Page 89 of The Sisters
‘Yes, it must be awful for girls to make good choices when their fathers have almost brainwashed them to think they are nothing more than decorations,’ she said.
Jeff smiled at Birdie, unsure if she knew what she was talking about. Leon, her daughters? But she didn’t remember Leon, she said, or did she in the corners of her mind?
Spencer walked back in. ‘Ready darling?’
Birdie beamed at him. ‘Well, I am off on my next adventure.’ She reached up and kissed Jeff on the cheek. ‘I believe I owe you everything,’ she said, her eyes misting a little.
‘No, I did nothing, your brain repaired itself.’
‘Nonsense,’ she said, and left the room in a waft of Joy perfume.
Jeff stood in the empty room. No more Violetta visiting him, he thought, and pushed his sadness away. He knew he was doing the right thing; girls like Violetta would just break his heart and leave him behind.
He put the book on the top of the magazines and lifted up the hefty pile. As he walked out into the hallway, the book slipped off onto the floor and a photograph fluttered down to Jeff’s feet. He bent over and picked it up. It was of Violetta, smiling at the camera, looking gorgeous with her two fingers up in a peace sign. She looked younger, and more blonde, he noticed.
He missed her.
He wanted her.
He loved her.
Dammit, he loved her, he realised and he pulled out his phone and dialled her number.
‘Hi,’ he said.
‘Is Mom OK?’ she asked quickly.
‘Fine, out of my full-time care, and off to rehab,’ he said.
There was a pause.
‘Does this mean you can see me now?’ her voice was soft and low.
‘I would like to take you to a movie, if you’d let me.’
‘Movie theatres are dangerous for us, you know this,’ she said and he could hear the laughter in her voice.
‘That’s true. Perhaps dinner then? Or I have a day off tomorrow,’ he added. ‘We could do lunch?’
‘Perfect,’ said Violetta.
Jeff’s day off was spent talking, exploring each other’s bodies and sleeping. Finally Violetta emerged to order some takeout Chinese which they ate in bed.
‘This is the first day I have ever taken off and not gone into the hospital because I didn’t have anything else to do,’ he said, as she searched through his meal to steal his broccoli.
‘Really?’ she asked, incredulous.
‘Really. I am very committed to my job,’ he laughed.
‘Well, I feel flattered.’
‘Who wouldn’t give up a day to spend it in bed with you?’
Violetta thought about it. Men wanted to fuck her, sure, but not many of them wanted to stick around, she noticed.
‘Is this a one time thing?’ she asked quietly.
Jeff put down the noodle box and pulled her into his arms. ‘Not if you don’t want it to be.’
