“Lookie here, I bought you a present.” He directs me over to the window and points down below. In the courtyard, surrounded by not only security guards but other people as well, is a convertible bug.
“Is that for me?” I feel stupid asking, but with my parents, you never know.
My mom places her hand on my shoulder. “Of course, it is, darling. Why you’d never catch me in something like… well, a car like that.”
“It’s your graduation present,” Dad tells me.
“How am I supposed to get it home?”
“We can road trip, El,” Sofia says. She’s standing next to me. “We talked about me coming out to your house and well, I don’t have to be anywhere for another two months, so why not.”
I look at her, wondering what she’s up to. I know for a fact she starts her job at the news station next week and that she’s flying home to Arizona tonight.
“A road trip sounds dangerous, Willard. Surely, there’s an alternative,” Mom adds.
“I’d love to bring Sofia home,” I tell my parents. I look at both of them before turning my full gaze onto my father, giving him the puppy dog eyes. I’m the youngest, and while he’s strict, I can usually bend him at will.
“Annamae, we bought her a car. How else do you expect us to get it home? A road trip sounds fun. I’ll wire you some money,” he says. “Right now, though I think you need to go move your car before it gets towed.” Dad hands me the key fob. I make a fist, clutching it tightly. He doesn’t know, but this is the best thing he’s ever given me. And, I don’t mean the car. I mean freedom.
“Yeah, I think I better. Sofia, come with me.” I don’t give her a chance to refuse my request by pulling her behind me. Once we’re outside and in the car, I close my eyes and let the mid-afternoon sun bask over me. “I owe you.”
“No, you don’t. You’re my best friend, El. I just wish I could come with you.”
“To see your brother?”
She shrugs. “To see California. I’ve never actually been there. I want to dip my toes into the Pacific. Go to Disneyland. I don’t know, anything but heading home to my mom.”
“But y’all get along so well.”
“We do, but it feels like the last four years have flown by and I haven’t accomplished anything.”
“Are you serious?” I ask her. “You had multiple job offers. You could’ve gone anywhere. If you don’t want to go home, why go back?”
She looks over and smiles. “Family. Responsibility. The same reason you’ll go back to the plantation and marry Roy, which I better be your maid of honor for.”
I turn away, hating to admit that she’s right. I’ll marry him because it’ll make my daddy happy. “You know my sister Williemae married her husband the same way. My granddaddy introduced Kelton to her. She hated him at first, but he wore her down. We all like him. He fits with our family. They’re going to have a baby this fall, a little boy.”
“That’s wonderful, you’re going to be an auntie.”
I nod. “Yep, and someone’s fiancée.” My left hand sits on my steering wheel. I lift my finger and imagine what kind of ring Roy will put there. It’ll be big, gaudy and flashy. He’ll want to show his colleagues and golf buddies that he means business when it comes to marrying a Boone, because marrying into the Boone family is worth it. My great granddaddy’s great granddaddy built an empire and the generations behind him haven’t let it falter.
My wedding will be at home, on the plantation. There’s no doubt about that. My mother will insist and even if I fight her on it, the invitations will go out her way. My sister didn’t mind, but I do. I want to be married on the beach, at sunset and barefoot. I don’t want anything fancy or over the top, and I want to know all my guests. Most of all, I want to marry someone I’m deeply, madly and truly in love with and that isn’t Roy.
“What do you think you’ll do?”
“I think I’m going to take Kellie up on her offer and check out California. I figure I have a week to eight days or so before my parents start to panic. That gives me enough time to think of a good excuse as to why I’m not home.” I turn in my seat and look at my best friend. “Come with us? You’ll be able to see your brother. Never know, maybe he’ll hook you up with some fancy job in Los Angeles.”
Sofia shakes her head and looks out toward the courtyard. “Maybe next time.”
3
Quinn
After spending a week in Chicago, I’m happy to be home, although, my apartment still feels too lonely. I’ve thought about getting a fish, but let’s be honest, they don’t talk, interact, or do anything amazing that would necessarily keep my attention. Cats are out, mostly out of fear I’d be dubbed the next catman of our complex. We already have two of them living here and everyone seems to avoid walking by those apartments. I’ve seen it happen and it’s not pretty, and the last thing I want is for people, especially women, to avoid me. Dogs seem like the safest bet, except dogs aren’t allowed here. So that leaves me with the fish unless I move.
Moving’s always an option. I’ve thought about buying a place but can’t figure out where I want to live. I spend most of my time downtown and at the beach. Teleporting would be nice because then I don’t have to deal with traffic, but again that’s not going to happen, which brings me back to the fact that my apartment is too quiet, it feels empty and I’m lonely.
When my sister moved in with her boyfriend, Ben, I was relieved. It’s not that I didn’t like living with her, it meant I could bring someone home without my sister being up in my business. Having said that, I haven’t met anyone worth even a one-night stand, which honestly, is sad. Women are skittish, and men are hesitant to make any moves, lest we be accused of doing something inappropriate. Dating, talking, or trying to get to know someone is like taking your life into your o