There was something about Cori that always
made Brooke drop her defenses a little bit. “It’s not what you
think. And trust me, this is way too long of a story for tonight.
But let’s say my mother and I are total opposites.”
Brooke paused, took a sip of her wine.
“My mother has never worked a day in her life. And as for
cooking—ha—that is a laugh. She’s good at planning dinner. But the
cook prepared the actual meals, or the nanny, whoever was working
that night.”
With a big sigh and another gulp of
wine, Brooke continued. “My mother spends most of her time going to
committee meetings, doing and saying all the right things. Making
sure the world sees us as the perfect little family. I think she
felt I was a doll. You know, dress me up, and pose just right,
looking and acting perfect in every situation.” For the life of
her, Brooke couldn’t explain why she confessed all that to
Cori.
“ Wow, I had no idea. I mean
I guess that makes some sense. You do seem very controlled at
times.” Brooke frowned, and Cori hastily added, “I don’t mean to
insult you. It’s just you always look so polished and put together
regardless of the situation. Except the gym. There you aren’t so
polished, but like you said, you fit in fine, too. So I guess all
those years of grooming did rub off.”
“ Yeah, well, some things are
ingrained, I guess. It’s not always a bad thing to be in control.
And I can thank her for some things.”
Brooke gazed around the room absently,
starting to feel guilty and disrespectful toward her mother. She
was raised better, so she added, “I’m not trying to make it all so
bad. My mother loved my brother and me. Her version of love, I
suppose. My brother did what was expected of him, followed my
father into medicine. Mackenzie ‘Mac’ Malone. Because when you’re
successful, it’s expected to have a nickname,” she added,
dryly.
Cori snorted, but Brooke continued on
after another healthy gulp of wine. She was in this deep, might as
well roll with it. “So anyway, back to the nickname thing. It was
good for my brother, but not me. Brooklyn Anne Malone, never
Brooke. Brooke didn’t come about until college really. When I had a
bit of freedom to be myself. But to this day I’m still Brooklyn to
my family. Well, to my parents. Mac actually is the only one in the
family who calls me Brooke, much to my parents’
disgust.”
“ But Brooklyn is an awesome
name. Was it only rebelling that made your shorten it, or was it
you wanted to be like your brother?”
Brooke stood up, picked up her plate.
“You done here, or would like some more?” At Cori’s headshake,
Brooke walked to the sink to rinse out both dishes. “I guess that
might be part of it. I never really looked at it that way. I think
it was more that I knew I couldn’t fit into that mold. I never
wanted to be that girl. Getting away, that was my chance to make
the change. Besides, my name was a bit embarrassing in
school.”
Brooke opened the
dishwasher, mused for a minute. “Most of the boys thought I was
stuck up. They never realized I wasn’t allowed to date. But anyway,
when I said I wasn’t interested in one particular boy, he started
saying things along the lines of ‘I’ve never been in Brooklyn before. I
wonder what it’s like in Brooklyn.’ Well, you know how it can snowball from
there.” She shrugged, shut the dishwasher door, walked back to the
kitchen island, and sat back down.
“ Ha, sorry, but that is
pretty funny.” Cori snorted out a laugh. “I bet you didn’t think so
at the time though. I’m sorry to say, that is something I would
have done to a classmate back in high school. Just for the hell of
it. But you don’t intimidate me. Even with that calm stare you give
to shut someone down. And that’s what those boys were, intimidated
by you.”
“ I don’t know. I still look
back and all I can think of is I couldn’t wait to get out of high
school. Away from everything and
made Brooke drop her defenses a little bit. “It’s not what you
think. And trust me, this is way too long of a story for tonight.
But let’s say my mother and I are total opposites.”
Brooke paused, took a sip of her wine.
“My mother has never worked a day in her life. And as for
cooking—ha—that is a laugh. She’s good at planning dinner. But the
cook prepared the actual meals, or the nanny, whoever was working
that night.”
With a big sigh and another gulp of
wine, Brooke continued. “My mother spends most of her time going to
committee meetings, doing and saying all the right things. Making
sure the world sees us as the perfect little family. I think she
felt I was a doll. You know, dress me up, and pose just right,
looking and acting perfect in every situation.” For the life of
her, Brooke couldn’t explain why she confessed all that to
Cori.
“ Wow, I had no idea. I mean
I guess that makes some sense. You do seem very controlled at
times.” Brooke frowned, and Cori hastily added, “I don’t mean to
insult you. It’s just you always look so polished and put together
regardless of the situation. Except the gym. There you aren’t so
polished, but like you said, you fit in fine, too. So I guess all
those years of grooming did rub off.”
“ Yeah, well, some things are
ingrained, I guess. It’s not always a bad thing to be in control.
And I can thank her for some things.”
Brooke gazed around the room absently,
starting to feel guilty and disrespectful toward her mother. She
was raised better, so she added, “I’m not trying to make it all so
bad. My mother loved my brother and me. Her version of love, I
suppose. My brother did what was expected of him, followed my
father into medicine. Mackenzie ‘Mac’ Malone. Because when you’re
successful, it’s expected to have a nickname,” she added,
dryly.
Cori snorted, but Brooke continued on
after another healthy gulp of wine. She was in this deep, might as
well roll with it. “So anyway, back to the nickname thing. It was
good for my brother, but not me. Brooklyn Anne Malone, never
Brooke. Brooke didn’t come about until college really. When I had a
bit of freedom to be myself. But to this day I’m still Brooklyn to
my family. Well, to my parents. Mac actually is the only one in the
family who calls me Brooke, much to my parents’
disgust.”
“ But Brooklyn is an awesome
name. Was it only rebelling that made your shorten it, or was it
you wanted to be like your brother?”
Brooke stood up, picked up her plate.
“You done here, or would like some more?” At Cori’s headshake,
Brooke walked to the sink to rinse out both dishes. “I guess that
might be part of it. I never really looked at it that way. I think
it was more that I knew I couldn’t fit into that mold. I never
wanted to be that girl. Getting away, that was my chance to make
the change. Besides, my name was a bit embarrassing in
school.”
Brooke opened the
dishwasher, mused for a minute. “Most of the boys thought I was
stuck up. They never realized I wasn’t allowed to date. But anyway,
when I said I wasn’t interested in one particular boy, he started
saying things along the lines of ‘I’ve never been in Brooklyn before. I
wonder what it’s like in Brooklyn.’ Well, you know how it can snowball from
there.” She shrugged, shut the dishwasher door, walked back to the
kitchen island, and sat back down.
“ Ha, sorry, but that is
pretty funny.” Cori snorted out a laugh. “I bet you didn’t think so
at the time though. I’m sorry to say, that is something I would
have done to a classmate back in high school. Just for the hell of
it. But you don’t intimidate me. Even with that calm stare you give
to shut someone down. And that’s what those boys were, intimidated
by you.”
“ I don’t know. I still look
back and all I can think of is I couldn’t wait to get out of high
school. Away from everything and
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