Show Me The Angel I Saw In Your Eyes
Deciding Factors
My phone rang. "Hang on, Frankie." She nodded and continued on to the next exhibit.
"Hello?"
"Sarah?"
"...Yes?" The voice was familiar, but not familiar enough.
"It's Patrick."
"...I'm sorry, who?"
"Patrick, from Chicago." It clicked.
"Oh! Seriously?"
He laughed, "Yep, it'd be me."
"How're you doing, man?"
"I'm good. The band's doing really well. Touring a lot, and it's a little stressful, but I'm doing good."
He continued on about what's been happening back home in Chicago, his family, his friends, our friends, my family. Everything.
He asked how I was doing.
I sighed, I couldn't lie to Patrick. "Not that good, to be honest."
"Aw, what's wrong?"
I told him. Everything. Every single thing that has happened in the God knows how many years I've been away from home and traveling and with Jyrki. Everything.
By the time I was done, I'd left Frankie alone in the Modern Art Museum, and I was sitting at a coffee shop, a tissue in hand.
"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry."
I sighed and sniffled, "Me too. But things happen. And I just need to get away from him right now to think."
"Mhm."
"One of my friends actually suggested something the other day, but I just don't know. It seems a little drastic."
"Well, what is it?"
"She says I need to come home. To Chicago. And see my family and friends and just be there for a little while. She says that the space alone will put this behind me."
"Well, whoever said that, she's really right."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, she is. Remember a while ago, when I was with Jenna?"
"Mhm."
"Well, when she broke up with me, it was just so hard... And I was just so happy that we were about to tour, because I needed to get away. It was the only thing that could bring my mind to peace about it. Because I loved her so much. And it was... It was really hard. But being away from the scene of the crime, so to say, was the best thing I could have done in that situation."
"Oh... You never told me that."
"I know... You should come home. Get away from that dick who hurt you. And come home to people who love you."
I sighed, once again, "I don't know."
"You really should. And if you can't stand being here, you can go right back to Finland."
I was quiet.
"I miss you. We used to be so close. What happened?"
"Jyrki came into the picture."
"Yeah, and he stole you from me so suddenly..."
Something in his voice struck me in a peculiar way, and I knew what I had to do.
"Patrick?"
"Yes?"
"I'll see you in a day or two, okay?"
I hung up my phone, downed the last of my coffee, and called Vee.
"Hello?"
"Sarah?"
"...Yes?" The voice was familiar, but not familiar enough.
"It's Patrick."
"...I'm sorry, who?"
"Patrick, from Chicago." It clicked.
"Oh! Seriously?"
He laughed, "Yep, it'd be me."
"How're you doing, man?"
"I'm good. The band's doing really well. Touring a lot, and it's a little stressful, but I'm doing good."
He continued on about what's been happening back home in Chicago, his family, his friends, our friends, my family. Everything.
He asked how I was doing.
I sighed, I couldn't lie to Patrick. "Not that good, to be honest."
"Aw, what's wrong?"
I told him. Everything. Every single thing that has happened in the God knows how many years I've been away from home and traveling and with Jyrki. Everything.
By the time I was done, I'd left Frankie alone in the Modern Art Museum, and I was sitting at a coffee shop, a tissue in hand.
"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry."
I sighed and sniffled, "Me too. But things happen. And I just need to get away from him right now to think."
"Mhm."
"One of my friends actually suggested something the other day, but I just don't know. It seems a little drastic."
"Well, what is it?"
"She says I need to come home. To Chicago. And see my family and friends and just be there for a little while. She says that the space alone will put this behind me."
"Well, whoever said that, she's really right."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, she is. Remember a while ago, when I was with Jenna?"
"Mhm."
"Well, when she broke up with me, it was just so hard... And I was just so happy that we were about to tour, because I needed to get away. It was the only thing that could bring my mind to peace about it. Because I loved her so much. And it was... It was really hard. But being away from the scene of the crime, so to say, was the best thing I could have done in that situation."
"Oh... You never told me that."
"I know... You should come home. Get away from that dick who hurt you. And come home to people who love you."
I sighed, once again, "I don't know."
"You really should. And if you can't stand being here, you can go right back to Finland."
I was quiet.
"I miss you. We used to be so close. What happened?"
"Jyrki came into the picture."
"Yeah, and he stole you from me so suddenly..."
Something in his voice struck me in a peculiar way, and I knew what I had to do.
"Patrick?"
"Yes?"
"I'll see you in a day or two, okay?"
I hung up my phone, downed the last of my coffee, and called Vee.