Page 71 of Troubles

How does that even happen? How is it that I’m squished into this tiny space with three women growing tiny humans? Maybe that’s why it feels so damn crowded in here.

“Thanks,” I mumble as the four little bottles of liquor are distributed through the row, along with the drinks the ladies actually wanted. I’m not fooling anyone and we all know it. The stewardess, Marta, must feel for me, or something. The little bottles appear on my tray table as soon as Marta moves on to the next row.

As the third one empties down my throat, Lorna starts again, trying to draw me out of my fit.

“It’s been almost six months, Aidan. It’s time you’re home. Your family needs you. The life you have in Dublin is still there for you.”

“My life is in New York,” I huff out, disgusted with this whole thing. “What—what exactly did she say to you, Lorna? It’s killing me. I feel like I finally found what you and Michael had. I love her, fought so hard to get her to trust me, to give me a chance.”

I roll my head on the seat back to face her. I line the empty bottles up in a nice neat row across the top edge of my tray. “What did I do wrong? How did I screw this up?”

We’ve been friends for so long. So. Long. Surely Lorna can help me understand where I went wrong. Her cool hand picks up mine, stilling it from the nervous fiddling with the bottles. She holds it possessively on her belly, my nephew moving and stretching. The pressure calming both of us, lulling both the baby and me into a state of security.

Lorna’s melodic voice is quiet, soothing. She practically coos at me.

“She said she made a mistake. That she was wrong about your relationship. Said you’re not right for each other, and she was going to go home, spend time with her family as well, and focus on herself. That she needed time for her.”

Lies. Nothing but lies and they roll off her tongue effortlessly.

I pull my hand back and glare at her while keeping my voice even and low. “You’re full of shite.”

Lorna and the woman on the other side of me both gasp.

“Wh-what? I—no—that’s what she said.” Lorna’s face is turning red and her left eye is twitching. It’s her tell.

This girl and I lied our way out of all kinds of mischief growing up, I’ve seen that eye twitch more than I care to think of right now.

“Her family’s not in her life. Certainly, they’re not her ‘safe’ place. Not where she’d go to sort herself.” I turn toward her as much as I can in this tiny seat. “What really happened? Tell me the fucking truth, Lorna. The truth.”

Her deception is too much. The way she played Lis, the lies she wove, there’s no excuse for those. Having to sit next to her for the remainder of that flight while she cried and I seethed was uncomfortable for everyone around us.

All of that is enough to send me off the deep end. As soon as the plane lands, I pull the airline website up on my phone and try as I might, I can’t make a reservation on a flight back. I close down my phone and tuck it away as I approach the customs area. The anger vibrating inside me is barely contained as I stride through to the next available agent.

“Papers.”

I shove them across the counter.

“Can you help me? I tried to make a return reservation as soon as I deplaned and the system won’t let me. Do you know what that’s about?”

I need to get back to the States as soon as possible. I need to explain to Lis what happened—that Lorna lied.

To both of us.

“Sir, there seems to be an issue with your last visa. How long were you out of the country?” Fuck.

“Since March? But I started the process of renewing it—changing the designation before I left the States. I need to get back.”

He flips my passport closed, hands it back to me and waves me through.

“You’ll want to go to the state department and start working on that to get things sorted. Should be able to travel back in a couple months. Next.”

“What? No, I can’t wait. I have to go back soon—now.”

He yells, “Next” again, and I’m absolutely fucked.

Lorna sniffles as she takes her papers from the agent next to mine and moves slowly toward baggage claim to collect her case.

“Did you hear that? Did you, Lorna?” I’m doing everything not to draw attention, but I’m livid. “I’m stuck here, for months. Months until I can get back to Lis and try to fix this shit.”

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