"Buenas mi'ja"
"Good morning Papí. How are you?"
"Your father is well. How are you? How's my one and only?"
"I could be better," I answer honestly.
"Can I help?"
"Your voice is enough actually."
"Your plans today?" he asks hopping into a discussion we must have started telepathically.
"I'm having brunch with Harper and Hayley later."
"Qué más?"
"Nada. We may come up with something there," I respond softly.
"Come visit with your mother and brothers maybe?"
"Y tú, también? Yes. I'll try and come by when I'm done there. Can we have lemonade and talk about what you're reading right now?"
"Oh ho, book talk!" he calls excitedly. "We can, mi amorcita."
"Great. Well I'm going to go and get ready for my brunch."
"'ta luego."
"'ta luego Papí. Te quiero."
"Con todo mi corazón."
I hang up with some energy from my quick chat with my father. Harper, Hayley and I have scheduled our brunch at Iron Cactus downtown at 11:30 a.m. It's barely 9:00 a.m. as I roll out of bed to make my way into the shower.
I turn the water on and let it run as I disrobe. In my full-length mirror I examine my whole self. There are 27 days until my 29th birthday and I feel like my face has begun to harden with stress.
"What are you doing with your life?" I ask aloud poking and lifting pieces of skin on my face and arms.
I turn away from the mirror and climb into the shower. I lean into the steady stream of water before I lay my head against the wall and allow it to cascade down my back. Though it pains me to have all the memories from yesterday rush into my subconscious, I close my eyes in search of a sense of calm.
#
"Hi," I say when I arrive at the Iron Cactus.
The air is strange. I feel like I've interrupted something as I look back and forth between Harper and Hayley. Harper's timeliness sends a chill up my spine and I nervously fidget with a string on hem of my shirt.
"Hey honey," Hayley begins with uneasiness in her voice. "How are you?" She eyes Harper and motions for me to have a seat.
"I'm fine," I respond hanging my bag on my chair and carefully taking a seat. "What's going on? It seems like I've interrupted something here. And you, Harper" I look at her. "You beat me. I think I'm scared," I end laughing awkwardly.
"Are you feeling okay today?" Hayley asks motherly – almost condescendingly.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Have we ordered yet?"
"You are not fine," Harper says sternly.
"Well hello Harper," I respond sarcastically.
"Cut the shit MC."
"Harper!" Hayley snaps.
"Yeah Harper, what's with you. Maybe I should be asking you how you are."
YOU ARE READING
a work in progress
ЧиклитMeet Noe Marie Cortes. N-O-E, but pronounced like Noah, the man with the boat. Yes that's a boy's name, but it's an abbreviated anagram of her mother's name so she was willing to make a sacrifice. Awkward and endearing, wordy and romantic, a dancer...
