Page 92 of Overdue I Love You's
“With your job, you can easily pay that off.”
Here it comes.“I quit my job.”
“Come again?” There's an odd octave to her voice.
“I’m a florist,” I whisper it. “It’s been a little over two years now.”
“Nova,” she sighs, and it comes out helplessly like she can’t believe I quit editing to arrange flowers. “Just because a couple of our neighbours said you make pretty flowers or are the plant whisperer, doesn’t mean you go and do that.”
“Is that really what you’re stuck on?” She fixates on the wrong parts and then starts lecturing me.
“Kind of have to be when you don’t even have fifteen fucking thousand.”
“Stop swearing.”
“Christ, do you have a brain, Nova? When we send you out to live on your own, you don’t do stupid shit like quitting your job and dilly-dallying in Toronto. It’s expensive as fuck and you can’t afford it.” She keeps going. “This is why I was against you living alone. Hell, you couldn’t even go insideSuperstorealone to buy chips. Should’ve known this was going to happen.”
My palm turns hot and sweaty. “I told you, so you’d understand.”
“How the hell am I supposed to understand when you’re being stupid?” She exasperates. “This is the real world, Nova. You can’t quit your job because you feel like it or because it’s not fun. You get through it even if you hate it.”
“You’re the one who once told me to follow my dreams,” my voice cracks.
“If those dreams are this then fuck them. Stop finding the easy way out.” Deep breath buzzes through the receiver. “We should’ve stopped babying you and let you take care of yourself like Ma and Dad did to me andAte. Maybe then you would’ve grown up.”
Her words are a natural disaster that ends my world.
Torn apart. Absolutelyabolished.
“I’ve been going through a lot.” I say, teary-eyed. Slow heartbeats drum against my sternum, before slowly, meticulously, almost evilly, they begin picking up their pace.
They crawl against the cages of my rib and tie themselves to my lungs, their ragged teeth morphing into poison that melts into every neighbouring organ.
I’m left clutching my thigh and fisting the material of my silk slip-on.
“Okay and?” She scoffs, “I’m going through a lot too. Doesn’t mean you use that as an excuse.”
I hang up and shove my phone aside, banging on my chest.Finding a reprieve. Looking around, there’s nothing to point out but the hazy images of eyesight stopping me from clearing sinuses.
Drawers pull open left and right, but nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Maybe then you would’ve grown up.
I sigh in relief when I see the blue cover peeking from beneath Hina’s makeup.
Your date didn’t pick you.
The relief dissipates the second I grab the colouring book and markers, only to find every one of the pages coloured in.
Damn it.I shove it to the side.
My phone buzzes.
Rosa
I don’t know what the hell that was, but don’t think you can talk to me like that and hang up the phone. So fucking disrespectful.
All the blood drains from my face.
