I sniffed, and slid the photograph across the table. “There.”
Marie flicked the picture away without looking at it.
“You asked,” I pointed out.
“I wasn't asking about the house.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “I was asking you to repeat the first thing you said.”
“What?” I put on my best confused face. I followed it immediately with my best sudden realization face. “Oh that!” Then my best innocent face. “You mean when I said we'd be moving to Cleveland to . . .” – I mumbled the last several words.
“I thought that's what you said.”
I smiled at her. “So we're all good then?”
A raised eyebrow. Fingers drumming on the table surface. “How about without the mumbles?”
“You really don't want to know.”
A second raised eyebrow. “Oh, I thought you were dissembling so that I didn't break down in weeping with joy.”
I coughed.
She took a deep breath and somehow seemed to cross her arms even more tightly.
“It's really not a big deal. It's just a work thing. You know. They assign me. They me where to move. You move along with me and keep writing your world-astonishing, best-yelling young adult romance novels. We all go own happily.”
Both eyebrows pinched tightly over the bridge of her nose.
“We're moving . . .”
“Yes?”
“Into that house . . .”
“Yes?”
“Which is right next to . . .” – mumbling.
Marie stood as straight and rigid as a person might. She extended the index finger of her right hand. It was just as straight and rigid. “One more try.”
“Right next to Erica's house.”
“Erica being . . . ?”
“My daughter from a high school fling.”
Marie's mouth twisted. “You're welcome to . . .” – she broke off in mumbling.
“We're moving where?”
ReplyDeleteI sniffed, and slid the photograph across the table. “There.”
Marie flicked the picture away without looking at it.
“You asked,” I pointed out.
“I wasn't asking about the house.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “I was asking you to repeat the first thing you said.”
“What?” I put on my best confused face. I followed it immediately with my best sudden realization face. “Oh that!” Then my best innocent face. “You mean when I said we'd be moving to Cleveland to . . .” – I mumbled the last several words.
“I thought that's what you said.”
I smiled at her. “So we're all good then?”
A raised eyebrow. Fingers drumming on the table surface. “How about without the mumbles?”
“You really don't want to know.”
A second raised eyebrow. “Oh, I thought you were dissembling so that I didn't break down in weeping with joy.”
I coughed.
She took a deep breath and somehow seemed to cross her arms even more tightly.
“It's really not a big deal. It's just a work thing. You know. They assign me. They me where to move. You move along with me and keep writing your world-astonishing, best-yelling young adult romance novels. We all go own happily.”
Both eyebrows pinched tightly over the bridge of her nose.
“We're moving . . .”
“Yes?”
“Into that house . . .”
“Yes?”
“Which is right next to . . .” – mumbling.
Marie stood as straight and rigid as a person might. She extended the index finger of her right hand. It was just as straight and rigid. “One more try.”
“Right next to Erica's house.”
“Erica being . . . ?”
“My daughter from a high school fling.”
Marie's mouth twisted. “You're welcome to . . .” – she broke off in mumbling.