that Charlotte, me, and our dad got her for her fortieth birthday. The sight of it rises up emotion, so I quickly avert my gaze to her face. Her hooded almond shaped black eyes sit perfectly on her clean alabaster skinned face. Her long black hair, streaked with gray, is pulled back into a tight bun off her face, as she gives me a small smile.
“Annie, you’re late.” She says, making me fight an eye roll.
Walking into the house, I start to remove my jacket, “There was traffic.”
“You could have called.” She says disapprovingly, as she eyes my secondhand jacket. “We should get you a better jacket. Something without all the holes.”
I lean over and kiss her cheek, while purposely ignoring her comment, “Mom, I don’t have a cell phone. How was I supposed to call?”
She twists her petite mouth a little, “Still, a call would have been nice.”
“Okay.” I agree with a sigh, not willing to get into an failing debate, “Where’s dad?”
“In the sitting room.”
I nod and make my way deeper into the house. The inside décor is white, clean, and minimal, with a modern edge to it. Mom did all of it. Dad has his study, the one place in the house that is his, and only few are allowed entry. I think I’ve only been there once or maybe twice. That was always when I was in big trouble. Speaking of my dad, the man himself is in his favorite chair, and the only one that looks sturdy enough to hold him. It’s a white leather recliner with silver studs lining the top and arms of it. His eyes are trained on the European soccer match playing on the flat screen TV, over the white washed stone fireplace.
“Are they winning?” I ask, as I lean against the sitting room’s doorway.
Dad turns his head and gives me a quick smile before nodding, “They’re well on their way.”
I study my dad as the match seizes his attention again. He looks nothing like me and to be honest, I don’t expect him to. He’s a tall man, nearly six feet compared to my mother’s diminutive five foot, two inches, and my own five foot, six inches height. His hair is light brown and is thinning a bit on top, but it’s easy to see the handsome young officer my mom fell in love with.
“How was the doctor’s appointment this week?” He suddenly asks as the commercial break begins, “Is he feeling good about your improvement?”
Internally, I groan but outwardly I appear impassive, “He wants me to open up more but that’s nothing new.”
“Are you going to do it?”
I purse my lips and shrug. A silence settles in and though the match is back on, I can feel Dad’s gray eyes on me. I cross my arms across my chest and stare intently at the TV, but it’s not long before he speaks again.
“You have a bruise on your chin.”
I self-consciously touch the now yellowing bruises on my chin, “I slipped on some ice.”
“Day dreaming again?” He asks with a teasing smile.
I’m relieved he doesn’t sense my lie and smile a little, “Out in the universe with no intention of coming back.”
“Until your face hit the concrete.”
I let out a quiet laugh, “Until right then, yes.”
Mom comes into the room from the other entry and gives us both warm looks, “Dinner is ready. I hope you’re hungry, Shoshanna. You look so thin.”
I tuck some hair behind my ear and don’t retort. I don’t really have much to say on the matter and if I did, it would just become a fight. No one really says anything as we all make our way to the dining room. The pretty light fixture above the center of the table catches my eyes. It’s made of crystals and the rays of light from the implanted bulbs give a lovely glow to them. It must be a new addition.
“Good thing you like it.” Dad whispers as he passes by me, “I think the damn overpriced thing is ugly as sin.”
I give him a wry smile and sit down between my parents who sit on either side of the table. I try not to focus on the empty chair across from mine, but it’s hard.
“Annie, you’re late.” She says, making me fight an eye roll.
Walking into the house, I start to remove my jacket, “There was traffic.”
“You could have called.” She says disapprovingly, as she eyes my secondhand jacket. “We should get you a better jacket. Something without all the holes.”
I lean over and kiss her cheek, while purposely ignoring her comment, “Mom, I don’t have a cell phone. How was I supposed to call?”
She twists her petite mouth a little, “Still, a call would have been nice.”
“Okay.” I agree with a sigh, not willing to get into an failing debate, “Where’s dad?”
“In the sitting room.”
I nod and make my way deeper into the house. The inside décor is white, clean, and minimal, with a modern edge to it. Mom did all of it. Dad has his study, the one place in the house that is his, and only few are allowed entry. I think I’ve only been there once or maybe twice. That was always when I was in big trouble. Speaking of my dad, the man himself is in his favorite chair, and the only one that looks sturdy enough to hold him. It’s a white leather recliner with silver studs lining the top and arms of it. His eyes are trained on the European soccer match playing on the flat screen TV, over the white washed stone fireplace.
“Are they winning?” I ask, as I lean against the sitting room’s doorway.
Dad turns his head and gives me a quick smile before nodding, “They’re well on their way.”
I study my dad as the match seizes his attention again. He looks nothing like me and to be honest, I don’t expect him to. He’s a tall man, nearly six feet compared to my mother’s diminutive five foot, two inches, and my own five foot, six inches height. His hair is light brown and is thinning a bit on top, but it’s easy to see the handsome young officer my mom fell in love with.
“How was the doctor’s appointment this week?” He suddenly asks as the commercial break begins, “Is he feeling good about your improvement?”
Internally, I groan but outwardly I appear impassive, “He wants me to open up more but that’s nothing new.”
“Are you going to do it?”
I purse my lips and shrug. A silence settles in and though the match is back on, I can feel Dad’s gray eyes on me. I cross my arms across my chest and stare intently at the TV, but it’s not long before he speaks again.
“You have a bruise on your chin.”
I self-consciously touch the now yellowing bruises on my chin, “I slipped on some ice.”
“Day dreaming again?” He asks with a teasing smile.
I’m relieved he doesn’t sense my lie and smile a little, “Out in the universe with no intention of coming back.”
“Until your face hit the concrete.”
I let out a quiet laugh, “Until right then, yes.”
Mom comes into the room from the other entry and gives us both warm looks, “Dinner is ready. I hope you’re hungry, Shoshanna. You look so thin.”
I tuck some hair behind my ear and don’t retort. I don’t really have much to say on the matter and if I did, it would just become a fight. No one really says anything as we all make our way to the dining room. The pretty light fixture above the center of the table catches my eyes. It’s made of crystals and the rays of light from the implanted bulbs give a lovely glow to them. It must be a new addition.
“Good thing you like it.” Dad whispers as he passes by me, “I think the damn overpriced thing is ugly as sin.”
I give him a wry smile and sit down between my parents who sit on either side of the table. I try not to focus on the empty chair across from mine, but it’s hard.
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