Page 26 of David

“Yeah, yeah. I’m here,” she says in a preoccupied voice.

Soon after, she sags back into her chair, looking down.

“I need to go,” she says as if reading something on her tablet. “So, are we going shopping or what?” she asks, ignoring our previous conversation.

“Shopping for what?”

The sound of the tablet sliding onto the table travels to me while she swings her eyes up.

“We need some party dresses for Thea’s wedding.”

“Oh… That.”

Her hand goes up.

“I don’t have time for bullshit, Liz.”

I lean back, laughing in response.

“You talked to Terry.”

“I sure did. Poor woman. You drive her up the wall. We need to have a serious talk about your cousin’s wedding.”

“No, we don’t. No talk about the wedding, please. I’ve talked enough about it with my mother. And I’m telling you what I’ve told her. I have nothing against Thea. I’ve been doing some soul-searching lately, and things have been messy. That’s all. Plus, I’m looking for a place to live. My mother knows that. And that doesn’t make much sense either. First off, I love my mother and enjoy living with her. She’s fun. Secondly, I’m short on cash, so living on my own would only increase my stress level. And thirdly. It would complicate my life in unforeseeable ways. But… I need to do it. I suffer from brain fog every day I spend in Terry’s home. It’s like I’m five and can’t make my own decisions, although she’s never done anything to make me feel that way. Moving out seems like a stupid decision, considering I don’t have the money for it, but staying there only prolongs my misery. If I am about to crash, I better crash quickly. She knows all that…”

“Okay. So, how are the two connected?”

I shoot her a questioning look.

“What do you mean?”

“Thea’s wedding and you moving out.”

A kernel of emotion spins in my chest.

“You don’t see the connection?”

“No. Not really.”

I’m not surprised.

Chloe has been Miss Independence since she was five. She’s always had plenty of money and opportunities. She never struggled in that sense. Or in any other sense.

Things have always been easy for her. And while she doesn’t take anything for granted, that doesn’t mean she can relate to my struggles.

Things have always been up and down for me.

Thea moving out of California and starting a new life here made my life better for a while.

I had her. And I had Chloe.

Thea is family, though, and her getting swept away from me so quickly has made me rethink everything about my life.

I take in a deep breath and speak.

“Listen… I’m still thinking about it. So no dress shopping for me now.”

“David Moore will be there,” she says, not dipping her stare for a moment.

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