Talk by Rachel Zachary

Author:Rachel Zachary [Zachary, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-10-17T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

One morning right before the start of fall semester for my junior year Mom invited Dad over to the apartment for dinner. He had started sleeping over again on the couch when he came to visitor was in the city. Mary always found a reason to be out whenever he was over but Mom didn’t seem to mind. Everyone had settled into their routines, work, school, dinner. The smell of starch and butter was heavy in the air. Mom gave Mary and I two big bowls full of Pasta Alfredo, I was surprised because I had never realized that she was a good cook and then that she had just never had anything to cook with for us while we were growing up.

Soft piano music flitted through the apartment. Mom poured two glasses, one with wine and one with alcohol. Dad came in dressed in tan slacks and a button up, his hair was combed and slicked down and he actually had flowers (lilies) for Mom. She took them with a big smile, toasted everyone and halfway through dinner she said that she had met someone at the college, a man, the sweetest, kindest, gentlest man named Bob. She poured herself a second glass and told Dad that she had been talking with a lawyer and was filing for divorce.

Nobody was more shocked than Dad. Mary started laughing, I was speechless and Dad, Dad was sitting there so quietly with this scrunched up look on his face. It took me a moment before I realized that he was trying not to cry. Mary had stopped laughing now. Only Mom was happy she took the plates from the table and started washing the dishes. I looked at Dad who had hunched over in his seat. I felt like crying too. I felt sorry for him despite everything that he had done.

***

It was on a cold night in November when Mary and I were going to see a movie with Mom and then meet her new boyfriend (and wasn’t that weird to think let alone say out loud) Bob at Belluci’s a little Italian restaurant a few blocks away. Mom was all smiles all the time, she had been in a good mood since early October. I don’t think she had seen Dad or even talked to him since. Mom talked about Bob constantly, how handsome he was, how charming he was, how he was getting his bachelors, and how they had the same hobbies and tastes. I didn’t care. I was apathetic about Bob as Mary was about Dad. I hated change, I liked my little routine and I didn’t want anything or anyone to throw a wrench in it.

I hadn’t been able to eat much or to sleep, I felt like a little kid again waiting for the other shoe to drop. The stress was killing me. Dad had been quiet, Mary had been staying out of everyone’s way, Mom had been the only person who was happy.

I asked her once when I found her going over wedding catalogues if she wasn’t taking things to fast.

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