I stayed up most of the night writing and crying and then writing some more. By the time I fell asleep, it was around five in the morning.
At eight, I was awake and listening to someone pounding on my door and wondering who in the world would be this insistent on seeing me. I dragged myself out of bed and kind of stumbled to the door. Looking through the peephole, I saw a very impatient Nikki.
"Gee, it sure took you long enough!" she said as she came into my apartment. She had on a backpack and was carrying a suitcase and a pillow. I suppressed a yawn and sank onto the couch. "What are you doing here Nikki?"
"Well," replied Nikki in matter-of-fact voice, "we both know that Mom and Dad are going to be super protective these next few months. And we both know that they will want you to move back in with them." She was taking off her backpack and handing me a Starbucks cup, which I had not noticed that she held in her hand. I started drinking it, hoping the caffeine would actually do something for me today. "Yes, Nikki, I know that and I'm not going to go back home. I want to live the rest of my life my way."
"Yes exactly," Nikki said with a nod. "So I spent half the night coming up with a solution for said problem and I found the answer and then I spent the other half of the night packing. My car is full of stuff too by the way."
Maybe it was too early in the morning, or too soon after I had woken up, but I still wasn't following. "And?"
Nikki sighed with exasperation and sat down on the couch next to me. "Ari, I'm moving in and there is nothing that you can do to stop me. It is either I move in or you move back with Mom and Dad. Your choice."
I looked at the suitcase, the pillow, the backpack that was completely stuffed, and then back to Nikki. I knew she was right, and honestly, Nikki was like my best friend. I knew she would leave me in peace when I needed it and wouldn't smother me and would let me do my own thing. I knew for a fact that my parents would offer me the same. "Sure."
"Oh good, cause I already headed off Mom and gave me notice at the apartment." Nikki stood up and walked out of the room before I processed what she had said. Of course she had already made her plans without asking me, but I guess she knew that I didn't have a choice and that I knew it too. Oh well.
After Nikki had unloaded everything in her car and I had eaten breakfast, we got in Nikki's car and drove to Mom and Dad's. I was kind of nervous, wondering how it would go. Mom would probably have had her crying session and would not feel the need to cry all over me. Dad on the other hand, I didn't know about him. He would probably want to talk about how much he loved me and how he was sorry that this happened to me.
Just like when I imagined situations as a kid and had been extremely accurate, I had not lost my touch now. Dad was working in the garage on some of his wood projects and waved us to him when we pulled up. As soon as I set foot out of the car, Dad started going on and on, just like I had predicted. What I didn't count on though was how Nikki would react. She headed Dad off, asking him who Petry was anyway (like we hadn't heard a millions of stories about him) while I slipped into the kitchen.
Mom was washing her dishes when I walked in. Her back was to me and I noticed how, for the first time in my life, her shoulders were slightly slumped. Mom had always prided herself on her posture and made sure that we never forgot that we were royalty by blood. It was a big source of conflict during Nikki and I's teenage years. Seeing her like that, even though it was subtle, really drove it home for me. She, and Dad too, were going to have to watch their kid die. And there was nothing that anyone could do about it
I coughed and Mom spun around, her shoulders instantly going back to their regular position. "Ari, I didn't know you had come in." She smiled and waved a soapy hand to the living room. "I'll be right there, just let me finish these few dishes here." I nodded and went into the living room, where Petry had delivered his news.
