Page 29 of Thanks for the Memories
Let’s just says she’s added quite a few enhancements to her body. At first glance I notice new boobs, fuller lips, and an updated nose.
Regardless, she seems genuinely happy to see me, which makes most of my doubts seem to wash away.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I say, holding my arms up. “And I think we have more to catch up on than I thought.” I wave my finger back and forth between her face and her chest.
She giggles. “Yeah, I’ve done a few upgrades.”
“A few,” I tease.
I put her suitcase in the back of my SUV, and she hops into the front seat.
“So, how are you?” she asks. “You look great. You’re so tan. Damn, it’s warm.”
She’s talking non-stop—I’m trying to get a word in while still trying to wrap my head around the changes she’s made to her appearance.
“Welcome to Miami,” I announce. “Or should I sayBienvenidosa Miami.”
She looks out the window.
“I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get here. I’m so mad at myself.”
She continues talking a mile a minute. First about the attractive man who bought her a drink at O’Hare Airport, then about the sweet old lady she chatted with on the plane.
“I told her I was coming to see my lifelong best friend, and she told me about her best friend who passed away two years ago. It was the saddest story. Sandra is in Miami to visit her grandchildren. I helped her with her bags after we got off the plane.”
I feel my shoulders relax a little. The fact that Bethany referred to me as her lifelong best friend makes me feel better.
“That was sweet of you,” I say. “It sounds like you made a new friend.”
She smiles. “I think so too. She gave me her phone number and email address. I’m supposed to send her pictures from my trip.”
We chat for a few more minutes about her new friend, and then I ask the burning question. Well, one of them. I don’t even hesitate to ask all the obvious questions. Despite the time and distance, we’ve known each other long enough for me to cut to the chase.
“Tell me the truth, did you win the lottery?” I ask. “Unless you secretly married a plastic surgeon, I know your procedures weren’t cheap.”
She laughs. “I didn’t marry a plastic surgeon or win the lottery. Actually, do you remember my uncle Louis? He was one of the only decent members of my family.”
“I think so.” I vaguely remember her mentioning an uncle who was more like a grandfather. Most of her family is a disaster, including her mom, and she never knew her father.
“Anyway, Uncle Louis passed away and left my mom and me quite a bit of money. We were the only two family members mentioned in his will.”
This makes more sense. There were no lottery winnings, but an inheritance would definitely pay for cosmetic surgery.
“Really? That was nice of him to do that for you and your mom.”
“I know,” she says, her expression becoming serious. “We had no idea that he had a dime to his name, but apparently he was very into that crypto currency. The man lived in a tiny apartment and had an old Honda that was on its last leg. I nearly passed out when they read his will. Anyway, I took some of my inheritance, and this is the result. Best money ever spent.”
Dang, maybe one of my uncles is secretly rich from that crypto stuff. I’ll have to call my mom and ask her.
“That’s unreal. What did your mom do with hers?”
She scowls. “She paid off her house. And probably blew the rest on her latest boyfriend or online shopping. I mean, how many steam mops can one person have?”
“Um, one?”
“Exactly. It’s insanity. I’ve already told her not to come crawling to me when she runs out of cash. She didn’t like that one bit, but too bad. The reality is that she will be at my door when it happens.”
Bethany’s mother is a topic she’s never liked to discuss, so I’m not surprised when the conversation switches to my parents and Kennedy.
