The Gift of You part 2
The Gift of You- part 2
The next day - Saturday
She didn’t want to wake up. The dream was too perfect to let go of. There were no hospitals, no doctors, and no more feeling like a walking, talking bone bag.
Of course, it was only a dream. The real world is calling, in the glorious form of a hangover, the over whelming need to throw up and the shrill ringing of a phone.
“I’ll get it!”
The sound was cut short as her aunt answered the call. With the call no longer a problem, next item on the to-do list was to go vomit. Kicking aside the covers, Andy sat up with a grunt and began her death march to the toilet. As she passed the sink she stopped to take in the lines of orange and white pill bottles, all lined up in order like troops waiting for battle.
She sighed as the need to hurl came back with gusto.
The next hour of her day was spent hanging over the porcelain hellhole as her aunt held her hair. When the last of her heaves tapered off she flushed and with some help stood up and washed her mouth out.
“I made some tea and broth; lets’ get that in you before we go through the lineup.”
The “lineup” was the funny little pet name they had for her medications, like a nickname would obscure their purpose.
“I checked your e-mail; you only have three articles today. When you’re done with that you can spend the day sleeping if you like. I need to get to work. Samantha next door will come and check on you every hour or so and to make sure you eat.”
“Ok, fine, whatever I’ll see you when you get home, I love you, aunty.”
She knew it hurt her aunt when she acted as she did, but at least she wouldn’t hide from her pain. There was a soft snick of the door closing and a key in the lock to announce that Kasey had departed.
With a sigh it was time to start the most painful day to date.
Of course, not being able to safely leave the house without accompaniment sucked and forced her to stay home. But at least work kept her mind busy and focused. She just wished they would give her more.
The next few hours consisted of working on editing and checking facts. It was boring and easy work. If the writers of the articles would do it themselves or just not mess up there would be no need for her. Then again, she was grateful for them being only half assed slackers.
The clock chimed noon, jerking Andy out of her work induced haze. With a groan and a hiss of pain Andy arose and walked to the bathroom.
There again was the waiting army ready to die to try and help her. All lined up in their uniforms of orange and white.
The first charge was choked down with a flood of water; the next wave nearly retreated back to the sink. As the final wave massed, the enemy sat and waited for the end 0f mild horror. You could hear the battle cries and explosion, the last act of heroes that didn’t know if this was going to do any good in the long run. Heck, it might not even work for the short run.
There was a quiet on the battle field, everyone knew this was the end. Friends say good bye, say a prayer, take up their weapons, and charge.
Andy managed to down the last of her pills with a gag. Little fuckers do more harm than good, she thinks. With that out of the way the rest of the day was hers to do with as she saw fit. On the down side there was not much she could do.
In the last year, she has amassed video games, books, puzzles, and other pastimes that might help her whittle away the hours of the days. So far, she has completed all the puzzles, beaten all the Mist puzzle computer games and worked through half of her books. She needed to get out of there, maybe a walk in the park would help bleed off some of this restlessness.
But God damn it all to hell she was so tired.
-
The same day- Miranda’s house
Today was meant to be just her and the girls. Whatever they wanted to do, it was their choice. But, since last night she’s felt down and angry for so many reasons.
The sight of Andrea last night was still playing behind her eyes. The girl looked like death had run her over and then tried to put her back together again. She was seconds away from walking over and demanding to know what was going on. However, the man picked her up and carried her out before she could.
The rest of the night everyone at the table was so quiet, the shock at what they had seen still echoing in their minds. The silence could be felt wafting through them. No one wanted to break the spell.
“Here you go everyone - a new round.”
It had to end sometime.
“Thank you, will you please get the bill? We will be leaving soon.”
With the waitress gone, they all picked up their drinks and downed them in one go.
“What we just saw never happened. Do I make myself clear?”
Miranda just wanted to forget the sight and run away. The girl came back with the check before she could say anymore. So she grabbed it, signed it, and gave the girl more than enough to pay for the night. With that done she pulled out her phone and called for a car.
The moment she stepped into her home and shut the door she was already fighting tears. She rushed up stairs, striped her clothes and jumped into the shower. As the hiss of water filled the air she finally gave into the battle and cried. Mixing with the spray you would not have been able to tell, water from tears, if you tried to look for them. Yet, you could see the shaking of her frame and hear the hitched breathing. Her body language also gave her away. She had one arm wrapped around her middle as the other was using the wall for support. Looking at her then, you would have seen a smaller woman.
A years’ worth of pent up emotions came spilling out. Images and random moments spent with Andrea flashed through her memory. The silly girl had talked back to her as when they first meet. Had walked up the stairs the night she and Stephen fought. She was shocked as she saw the transformation of the caterpillar to a butterfly.
Then those moments spent in quiet contentment in the back of the car. Every moment spent with the girl was another key in the door to her soul.
But then on came the realization of why she felt the way she did when Andrea was around. It nearly took the world from under her feet. It was a ridiculous and ill timed revelation.
