Mariposa

chapter 5🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

Mariposa

His arms wrap around me as he lifts me from the ground, carrying me back to the hospital bed which is covered in throw blankets he brought from home. He sits me on a fuzzy, tye-dyed, pink blanket, wipes my mouth with a tissue, throws it into the waste bin perfectly, and then kisses my forehead. He sits back in the dirty-looking chair, running his fingers through his hair.

he looks really stressed... did I make him that stressed..? Maybe he's just here out of obligation? What if he was planning to divorce me, and now he feels like he has to stay? Was I always this insecure? A memory flashes through my mind:

I'm standing in the middle of a room covered in butterfly decorations. "Sophie~ I need help~" my voice sounds whiny, my words drawn out. "I have nothing to wear~" I stamp my foot. The girl who calls me Mariposa walks in. "Mari~ Get yourself together gurl. I got you. Sit." She points to the bed, decorated in fluffy butterfly blankets and pillows, and I fall back on it. She walks to the back of the closet, coming back with a sundress patterned with lemons. She lays it on my lap. "There, Mari. You'll look beautiful" she smiles softly. She pulls me to my feet, helping me change.

I turn and smile at her, my dress doing the spinney thing. "Thank you, Lemmie. I don't know what I'd do without you." She pulls me into her arms, setting her chin on my shoulder, "Y'know... if he doesn't turn out to be great, you could always rebound with me~" I can hear the smirk in her voice, with a hint of playfulness.

I push her away jokingly. "Still not gay, Lemmie, but nice try." She giggles, "Y'know I had to~" I laugh softly. "At least I know I'll always have a backup date." She pulls me to the bathroom, styling my long, curly hair into French braids. I look into the mirror, smiling at my reflection. "What would I do without you, Lemmie...?"

The question was rhetorical but she replied anyway, "probably die lonely and single with a bunch of cats." I laugh as we continue goofing around, then hear a knock at the door. "OMG!!! HE'S HERE!!!!!" She squeals and drags me downstairs, pushing me to the door before running to peek around the doorway of the kitchen. I grab the door handle, taking a deep breath. I turn the knob...

I blink rapidly as I snap back to reality, looking around. Guess I wasn't always this nervous. Now I know her name was Sophie, but why was I calling her Lemmie? Maybe it was some sort of nickname. That's the only logical reason I can think of. Perhaps it was short for lemon? Well, whatever the reason, it's nice to have a new memory back. Chris is still in the chair, but he's asleep now. I'm not sure what to do now.

I lay back on the bed, adjusting it so I can sit up. Grabbing the remote, I pull a blanket over myself and turn the TV on. I flip through the channels listlessly, completely and utterly bored. I wonder what Chris is dreaming about........... maybe he's dreaming about me. It'd be nice if he is because that'd mean he really does like me. If he leaves me, I won't have anyone. He's my only hope.

I selected a random show called "Rules of Engagement." Staring blankly at the screen, I let my mind wander again. I wonder what she was like. What'd she do for work? Was it something fun or something boring? I zone back into reality to see a woman on the screen having a baby. Apparently she's a lesbian. There's a couple in the room. She seems to be their surrogate mother. Interesting.

Music is blasting through the room. The current song is 'I Kissed a Girl.' "GOD! I HATE HER!" Sophie sobs, throwing a stuffed animal across the room. I put my hand on her shoulder. "Lemmie, throwing things won't help anything. Besides, she's not worth your tears. You are way out of her league." I pull her into my arms, hugging her tightly as she wipes her tears. "Please..." She mumbles into my shoulder. "Please what?" I don't understand what she's asking. She raises her head, looking me in the eyes. "Kiss me."

I stare at her in shock, "What?" She looks at me pitifully. I look at her nervously, "Sophie... you know I have a boyfriend" She looks desperate, "please, mariposa. Just once. I just don't want her to be the last one I kissed..." I stand there, not sure what to do, "fine...." I pull her closer and she leans in....

Wow. At this point, I feel like my brain is trying to leave me in suspense. Did I cheat on Chris, or was it someone else? Did they find out? What was it like? Did I like it? Was It just a kiss? What happened after? I'm so confused. Why did this have to happen to me?