happy,” she says quietly. I can feel that I’m losing her. I try to think of something to say to make her laugh again.
“I can picture her face now, taking a bite of that cake. She looked like one of those grumpy cats.” I let out a loud laugh, picturing Suzie’s sour face.
Abi joins in, and both of us cackle into the night.
Paige thumps the wall she shares with us, her way of telling us to shut up. It only makes us laugh harder.