Lazy Lizzie

Twenty-Three

Leo's newly freed car exited the trailer parking lot, a mile outside Hazel Park, their designated last stop before Canada. The Lair had been left behind, there was no need to take their honeymoon suite to his sister's house.

He didn't talk much, busy driving, and Lizzie wasn't going to poke that bear so she stayed silent, too. She'd made it clear he needed to back down, and he did just that. Why was she so upset?

Without his jokes to annoy her, the road ran longer, the gas station cup of coffee tasted worse.

"Maybe I should've just waited for you at the lair," she'd aimed to avoid him even more. He promised her good food, his face lit up, he obviously was a fan of his sister's cooking.

"It's gonna take a while," Leo closed that avenue. "Got a lot of begging to do!"He smiled sheepishly in the rearview mirror as if to verify his I'm sorry face. He laughed, "I wonder if she recognizes me."

Lizzie had never thought that her parents might see her differently if she'd visit them now, she was used to being glossed over.

"When did you last see her?"

"We weren't talking, even before prison," he said, watching the road, then pulling over when he recognized the house. "She didn't exactly approve of my lifestyle."

"Oh, she knew about the drugs?"

"She found out the hard way," he smiled coldly as the car engine stopped, turning to drill holes into Lizzie with his serious stare, even darker, somehow. "When I stole their TV."

Lizzie laughed, making his frown relax. "You stole her TV?!"

"Not my proudest moment," he managed, visibly ashamed, slouching in the car seat. "She hasn't spoken to me since. Her husband hates me."

He said it like he expected her to agree with the sentiment. She didn't, "Yeah, I don't care about TVs. There's nothing anyone can take from me that would make me so upset."

"She didn't need that. She always believed in me, and I let her down. I know she'll be happy to see me, but I wonder if it's enough for her to hear me out."

"She's so upset that she never visited you in prison?"

"Yup."

"Over a TV?" Lizzie had to verify that, again.

"Over me lying and especially using -- which is completely unheard of, in my family, although we do come from a proud line of alcoholics. Luckily, cancer got my mom before she ever saw me like that," he joked. "She would've died again if it was her TV."

Bitter humor, the best weapon to have left when there's nothing more to do.

The suburban one-story house they'd stopped in front of had been crammed in between two more colorful ones, the Welcome sign on its white wall intimidated Lizzie. Pink training wheels helped two bicycles stand on its thin front lawn, one a smaller copy of the other. Two girls, maybe ages five and eight, Lizzie evaluated. She would add information to that, but she always drew the maximum she could from her surroundings, it calmed her to prepare. Even when she was wrong.

Leo was even more nervous, she followed him and he hesitated twice, his back ready to turn and bolt. He didn't even make one of his deflective jokes.

He straightened like in front of a captain before ringing the doorbell.

A small woman opened the door, and it took her a second to recognize him, looking up at him. He'd been right, his sister was obviously happy to see him. Also surprised.

"How?! What?!" Sofia's face froze, not resembling Leo at all, although they had the same black hair, like when Lizzie's former co-workers used the same hair dye and pretended to be sisters. Every angular feature of Leo's got polished into a curve, on Sofia. Warm brown eyes worried, "Is it meth, this time? Is that how you got so thin?"

"I'm clean," Leo stated, and Sofia frowned at him, making him insist, "I never said I was when I wasn't. Please, just give me one chance to explain. To say how sorry I am."

Sofia wasn't gonna turn them away on that porch, Lizzie could tell. Leo's sister wasn't angry anymore, she was just sad. "Always the talker," she rolled her eyes until they landed on Lizzie. "Hi there. I'm Sofia, his sister. Not very polite, my brother. But in his defense, he's never brought a girl to meet me."

"Lizzie."

Sofia went over Lizzie's shapeless maxi-dress, black like Leo's hoodie that she wore over it. Up to how her hair flopped on top of her head in a shower bun.

Ashamed she'd forgotten how to meet people, Lizzie stared at her sneakers. Somehow she imagined no one would be paying attention to her. That she'd sit in a corner, witness everything, without being asked one single question.

Sofia had scrubs on, a pink hue that made her skin almost transparent, dark circles staining it under her eyes. Her silence made Lizzie aware she had to say more.

"I'm his wife," she paid Leo back for his wink-wink comments to Lana and Marguerite.

Not believing it at first, Sofia started to laugh, stopping only when meeting Leo's serious face. Who then also smiled, seeing his sister try to save face, "Oh, congratulations."

"Yeah, got married in Vegas on the way here," Leo said as if he was talking about buying a bag of chips.

Sofia just shook her head. "Apparently I missed that invitation."

"It's only a formality. I needed some help," Lizzie felt the need to explain.

Sofia gave in, "Well, come on in, tell me all about it. I can order something. The kids are with Andy. It's his week."

Leo stopped in the doorway, "His week? You're... divorced?"

"Got my own stories, little brother," Sofia hurried them in. "Life doesn't stop just because you go to prison."