Page 42 of The One I Need
“Wow. I didn’t see that question coming.” In the last two weeks of us talking, she has never asked me one of these questions first. The get-to-know-you kind. She’s been open when I’ve asked something. But I’ve kept them pretty tame. Nothing big like the day we said no deflections. Though I can tell by the tone of her voice, we might be leaning into that line of questioning.
“I don’t know if anything made me, per se,” I begin. “My mom never really dated and never got married. And while I don’t think she was lonely, and I had an amazing childhood with zero bad memories, I always wondered what a nuclear family would look like. So I guess I became a relationship guy because in my mind, I couldn’t have that without the relationship first.”
“That makes sense, but I have one big question from that.”
I chuckle, because I know what she’s going to ask before it’s even out of her mouth. “I’m adopted.”
The silence says it all. Normally I don’t drop it into conversation like that. Then again, that’s not exactly the most natural thing to insert into any conversation.
“Wow,” she says. “How old were you?”
“A baby. My mom had been trying for years to adopt. She wanted a child but didn’t want to wait on a marriage that might never happen. But because she was going to be a single parent, a lot of people passed on her. Then one of her former students got pregnant with me. She was young, her parents told her they were going to disown her, and the sperm donor left the second she told him. So she asked my mom to adopt me. I’ve never met her, but given the circumstances, she probably protected me from a very difficult life.”
“Well, fuck!” Izzy yells. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to make me cry?”
“Sorry?”
“You should be. If I knew I was going to cry, I would have got tissues ready.”
“I’ll warn you next time.”
“Appreciate it,” she says. “In all seriousness, that’s a beautiful story.”
“Thank you.” I take a second before I ask her the question I’ve wanted to ask for a while now, but didn’t know how she’d react. Or if she’d just give me her famous short answers before moving on. “Speaking of family, you mentioned once that you had a niece and nephew, but you only saw them on FaceTime. Can I ask why?”
The line is silent between us, but I’m not worried. Somehow, I’ve come to know the silence moments between us just as much as the talking ones.
“My sister still lives in Nebraska, where we grew up. She married her high school sweetheart, had a few kids, and works in the office at my family’s furniture store. She’s living the life she always wanted.”
“You don’t go visit? Or they don’t come here?”
“No.”
Well, damn. Okay then. Clearly I went too far.
“I’m sorry I asked. Was just curious.”
She lets out a sigh. “I’m sorry that was so short. It’s just that I don't like talking about going back home. Or anything to do that part of my life. I left the second I could, and if I have my way, I’ll never go back.”
“Duly noted.”
Shit…Now I feel bad. I knew Izzy had relationship hang-ups and for some godforsaken reason thinks that love isn’t in the cards for her. I think if she opened up for the possibility of it, she’d love harder than anyone could ever love a person.
But I didn’t realize there was family drama too.
“We are quite the pair, aren’t we?”
I almost choke on my laugh. Shit, I wasn’t expecting that from her. “You mean the guy who would start a family tomorrow being friends with the girl who doesn’t talk to hers?”
This makes her laugh. “I was thinking more like the guy who loves love more than anything in the world and the woman who thinks it’s horse shit. But yeah, yours works too.”
In between our laughter, I hear Izzy let out a yawn.
“Go to sleep, Izzy.”
This only makes her yawn again. “I’m okay.”
“Go to sleep. I’m guessing you have an early day, and I have a first-grade art show to prepare for. We both need our rest.”