The night in Paris, after Stephens’s call, as she sat on the couch thinking about what would happen next. Tears trying to fall, the door opened and in came Andrea. Thinking she could block it all out with work she called the girl over.
When Andrea asked about Stephen, it was too much. The biting, angry words just flowed out.
-
“Well, if you speak to him and he decides to rethink the divorce, then, yes, fetch away.”
She waved her hand in a dismissive way, like she was shoeing a fly away.
“And then when we get back to New York…”
Those eyes, those dark, true eyes dug into her very soul, causing her to lose herself for a moment.
“We need to contact Leslie to see what she can do to minimize the press on… all of this.”
Those eyes…
What was it about those eyes and the soul behind them?
“Another divorce splashed across page six.”
“I can just imagine what they’re going to write about me.”
She was saying too much, those eyes were making her say too much. They were getting behind her wall, she had to get away, but she couldn’t.
“The Dragon Lady, career-obsessed, Snow Queen drives away another, Mr. Priestly.”
“Rupert Murdoch should cut me a check for- for all the papers I sell for him.”
Run, she was falling.
“Anyway, I don’t. I don’t really care what anybody writes about me.”
Get away!
“But my - my girls, I just - it’s just so unfair to the girls, I just…”
Stop!
“Another disappointment, another let down, another father figure, gone.”
No more!
“Anyway, the point is - the point is-.”
… You’re going to get hurt.
“The point is we really need to figure out where to place Donatella.”
The eyes looked away and the walls came back, stronger than before.
She got out a few more words before her ears picked up a whisper.
“I’m so sorry Miranda. If you want me to cancel your evening, I can.”
The stupid girl, don’t look at me with those eyes!
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would we do that?”
They were gone again, but this time something inside hurt at the flash of pain in those doe eyes.
“Um, is - is there anything else I can do?”
“Your job, that’s all.”
Then she felt it, something brushing against her heart as she watched the girl leave. If she had known then what she does now, then maybe life could have been different. When she given Andrea her speech about this life, and seeing so much of herself in Andrea. There was a look in those eyes; a battle was forming in them. With the end of her speech that battle was over. A question was asked and an answer given.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.”
She turned away after that, so she didn’t see the finality and sad look on the face of her assistant. She got out and she heard the other door open, so she assumed the girl followed like always. But when she turned around to tell her something, and didn’t find her there. The world stopped. She couldn’t hear or see anything and for a short second the world was still.
She knew then, the secret of her heart.
-
Miranda’s Town House- present day
She said, “Mom we’re ready to go! Hurry up Patricia. She’s getting antsy.”
That’s right, the girls wanted to go for a walk in the park. They packed a picnic lunch for the trip and everything. Her beautiful girls - how could she every live without them now?
“Let me get my bag darlings, and then we can go.”
-
Central park - same day
There were sounds everywhere, wonders of smells filled her nose and play time movement flooded her senses. Her pack didn’t come here often but when they did she knew she would get treats that she never was allowed at home.
The gentle tug on her neck caused her to stop. She remembered what it meant. Her pack found a large wooden object for seating and prepared to eat. It was time for treats!
She loved it when all of her pack could be together in one place. There could be a stillness that would settle in her bones and she was happy to be with them.
The small one that smelled of sweet grass and dirt held out a bit of food under the table. With a quick swipe of her tongue the meaty bit was taken. Sniffing around for hopes of more, she waited maybe the other small one that smelled of charcoal and mint would give her something tasty. As she hoped for another morsel her human fulfilled that and a bit of bread was gobbled down.
She loved her humans, all three of them, but she loved the human that smelled of a flower scented rain the most. When this human was home she would try to spend as much time with her as the human would allow. Why she did this is because she could smell the loneliness and sadness that emanated from the human in waves.
A hand holding a piece of cheese wondered below the table top. Her big human was just as easy as the small ones.
The time passed and she ate her fill of the scraps passed to her. When the hands stopped giving her food and legs moved to stand she knew it was time to leave. Her grass and dirt human took her away from the others and to a spot that smelled of other dogs. She marked the ground and kicked earth at it now that was her spot know and walked back to the others.
She didn’t want to leave this place of food and fun but her humans were so she had to. They passed rows of trees and walked beside a wall. The smells of the passing humans had her turning her head this way ant that. That is until a sharp shale odor made her stop, upwind was a human in pain. That human smelled so strongly of hurt that she happed to see if she could make it go away. As they got closer an underlying smell appeared. She recognized the odor.
Long ago there was a human that smelled like warm sunshine and spice. That human would always scratch that hard to reach spot under her chin. Whenever that human and her big human were together her big human didn’t smell so lonely.
The smell got stronger as they neared a park bench with a thin human on it. This was the one, the human that smelled of hurt and emptiness. She had to help this human so she pulled away from her own humans and ran to the other.
“PATRICIA!”
She ignored the call, this human needed her.
When she reached the thin human she did the only thing she knew of that always made her small humans smile. She started licking the humans face.