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Authors: Susan Goldsmith
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caring. “I recommend snapping out of it. This is a happy occasion. The three of us have a lot of time to make up for.”
Was I that transparent? I’d have to watch my step. No more tortoise shell and no more thinking.
* * *
We hadn’t taken three steps inside the house before I began worrying again. How much did Faith really know about Sydney, if their estrangement had taken place several years back? That would still have made Sydney—me, in this case—at least sixteen years old and well on my way to doing who knew what with guys like Max. Which definitely meant that I drank. Did I smoke? Do drugs? She’d mentioned some kind of police scene, so was I into serious trouble way back then? Was I even supposed to know how to behave properly? If Max was any example, then I’d probably “tried on” every bald, scary giant in the area. Faith would suspect as much, so in addition to shedding my tortoise shell, I’d have to be careful about everything I said. I promised myself to say as little as possible while I was thinking up ways not to think. Maybe I should even make that promise into another rule and call it into play the next time I happened to switch into a teenaged Goth punk, if ever. Right then I couldn’t think of anything worse.
While Steven and his hands puttered about, Faith fussed over me like a mother hen, getting me set up with a glass of Merlot in one hand and a plate of cheese, crackers, and fruit in the other. Interesting. Neither one of them were concerned I didn’t meet the legal drinking age. No way was I 21-years old. Just in case they decided to correct their error, I white knuckled the glass and settled into a brown leather chair so comfortable it felt like I was getting a little hug. That was nice because it wouldn’t be long before the inquisition began. I seriously needed to chill out, so I started on the wine right away, draining my glass before my new friends had finished their fussing.
They sat together on a big couch where he was within easy reach of my wine glass on a glass-topped coffee table next to my chair. There was a second bottle of Merlot already opened, next to the first one. No sooner were they both seated than Faith cleared her throat, giving notice that she had an announcement.
“Okay, Steven, our rules tonight are simple. There are to be no questions. In return for my asking nothing of Sydney, she has asked nothing from me. For the duration of her visit we are just three people getting to know each other for the first time. Got it?”
He looked from Faith to me and then back to Faith. “After all you two have been through, starting over seems like a good idea to me.” Then he refilled my glass before raising his. “To new friends!”
“Good,” Faith agreed.
I managed to tear my eyes away from Steven’s hands, but ended up zeroing in on Faith’s a moment later. They’d been holding hands, but really casual-like, she had let go and started patting his knee. She gave it a couple squeezes, then ended up resting her hand on his inner thigh. What the hell? Was it on purpose, something they thought would relax me? Were they as aware of it as I was? Why did I insist on noticing stuff like that? You’re thinking again.
“So, darling, tell us all about your day.” She glanced playfully at him. Her hand had inched a little higher up, to the point where there’d be no way he couldn’t feel the heat. Heck, I wasn’t even close to them, and I could feel it!
“My day?” Steven sighed and leaned back. “Well, I spent the entire time listening to chests and checking throats. Flu season is officially in full bloom.”
“Steven is a general physician,” Faith explained, a hint of pride in her voice. “Actually, he was my doctor. I saw those saddle shoes of his poking out beneath his lab coat and decided he was going to be the man for me, come hell or high water!”
“Good thing, too,” Steven added, “because I had already reached the same conclusion about
Was I that transparent? I’d have to watch my step. No more tortoise shell and no more thinking.
* * *
We hadn’t taken three steps inside the house before I began worrying again. How much did Faith really know about Sydney, if their estrangement had taken place several years back? That would still have made Sydney—me, in this case—at least sixteen years old and well on my way to doing who knew what with guys like Max. Which definitely meant that I drank. Did I smoke? Do drugs? She’d mentioned some kind of police scene, so was I into serious trouble way back then? Was I even supposed to know how to behave properly? If Max was any example, then I’d probably “tried on” every bald, scary giant in the area. Faith would suspect as much, so in addition to shedding my tortoise shell, I’d have to be careful about everything I said. I promised myself to say as little as possible while I was thinking up ways not to think. Maybe I should even make that promise into another rule and call it into play the next time I happened to switch into a teenaged Goth punk, if ever. Right then I couldn’t think of anything worse.
While Steven and his hands puttered about, Faith fussed over me like a mother hen, getting me set up with a glass of Merlot in one hand and a plate of cheese, crackers, and fruit in the other. Interesting. Neither one of them were concerned I didn’t meet the legal drinking age. No way was I 21-years old. Just in case they decided to correct their error, I white knuckled the glass and settled into a brown leather chair so comfortable it felt like I was getting a little hug. That was nice because it wouldn’t be long before the inquisition began. I seriously needed to chill out, so I started on the wine right away, draining my glass before my new friends had finished their fussing.
They sat together on a big couch where he was within easy reach of my wine glass on a glass-topped coffee table next to my chair. There was a second bottle of Merlot already opened, next to the first one. No sooner were they both seated than Faith cleared her throat, giving notice that she had an announcement.
“Okay, Steven, our rules tonight are simple. There are to be no questions. In return for my asking nothing of Sydney, she has asked nothing from me. For the duration of her visit we are just three people getting to know each other for the first time. Got it?”
He looked from Faith to me and then back to Faith. “After all you two have been through, starting over seems like a good idea to me.” Then he refilled my glass before raising his. “To new friends!”
“Good,” Faith agreed.
I managed to tear my eyes away from Steven’s hands, but ended up zeroing in on Faith’s a moment later. They’d been holding hands, but really casual-like, she had let go and started patting his knee. She gave it a couple squeezes, then ended up resting her hand on his inner thigh. What the hell? Was it on purpose, something they thought would relax me? Were they as aware of it as I was? Why did I insist on noticing stuff like that? You’re thinking again.
“So, darling, tell us all about your day.” She glanced playfully at him. Her hand had inched a little higher up, to the point where there’d be no way he couldn’t feel the heat. Heck, I wasn’t even close to them, and I could feel it!
“My day?” Steven sighed and leaned back. “Well, I spent the entire time listening to chests and checking throats. Flu season is officially in full bloom.”
“Steven is a general physician,” Faith explained, a hint of pride in her voice. “Actually, he was my doctor. I saw those saddle shoes of his poking out beneath his lab coat and decided he was going to be the man for me, come hell or high water!”
“Good thing, too,” Steven added, “because I had already reached the same conclusion about
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