Retexo

ciò che abbandoniamo

It smells like apples.

I go down the hallway, frowning at the fuzzy blue under my feet.

This is not my house.

I run, skid into the kitchen.

The light is so bright, but I see the woman at the counter and relief floods my body.

Mommy.

She turns around, smiling widely at me. She is not my mommy.

Where is mommy?

She left me.

She left me because she's a monster.

I jerked awake from the dream, blinking into the sun that shined like tiny daggers through the blinds. Turning onto my side, I grasped and fumbled my phone onto the bed, squinting at the screen, wondering how my encounter with that house could still be impacting me two weeks later. Registering the time I groaned and swung my legs over the side of the bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of me before a small tongue licked hesitantly at my foot. Glancing down, I smiled briefly when I saw Wasabi's chubby face turn up at mine expectantly, brown eyes alight.

"Yeah, yeah, up and at 'em, right girl?"

She yapped in appropriate response and I heard the little click clack of her toenails on the hardwood floor as she followed me down the stairs and out the back door. Watching her through the large bay window, I sighed quietly. I knew fully that I had just a few fleeting moments before my quiet life would be flooded with calls, texts, and Andrea's incessant emails. I poured coconut water into an empty champagne flute, watching in a sort of detached interest as the condensation formed on the outer face of the glass. Tipping the semi-sweet liquid down my throat, I closed my eyes trying to regain a moments' reticence, but am brought to a rude awakening as my phone chirped loudly from the counter.

Lunch? Yves St. Laurent spread? Dinner with Kim on the 18th? What was I thinking of wearing for the Met Gala, because there's a beautiful dress by Elie Saab that would be great with my skin tone. The parts of life I considered almost menial are what those around me cared about the most. By some miracle, I was off the phone with everyone I need to be by one thirty. Though I had an appointment in a few minutes, I decided to go out for a bit of air. Whistling at Wasabi, I readied the leash only to look up and realise she hadn't moved from the nestled comfort of the armchair at all. She glanced almost lazily and fixed me with a look that seemed to say, what do you mean, you expect me to get up?

"Lazy dog." I muttered, but I abandoned my chore and began preparing some tea before the deep gong sound of the bell sent her scurrying and yapping uncontrollably at the door, bouncing up and down, snapping her jaw. I opened the door to invite my guest in, shushing my dog and ushering Dara in through the foyer.

************************

Dara's brown eyes peered at me over her coffee cup, widening as she repeated what I'd just said. "You're moving?"

"Think of it more like a temporary relocation." I replied breezily, aware that my statement was a bald-faced lie.

Dara looked around my house, taking in the heavy art that hung on the walls, lingering on the furniture and as Wasabi skittered around the corner, she turned back to me. "Are you bringing-"

"Wasabi is coming with me," I assured her quickly, "it's basically everything else I'm leaving behind." I picked up the small pug as she started whining. "I need someone to look after this property though." I said looking across the table at Dara pointedly.