Page 74 of Imperfections Forbidden
“He’s not coming to see you, Ava.”I smile across the counter in her shop.“He’s coming to see me.He wants to talk.”
“Sounds serious.”
“I haven’t spoken to him or anyone in my family since the blowout of the century in the hospital.”
Ava steps down off the ladder where she’s holding up swatches of fabric against the wall.“I still can’t believe it all went down like that.It’s awful.”
“Yeah, it was bad.”I tear up every time I think about it.
“You know Kate and I don’t get along—”
“Understatement,” I interject.
She sits down across the counter from me on a stool where the cashiers are going to be.“Yes, but I would never wish that kind of pain and devastation—the loss of a child—on my worst enemy.I can’t imagine what she must be going through.”
“Lucky for you.I can, I saw the look on her face when Nick told her.God, that was hard.I’ve never seen anything like it, and I never want to again.”
“I’m sorry, honey, I know how hard this is on you.When I heard what happened I had to come back.”
“I’ll be fine, Kate won’t.How can she ever be?All I had to do was stay away from him.”
“Honey, don’t you start that bullshit.None of this is your fault.You had absolutely nothing to do with Kate losing her baby.These things happen, they’re unexplainable and sad.We have no control over what happens in life, and you’re not God.”
I know I’m not God but maybe…I stop thinking and look at Ava.“You didn’t have to come back.You should have stayed with your mom and dad.No sense in ruining your holiday and New Year’s.Your mom and dad really wanted to see you.”
“My parents will be fine.They have their dysfunctional marriage perfected.They saw me, I saw them, it was all good.To tell you the truth, I was ready to come back.Christmas was nice and all, but I want to ring in the New Year in New York with my best friend and roommate.”
“Thanks for being a good friend.”
“No problem.What are we going to do for New Year’s, roomy?Hit the town, paint it red, green, and gold?”
“What am I going to do?”I look at her with all seriousness because I’m dead serious.“Not a damn thing.I can’t wait for this year to be over.”
“We need to take this year out with a bang.”
“Are you serious?I have had enough damn bangs.Any more bangs and I’m going to need emergency care.”
“Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure we have a rocking New Year’s Eve and the paramedics on standby.”
“Knock yourself out.The only thing I plan to do is curl up in bed with a bottle of pink champagne and watch Ryan Seacrest before my head hits my pillow.I don’t need any more excitement in my life.I’ve had enough to last a lifetime.”
She looks at me and holds up two swatches.“Which one of these do you like better?”
“I like the yellow-and-blue striped one.”
“Good, I like that one too.”
“When will this place be finished?”
“As soon as my contractor stops dragging his ass.I’m going to light fire under him come the new year.I’m tired of seeing all this construction shit in here.I expect him to have this place ready by February.He’s not getting a dime more from my ass.I’m going to be in this place every damn day.He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.He better not let my southern charm fool him.This is fire right here.Handle with care, handle with care.”
“That’s right, he’s going to get burned.Take it to him, sister girl.”We look at each other and break out laughing as I hold my fist in the air.“Sister power.”
I am glad she came back early.I don’t know what I would be doing right now.Yes, I do, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed.Nothing to take my mind off Nick and Kate and all the hate my family is throwing my way.My phone rings.It’s Chris.
“Chris.”
“Meet me outside in five minutes.”
