Love isn't easy

Chapter 32: June 2063

long and emotional chapter ahead

Thursday June 28th, 2063

It's a peak summer day in New York City, the sun-drenched and scorching kind that Spike Lee might write a movie about. Seventy-three-year-old Lisa sits in silence on the plush, bone-white armchair that has been strategically placed near the corner of the room where the floor-to-ceiling glass walls come together to form the building's sharp edges. Lisa blinks slowly as she thoughtfully scans the imposing skyline and scribbles mental notes of the things that catch her eye.

This chair - positioned at this particular spot and specific angle - is Lisa's favorite place in the apartment. It always has been, but particularly as of late. There's something comforting about the predictable shapes in the horizon. The curves and pronounced lines that come together to form the seemingly unending rows of skyscrapers don't change, at least not fast enough for Lisa to truly notice. It's what makes the view feel serene. More importantly though, the things Lisa watches through the window offer her a much-needed distraction from her enmeshed mind. As a result of this, that chair is the one place where the family can anticipate Lisa to be at most points throughout the day.

The conspicuous click of the shutter goes off unnoticed by Lisa from the other end of the room. Annie pries the bulky, top-of-the-line camera away from her face and places it down on the table before picking up the two steaming mugs that rested safely on the open space between the rows of family pictures. Annie stomps her way toward Lisa once the drinks are safely in her hand. She exaggerates the weight of her steps, making sure to produce as much sound as possible and make her presence known in order not to startle her pensive mother.

A cup of tea is produced in front of Lisa and she stares down at it confused.

"It's tea."

Lisa looks at the forty-six-year-old standing next to her and smiles.

"Thank you. That's very nice of you."

Lisa moves to grab the mug at the center and Annie immediately pulls it away.

"Not that way mom. That's hot. You'll burn yourself. Through the handle."

Lisa looks at the mug and then at Annie trying to understand why the woman thought she would even need that clarification but instead of becoming defensive, Lisa does as she's told. Once Annie is sure the mug is firmly within Lisa's grip, she sits on the matching armchair that has been placed next to Lisa's for this particular reason. Annie takes a sip of her Earl Grey and gazes out the window.

"Thank you for coming to visit. It's nice to have a fresh face around here."

"I live here. I have for the last year or so."

"Well, that's good. We have more than enough space. I'm glad it's being used properly."

"Yeah. I get to put up with you and your crazy every day. It's lovely." Annie had taken to hiding her feelings behind her humor and Lisa, albeit often confused, always played along. "What have you been up to since I went into the kitchen?"

"I've been speaking to my brother."

"Mom, you don't have a brother. Aunt Jisoo was your only sister."

"Oh, of course I do. Don't be stupid. There are pictures of him all around the house. I was looking at one just earlier. His name was Mattheo."

"That is my brother, not yours momma."

"No. No. He is my brother."

Lisa tells Annie cantankerously.

"No momma. You have five kids. It's Coraline, then me, then Mattheo, then Rose, then Levy. Mattheo was your third child, the first boy."