Keeping Us Apart

Greens Ave (2)

THREE AND A HALF WEEKS LATER

I study the new passport carefully, my gender, eye color, height, and other various details about me printed upon the glossy pages. The picture that accompanies isn't too bad, thankfully. Putting the document back into the file where I keep my important stuff, I take another look around at my now barren room. It looks even more stick and bone than it did when I moved out the first time. Guess maybe because I know for sure this time I'm not coming back here.

Speaking of, I still haven't told my mom I'm leaving the country, I just said that I found a new job and have to move out of town. She took it surprisingly well, but her look soured when I refused to tell her my new address. 'It is a surprise,' I had said. But still, my mom likes to know every bit of my business. I hear her car in the driveway and I walk over to a stack of boxes on my bed, resuming my packing. I'm glad I had started three weeks ago like Joel suggested; What had seemed relatively easily had turned into a bit more of a task than I had planned.

My mom knocks and opens my door, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Hi honey, how is packing going?"

"I have a lot more stuff than I thought." I shake my head and look disdainfully at the piles of boxes crammed into the space of my bedroom.

"Well, if you ever need help moving it all..." Ugh.

"Thanks mom but I'm going to have a moving team do it." Her face went blank but she didn't press it, instead changing the subject to something even less favorable.

"I hate to nag, dear, but I wish you would tell me where you're going. I would be able to sleep much better at night."

"I'll be fine mom, I'll have someone looking out for me and I won't be alone." Her dark gaze, so opposite my own emerald, settles on me and I know from that glance she is going to bug me until I spill the beans.

"Fine, but you can't be mad at me when you don't like the answer, mom." She doesn't say anything back so I keep going. "Australia, Joel has a spare room in his apartment and I will have a job when I get there."

"I can't believe you, Hudson Coral." She shakes her head and squints at me. She's never had much faith in Joel, she met him one time and never let him return to the house. She said that he is just like his father. That made me so mad I didn't talk to her for six months, and when I did it was only because Joel urged me it wasn't worth the resentment. I believe she is just bitter over the divorce, but it happened when I was just a kid, and I don't understand why she is so upset still.

To this day I actually wonder if mom knew about Joel before I did. But Joel has said he's only met dad a handful of times, and most of those were with me. The whole thing remains shrouded in mystery but a part of me and a part of Joel know that some things are better left as they are.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" My mom's cold tone snaps me from my reverie.

"Why should I?" I fire back. "I shouldn't have to explain myself. I'm 24."

"You don't even know him, Hudson, really."

"Good lord, are you really going to pretend as if I haven't been talking to him every day for the past seven years? Not to mention the countless visits. I know you just ignore his existence but if you really cared about me you would put up with whatever issues you have with MY BROTHER." I emphasize my last two words and turn back around to finish packing.

The slam of the door behind me makes me grit my teeth but I feel better knowing I'd told her. She would be fine in a while anyway and try to make amends. Probably bake me some of my favorite cookies and soak me with apologies. But honestly, she hadn't offended me, she'd insulted Joel and to me that's worse. The role of playing my brother's attorney against my mom is growing rather old. But as long as she has ill things to say about him I'm going to continue. Joel, though, being the saint that he is, never seems affected by her icy demeanor.

Just then my phone rings and I almost drop the box I'm carrying. By the time the box is on the floor and I've grabbed my phone, I've almost missed the call, tapping accept and jamming the phone to my ear without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey, yeah, is this Hudson?" A voice in a thick Australian accent speaks.

"Yes, may I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Ahren, I'm your brother's best friend." Ah, yes. Joel talks about him a lot but I've never met the guy, I just know he is the clean vocalist in my brother's band. I just listen to the music, I've never seen any of the other band members. Joel finds it odd but he just leaves me to my weird ways.

"Oh, hi, Joel said you'd be in touch."

"I just called to say that I'm excited to have you working with me, your brother talks very highly of you." At that moment I'm extremely thankful that Ahren can't see me blushing.

"I'm really excited as well, thank you for hiring me, I promise I'll be the best tee shirt maker in the world," I say with a soft laugh. To my surprise he chuckles as well.

"No problem, if you're related to Joel you must be pretty rad, aye?"

"Well I guess you'll find out, huh?"

"I hope so. Take care, Hudson." And with that the line goes dead.