Beyond the Family Ties

Part 5

Christmas passed by in a blur of drizzly weather, not warranting more than a thin sweater or a coat, but putting a damper on the usually balmy weather of Albany City. Angel was hosting a dinner at her house, and graciously invited Becky, who tried her best to worm her way out of it, but couldn't find a good enough excuse that Freen would accept. She enjoyed herself more than she'd thought she would, and Angel was a far better cook than her sister, although she'd never admit that to Freen, even if she didn't let Becky have any wine with her dinner. It was just nice to be surrounded by people who didn't expect anything from her. In fact, they expected so little, that when she gave them all small gifts, they were surprised. Perhaps it was the fact that she'd only known Freen and her friends for such a short while, but they'd been good to Becky, and she hated to owe people. For Freen, she gave her one of her necklaces - a blue teardrop shaped diamond on a fine silver chain. She didn't tell her that it was worth a quarter of a million dollars, or that it was a diamond, and not cheap turquoise, and it made her smile whenever she saw it dangling out of the collar of her shirt. Freen got her a christmas sweater and a book on mental health, and Becky found herself more touched by the simple gifts than any of the lavish ones she'd received over the years.

New Year's passed in much the same way, with her finding herself parked on Angel 's sofa, a sleeping infant in the pram as everyone got drunk, while Becky stuck to lemonade. They all went out clubbing, Freen surprising her with a fake ID, leaving Becky to catch a cab back to her apartment, quietly bringing in the New Year with a cup of tea and reruns of The Golden Girls , Laurel stretched out on the sofa beside as she slept soundly. It was early hours in the morning when Freen stumbled in, lurching and giggling as she tried her best to be quiet. She was covered in glitter and the strong smell of alcohol clung to her as she gave Becky a crazed smile, wishing her a happy New Year before promptly vomiting in the kitchen sink. Becky stayed up with her for the rest of the night, holding her hair back in the small bathroom as she rubbed her back, a dozing baby a few feet away in her bouncer while the sound of Freen's muffled apologies came from inside the toilet bowl. The next morning, she woke up with Freen in her bed, a stainless steel mixing bowl on the nightstand and a crying child squirming in her crib. They were both tired, but Becky couldn't bring herself to be annoyed with Freen, especially not when she shuffled out of her room at noon, wearing a pair of pyjamas Becky had scrounged up for her last night, looking worse for wear. She had a shift at midnight, and they spent the first day of the year sitting in front of the TV, drinking copious amounts of coffee, while she plied Freen with water and sports drinks.

As quickly as they had come, the holidays faded, and Becky found herself making near-daily trips to Winn's diner. She got on with him surprisingly well, and as the walls of the apartment started to drive her mad, filled with the sounds of her daughter crying or gurgling non-stop nonsense, she had to go somewhere, and she felt safe at his diner. The place still reminded her of that night all those months ago, shivering and damp as she cuddled a newborn in one of the booths, but it became a sort of refuge for her. Everyday, she walked through the Flower District, the smell of freshly cut flowers mingling with the herbal shops and eccentric healthy restaurants, walking the few blocks to the brightly lit building with the smell of freshly baked goods and strong coffee wafting out of the place. In the daytime, it was filled with all manner of customers, and Becky was free to tuck herself away in a booth and work on her class readings or assignments.

Every hour or so, Winn would come and top up her tea or coffee, or sometimes slide a slice of freshly baked pie onto the table to remind her to eat, a dusting of flour on his apron as he gave her a friendly smile. When it was quiet, she'd go up to the counter and talk to him, giving herself a break from analytic theory or classical conditioning, watching as he placed sugar coated donuts and fluffy scones in the display fridge. Sometimes, Laurel would cause a fuss, her teeth starting to come through, which made her whiny and irritable, and Winn would whisk her away, carrying her through the diner when it was quiet and feeding her pureed pumpkin or apple for his pies as he sat her on the edge of the counter. Becky would watch on and smile, listening to her daughter gurgle and blow raspberries back at him.