Page 83 of One More Time
‘It isn’t stubbornness,’ Lucy grumbled. She had to change tactics. Logic had never worked for farm animals and double dessert, but perhaps (if Lucy had earned any good karma in her life) it might sway Chloe this time. ‘On Monday, he’s leaving for Europe. For a full year of touring. A different city every … what was it, Kim?’ Lucy asked her best friend. ‘Two days?’
‘Three,’ Kim replied flatly.
Lucy turned back to Chloe. ‘Tomorrow, I’m going back to Ohio where I begin a minimum of twelve months of interviews, meetings, evaluations, and general ass-kissing that I have been working toward for my entire professional life.’
Chloe inhaled deeply, sullen.
Lucy continued, ‘Now you tell me how those two things are compatible, Chloe.’
‘What about long distance?’ Chloe asked.
‘With a rock star? On tour? In Europe?’ Kim interjected.
Chloe looked to Lucy. ‘You don’t think he would be faithful? Is that it?’
Lucy shrugged, but she knew. He would be faithful. Nicky was not that guy. Still. ‘Even if he would, Chloe, think about it. We see each other for the first time in forever, have a lovely week together, and then aren’t in the same room again for more than a year? Does that sound like the solid beginning to a relationship? To me, it doesn’t sound like a relationship at all. It’s … it’s FaceTime pen pals. At best.’
Chloe groaned.
Yeah, welcome back to reality, kiddo. We’ve missed you here.
Lucy went on, ‘And then, let’s say that FaceTime pen pals is amazingly successful. The relationship survives, even thrives. Then what? Nicky moves to our tiny rural college town in Ohio?’
A sudden, intrusive vision of Nicky Broome sleepy and rumpled at her little breakfast table made her heart twist.
‘He might,’ Chloe exclaimed. ‘Did you ask him?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ Lucy replied. ‘Because after this tour there will be another.’
‘Six months in the US,’ Kim threw in.
‘Followed by an as-yet-unpublicized residency in Las Vegas that you can’t tell anyone about,’ Lucy added.
‘Shit.’ Chloe’s shoulders sagged. ‘Being an adult blows.’
Kim chimed in, ‘Fucking sucks.’
‘Yep,’ Lucy agreed.
‘I’m sorry, Mom.’
Lucy gripped her daughter’s hand and squeezed. ‘Nothing to be sorry about, Clo, it’s just … well, life’s a bitch and then you die.’
‘Wow,’ Chloe bellowed. ‘That isdepressing.’
‘Wait, is that not a common saying anymore?’ Lucy asked, genuinely shocked.
Chloe tutted. ‘When was that ever a common saying?’
Lucy and Kim exchanged a look of shock.
‘Uh, they made T-shirts,’ Lucy said to Chloe.
‘And bumper stickers,’ added Kim.
Chloe griped, ‘What?’
Lucy couldn’t believe it. ‘It was practically GenX’s motto.’
