Father Figure
Three
With the added stress of fighting with Joe, I decided that Friday that I needed to give myself a break during the day. The house was finished up completely and the kids were at school, so I convinced myself an hour or two and the gym was deserved.
I mumbled to myself in French in frustration as I tried to set up the tred mill so I could start running. A woman got on the machine next to me and started it with a few clicked of the buttons. I frowned and kept pushing buttons, only guessing on which one would start it.
"T'ese machines are tricky. T'is button starts it," the woman told me kindly, reaching over to push a small button at the top that was unlabeled.
I let out a small laugh. "Thank you," I told her as I began moving my legs.
"No problem," she responded. She was a beautiful woman, that was for sure. She must have only been a year or two older than myself. Her brown hair was pulled up into a pony tail behind her head. Her accent with thick and obviously French. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? When you were speaking French..." she trailed off.
I smiled. "Nova Scotia, up in Canada," I answered. "Yourself?"
She grinned widely. "Sorel, in-"
"Quebec! My mom was born there!" I exclaimed.
"No way!" Her eyes lit up. "Is t'at how you know French so well?" she asked.
I nodded. "My mom only spoke French to me when I was younger, so that's how I learned," I told her.
I don't think I'd ever made a stranger so happy. "I haven't met anyone else here t'at is from t'at area! Well, except the guys t'at come to uh..." she trailed off, unsure. "T'e guys t'at come here to work," she finished.
I nodded. "I don't think I've run into anyone else from Canada in general since I moved to the United States," I agreed.
And just like that, I'd made my first friend here in Pittsburgh.
--
"So, you have two songs?" Vero asked me.
I shook my head. "Three. They're triplets," I corrected as I took a sip of my coffee. After we were done working out, we both decided we should go find somewhere to sit and talk. It was nice having someone else from my home country to talk to. Vero was an incredibly nice person and was easy to talk to.
She gasped and shook her head. "I don't know how you do it," she admitted with a laugh.
I copied her and let out my own laugh. "I honestly don't know how I do it sometimes, too," I told her.
"What are t'eir names and how old are t'ey?" she asked curiously.
I took out my walet to hold up their school pictures. "This one is Kristopher. He's the quiet, smart one in the group. Here's Beau. He's the loud and outspoken one. And this one is Gabriel. He's the trouble maker. He's the one that usually gets into trouble," I told her with a smile.
She cooed over their pictures. "T'ey're so adorable!" she told me as she looked over each photo.
I laughed. "Thanks. I'm pretty fond of them," I joked. She laughed. "They're turning five next month," I told her, finally answering the second part of her other question.
Her eyes lit up. "What are you going to do for t'eir birt'days?" she asked excitedly as she handed the pictures back.
As I tucked the photos back into my purse, I answered her. "I don't know yet. Things have been pretty busy with the big move and we're just getting settled in. We might just do a family thing and get gifts," I admitted sheepishly. I hadn't really figured out what to do for their birthdays yet. I'd been so stressed about other things that it had been pushed further back in my mind.
She thought about it for a moment. "Well, what to t'ey like?" she asked.
I laughed. "Oh boy... I guess one thing they all love is hockey. They were more than thrilled to move here to where their beloved Penguins live. Other than that, they just like what most boys like: getting dirty in mud, dinosaurs, trucks. That kind of stuff," I told her.
Her eyes lit up. "Take t'em to a hockey game! T'e team has a game t'e day after, on t'e 21st," she told me.
I chewed on my lip. "For five people, that'd be a little too expensive, I think," I mumbled.
She scoffed. "We'll find you cheep tickets with good seats," she assured me. "It will be perfect! Your boys will love it!"
I laughed. Her bright and hopeful attitude was definitely bringing up my mood. I really had needed someone to talk to. Vero seemed like the kind of friend I'd truly want. She also seemed to love my boys after just learning about them today. She was an honest person, too. It was obvious that when she liked someone, she was up front about it. She didn't hold things back.
"They would... I'll have to look into it," I allowed. I took a sip of my tea. "Wait, how do you already know they have a game that day?" I asked curiously. "You're a big fan of them?" I asked.
Vero shrugged. "Something like t'at," she admitted. "My fiance," she added on.
I nodded my head and laughed. "I should probably get going. The boys are supposed to get off the bus soon enough and I don't want them home alone," I told her.
We both stood up and gathered out things. "It was nice talking to you, Nathalie. We should get toget'er some time soon. Have a Canadian girls night," she joked.
I grinned widely. "Yeah, that sounds great! Here, you can put your number in my phone," I told her.
We exchanged cell phones and added in our numbers before handing the phones back. "Good luck wit' your boys and your fiance! I hope it gets better," she told me as we exited the cafe.
"Thanks. Have fun with cleaning up after your fiance tonight," I told her teasingly.
She groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. "I swear I will have to get t'at man a Laundry for Dummies book," she told me. We both laughed and said goodbye before parting.
Driving home, I ran over the last three hours. I'd made my first friend here in Pittsburgh and it just so happened to be someone from up north. I counted myself lucky. Hopefully, Vero would become a close friend. I needed one here in town. I had friends back in Washington, but I only had Joe and my boys here in Pittsburgh.
