Page 49 of Loathe at First Sight

“Is that how you greet all your guests?” She asks in a sarcastic tone.

“Sometimes,” I say, putting my hand over my heart. “What’s up?”

She sets a box on the desk. “Mom wanted me to bring by the monthly supply of booze for this place.”

Since my parents get a great deal on liquor, they help supply some of the other local establishments around town.

“Oh, thanks,” I say, moving the box to the counter behind me.

“Yep.” She goes to leave, but I call after her.

“Hey, can we talk?” I ask.

“I don’t want to.”

I come around the counter and hobble toward her, each step hurting more and more. “Come on. Please talk to me. And please don’t make me chase after you. I have a bum ankle.”

She turns around to see me limping. “What did you do to your ankle?”

“I stepped in a hole while running.”

She purses her lips together, and I can tell she’s trying her hardest to not make a snide comment about how it’s some sort of cosmic karma.

“Come on,” I tell her. “Five minutes. And I’ll even make us some coffee.”

She thinks for a moment, and I wait patiently for her to tell me to piss off. But she doesn’t. She says, “Fine. Five minutes.”

I walk to the kitchen to pour us each a cup of coffee out of the pot I brewed a little while ago. When I come back, I half expect her to be gone, but she’s taken a seat at one of the chairs in the small dining area.

“Here you go,” I tell her. “I hope you still take it with cream and sugar.”

“Yep.”

After we both take our initial sips, I start the conversation off. “I just wanted to talk to you and figure out why you’re so mad at me.”

She sighs and rolls her eyes. “Liz, we don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, we do. You and I used to be so close—”

She cuts me off, “Yeah, and then, you left.”

“Is that what this whole thing was about? Me leaving? You knew I wanted to go to college, and you celebrated with me when I got into my dream school.”

“Liz, I’m not mad at you for going to college. I was so proud of you for doing that. I still am. But you left and completely forgot about everyone here. When I got pregnant, I was terrified. But the one thing I was excited about was that my baby would grow up surrounded by their aunts and uncle and would be so loved. But you missed damn near all of it.”

Trying to defend myself, I say, “Michelle, I tried being there when I could. I know I should have come home more, but I always tried to make sure Eve knew she was loved. I always sent Christmas and birthday gifts—”

“Right,” she interrupts. “Liz, you tried to shove your money in my face.”

“What?” I ask, completely taken aback.

“You would send expensive gifts like you were trying to buy her love. It doesn’t work that way.” She pauses a moment. “Liz, you bought her a game system, which was a nice thought, but each of the games is $70. How many of them do you think I was able to buy for her as a single mom?”

Five seconds ago, I was ready to hold my ground and defend my stance, but Michelle’s words stop me.

I pivot to say, “I didn’t realize…”

“I know you didn’t. Liz, I’m happy that you were doing so well for yourself. I really am. But it sucked feeling like I lost a sister and then feeling like that sister was rubbing my face in her success.”

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