Page 56 of Imperfections Forbidden
“I didn’t want you to leave because of me.I’ll be fine.Go back inside with the family.I’ll say bye before I leave.”
“Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Yeah, don’t I look fine?Why wouldn’t I be on such a joyous Thanksgiving Day?”I smile, but I’m so tired of pretending that I don’t know if I’m convincing enough.From the look on his face I won’t be winning any more awards for my acting abilities tonight.
“Why wouldn’t you be?I noticed you didn’t say much to Kate or Mom tonight.Now that I think about it, you didn’t say one word to Nick.You acted like he wasn’t here.”
I look down at my hand and tighten the belt around my coat.
“Are you ready to talk about what’s going on?There’s been tension between the three of you since you came home.Now Mom’s acting weird, and you’ve moved out.”
He is perceptive.He also knows me as well as Nick.“I’m not ready to talk.When I am I will let you know.I will come to you and pour my little heart out for you to see.Is that what you want, Chris?”Defeated, I swallow back the lump in my throat and push back the tears in my eyes.“You want to hear how messed up I am, how messed up my life is?”
He hugs me tight, and I hug him back just as tight.My big brother.Always my big brother without judgment.“I want you to be okay.To be the happy girl I used to know.That’s all I want.”
“Things were easier when we were little and you would fix all my problems.When this is all said and done I think I’m going to need you the most.Promise me you won’t turn your back on me.”
“You know I would never do that.There’s nothing you can do to make me turn my back on you.”
“That’s why I love you so much.”My cab is blowing.I wipe the tears away from my eyes and pull out of his hug.“My cab is here.I can’t go in there like this, can you tell them I had to leave.I wasn’t feeling good.”
“I’ll tell them whatever you want.”
“It won’t be a lie, I really do feel like shit.”I manage to smile for real.“Bye.”
I walk downthe steps into the cold November night into my cab.I get in, and it’s the driver I had the first night I came home from the airport.
“Where to, pretty lady?”
“I’m going home.Manhattan.”
He turns around and looks at me.“I thought this was your home?”
“You remember me?”
“I could never forget such a pretty face.”
“That’s nice of you to say.”
“It’s the truth.I wouldn’t lie about beauty.A beautiful, nice woman is hard to come by these days.”
“Really, I didn’t know that you could tell from a cab ride how nice I am?”
“Yes, I can tell.Many women get into this cab.Their attitude is very nasty.No good morning, goodbye, thank you, nothing, nothing, nothing, they don’t even want to give you a tip.They look like they just rolled out of bed and threw on the first thing they grab off the floor.Then you have the ones who dress like movie stars, same thing.No good, no good.”
“And you can tell from a short cab ride, huh?”
“Yes, and you get my seal of approval.You’re a good one.”
“Well, thank you.”
“I thought you lived in that beautiful house back there?”
“I did, it’s my parents’ house.I was only staying there till I found a place.I’m living with my friend now.”
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Depends on what it is.”