That afternoon, I walked into my house with a true, wide smile on my face for the first time in a while.
I mumbled to myself in French in frustration as I tried to set up the tred mill so I could start running. A woman got on the machine next to me and started it with a few clicked of the buttons. I frowned and kept pushing buttons, only guessing on which one would start it.
"T'ese machines are tricky. T'is button starts it," the woman told me kindly, reaching over to push a small button at the top that was unlabeled.
I let out a small laugh. "Thank you," I told her as I began moving my legs.
"No problem," she responded. She was a beautiful woman, that was for sure. She must have only been a year or two older than myself. Her brown hair was pulled up into a pony tail behind her head. Her accent with thick and obviously French. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? When you were speaking French..." she trailed off.
I smiled. "Nova Scotia, up in Canada," I answered. "Yourself?"
She grinned widely. "Sorel, in-"
"Quebec! My mom was born there!" I exclaimed.
"No way!" Her eyes lit up. "Is t'at how you know French so well?" she asked.
I nodded. "My mom only spoke French to me when I was younger, so that's how I learned," I told her.
I don't think I'd ever made a stranger so happy. "I haven't met anyone else here t'at is from t'at area! Well, except the guys t'at come to uh..." she trailed off, unsure. "T'e guys t'at come here to work," she finished.
I nodded. "I don't think I've run into anyone else from Canada in general since I moved to the United States," I agreed.
And just like that, I'd made my first friend here in Pittsburgh.
--
"So, you have two songs?" Vero asked me.
I shook my head. "Three. They're triplets," I corrected as I took a sip of my coffee. After we were done working out, we both decided we should go find somewhere to sit and talk. It was nice having someone else from my home country to talk to. Vero was an incredibly nice person and was easy to talk to.
She gasped and shook her head. "I don't know how you do it," she admitted with a laugh.
I copied her and let out my own laugh. "I honestly don't know how I do it sometimes, too," I told her.
"What are t'eir names and how old are t'ey?" she asked curiously.
I took out my walet to hold up their school pictures. "This one is Kristopher. He's the quiet, smart one in the group. Here's Beau. He's the loud and outspoken one. And this one is Gabriel. He's the trouble maker. He's the one that usually gets into trouble," I told her with a smile.
She cooed over their pictures. "T'ey're so adorable!" she told me as she looked over each photo.
I laughed. "Thanks. I'm pretty fond of them," I joked. She laughed. "They're turning five next month," I told her, finally answering the second part of her other question.
Her eyes lit up. "What are you going to do for t'eir birt'days?" she asked excitedly as she handed the pictures back.
As I tucked the photos back into my purse, I answered her. "I don't know yet. Things have been pretty busy with the big move and we're just getting settled in. We might just do a family thing and get gifts," I admitted sheepishly. I hadn't really figured out what to do for their birthdays yet. I'd been so stressed about other things that it had been pushed further back in my mind.
She thought about it for a moment. "Well, what to t'ey like?" she asked.
I laughed. "Oh boy... I guess one thing they all love is hockey. They were more than thrilled to move here to where their beloved Penguins live. Other than that, they just like what most boys like: getting dirty in mud, dinosaurs, trucks. That kind of stuff," I told her.
Her eyes lit up. "Take t'em to a hockey game! T'e team has a game t'e day after, on t'e 21st," she told me.
I chewed on my lip. "For five people, that'd be a little too expensive, I think," I mumbled.
She scoffed. "We'll find you cheep tickets with good seats," she assured me. "It will be perfect! Your boys will love it!"
I laughed. Her bright and hopeful attitude was definitely bringing up my mood. I really had needed someone to talk to. Vero seemed like the kind of friend I'd truly want. She also seemed to love my boys after just learning about them today. She was an honest person, too. It was obvious that when she liked someone, she was up front about it. She didn't hold things back.
"They would... I'll have to look into it," I allowed. I took a sip of my tea. "Wait, how do you already know they have a game that day?" I asked curiously. "You're a big fan of them?" I asked.
Vero shrugged. "Something like t'at," she admitted. "My fiance," she added on.
I nodded my head and laughed. "I should probably get going. The boys are supposed to get off the bus soon enough and I don't want them home alone," I told her.
We both stood up and gathered out things. "It was nice talking to you, Nathalie. We should get toget'er some time soon. Have a Canadian girls night," she joked.
I grinned widely. "Yeah, that sounds great! Here, you can put your number in my phone," I told her.
We exchanged cell phones and added in our numbers before handing the phones back. "Good luck wit' your boys and your fiance! I hope it gets better," she told me as we exited the cafe.
"Thanks. Have fun with cleaning up after your fiance tonight," I told her teasingly.
She groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. "I swear I will have to get t'at man a Laundry for Dummies book," she told me. We both laughed and said goodbye before parting.
Driving home, I ran over the last three hours. I'd made my first friend here in Pittsburgh and it just so happened to be someone from up north. I counted myself lucky. Hopefully, Vero would become a close friend. I needed one here in town. I had friends back in Washington, but I only had Joe and my boys here in Pittsburgh.
That afternoon, I walked into my house with a true, wide smile on my face for the first time in a while.