Live In Reality

“Now Sidney,” Ella Chambres began as the two sat down in her living room. “What seems to be the problem?”

Sidney took a deep breath. How was he supposed to tell the mother of the girl he was in love with that he had screwed up so badly that he hadn’t talked to her in almost 48 hours? She knew he had plans to propose; Sidney had asked for her blessing. What now?

“I… messed up,” he said simply.

“Well, duh,” the older version of Lenore chuckled lightly. “Why else would you be here?”

He breathed a sigh of relief. That was a better reaction than he had expected.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Tell me what happened and then we’ll sort something out,” she offered setting a cup of coffee in front of the young man.

After explaining to her the whole ordeal, Sidney watched Ella slip into a thoughtful state. It lasted for several minutes.

“Alright,” she said sitting up straighter in her seat. “Here’s what we’ve got to do…,”

*****

“Lenore,” Chantal knocked on her best friend/boss’s office door. “You in?”

“Yeah,” Lenore responded quietly. “Come on in.”

Chantal entered the posh looking office and shut the door behind her. Sitting in her usual seat next to Lenore’s desk, Chantal observed her friend.

In nearly two days, Chantal had seen Lenore drink five cups of coffee, three cups of tea, and eat several handfuls of saltine crackers. Lenore didn’t speak often, as though she was always thinking.

“What Chantal?” Lenore snapped.

“Touchy,” the darker skinned girl muttered. “I just came to check on you. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Chantal cocked her head to the side and gave her friend a knowing look.

“That’s a load of bull,” she frowned.

“I’m fine, Chantal,” Lenore insisted as she continued to tap away on her computer.

“Okay,” Chantal shut her laptop. “You only use my full name like that when you’re pissy. What’s on your mind, Len?”

Sitting back in her chair, Lenore put her head in her hands.

“I feel so fucked.”

“Whoa,” Chantal smirked. “I knew that you and Sidders did it. But you’re knocked up?”

“No!” Lenore groaned. “Not in that sense of being fucked. I mean my life is fucked up, thus, making me fucked.”

Chantal nodded. “Right. Well, you know what I think you should do.”

“I’m not calling him,” Lenore stated firmly. “I’m not caving.”

“Just because you call him doesn’t mean you’re caving,” Chantal reminded her.

“I don’t care!” she frowned. “I made the first move to get us back together the first time. Now it’s his turn.”

“So you’re admitting you two broke up?”

“No! I-I mean that he needs to be the one to fix things,” Lenore leaned her head back against the cushy chair.

Chantal put her hand on her friend’s shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“Sid’s a smart guy… most of the time,” she consented. “But he’s a guy and guys are all dicks, meaning they’re all a little dim. Some are just less so than others, like Sidney.”

Lenore nodded and turned to gaze out the floor to ceiling windows of her office.

“I hope you’re right,” Lenore sighed as she shut her eyes, trying to block out what was real. “I hope you’re right.”