It Takes Two by Bliss Harper

Author:Bliss, Harper [Bliss, Harper]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Ladylit Publishing
Published: 2015-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

ELLA

The next day at school, Patty knocks on my classroom door after third period. “Got a minute?” she asks.

“Sure.”

She closes the door and leans her hip against the bench closest to my desk.

“Sorry for running out on you and Nina like that last night,” I say.

She waves off my comment. “Don’t worry about that. Your sister is a real hoot. Haven’t laughed so much in ages.” She strokes her chin with her fingers for an instant. “But I wanted to say something to you. Something I wanted to say yesterday but didn’t get a chance to.”

“Be my guest.”

“I don’t want to overstep any boundaries, Ella, but what you said about your parents’ marriage yesterday struck a chord with me.” She stretches her fingers and seems to study her nails for a second. “Whatever thoughts you have in your head about their marriage and their relationship and how it affected you… these thoughts only apply to them. To the combination of the two of them together.” She looks back up at me, pinning her green gaze on me. “Ten years ago, when I met Steve, I was just like you. There was no way I would ever get married because marriage was just an old-fashioned patriarchal institution invented so wives could serve their husbands. At least, that was what I believed, because that’s how it was in my family. My father treated my mother as his personal maid, as his property, basically. And I had always vowed that I would never be any man’s property, bound to him by a stupid piece of paper.

“But, you see, that was their marriage. That was the combination of the two of them together. My relationship with Steve, and eventually my marriage, couldn’t be more different from theirs because we are not the same people. I’m not my mother and Steve is not my father.”

I’m a bit taken aback by Patty’s speech. Is that why she moved all the way north? To escape the memory of her parents’ marriage? “Are your parents still together?”

“My father died four years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I guess it’s no coincidence that Steve and I got married four years ago.” She huffs out a chuckle. “Look, Ella, I’m not trying to sway you in any direction, and I’m not here on anyone’s behalf, but I just really wanted you to know this about me. We all have our reasons for behaving the way we do, and we all carry some sort of burden from our past with us. I’m just saying that what happened when you were young doesn’t have to define you now. Everyone is different. You are not your parents. That’s all.” She cocks her head.

“Thanks, Patty,” I say, quite moved by her little speech.

“Don’t mention it.” She shrugs. “Besides, you and Kay are two women. How could it ever be the same as a boring old heterosexual marriage?” Patty obviously finds this very funny and slaps her thigh. “I have to run.” She looks at her watch. “But whenever

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.