For the Rest of Our Lives
Twenty Three (2008)
It's early in the morning one Saturday when Sally finally calls. Her voice over the phone is fuzzy, but music to my ears.
"Hi, Luna!" she practically yells down her end. I have to pull my phone away from my ear for that moment. "I've missed you. I'm uh... I'm doing better. I'm going back to school this week. I can't wait to see you. It's going to be a couple months before I get to move back though. So... Yeah."
"Hello to you too, Sally," I say in reply. I laugh, and I can hear her laugh as well. "I'm glad you're doing better."
"I'm just- so happy," she whispers. "He was my dad. But he was a sick, sick man..." She trails off and the silence between us lasts a long while.
"My aunt tells me it's okay if I can't grieve his passing," she continues. "She's not grieving either. She threw us a little celebration at her house, the night we got there. She let me taste test her wine. I think I like wine."
"Sally! We're not even sixteen yet!" I scold her. Sally chuckles, and I join her.
"So, what's been going on with you?" Sally asks. I suck in a breath.
Do I tell her now? How much do I tell her? Do I just tell her about my discovery of being gay? Or is it alright to tell her that she's how I know? These questions only circle through my head for a few seconds, but it's long enough for Sally to prompt me again.
"Hello? Luna?" I hear her say. I bite at my bottom lip, and look down at the floor beneath me.
"I'd rather tell you in person," I finally say. "But uh... I broke up with Liam. That's all I'm going to tell you over the phone."
"Oh, okay," Sally says. "How come you guys broke up? I thought you were cute together."
The words are innocent; she doesn't know, but they still hurt. I slowly lower myself onto the floor, leaning against the counter, with my phone pressed between my ear and shoulder. I take in a shaky breath and then let it out slowly.
"No, no we were not," I tell her. "I just... It would never have actually worked out. Sally, I would really rather tell you why in person. So... whenever I see you next."
"That could be tomorrow, if you want?" Sally says quickly. "My aunt wouldn't mind driving so we can hang out. It's been a while."
"Yeah, it has," I say. I'm smiling again just like that. "Okay. Yeah, come over tomorrow. I'm not going to explain everything... Just enough."
"Okay?" I can almost see the face she's pulling; the one where she's really out of the loop, and hates it so much. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Luna. You wanna get online and play some video games after I hang up?"
"Yeah, that would be great," I say. My heart feels lifted again.
"Hi, Luna!" she practically yells down her end. I have to pull my phone away from my ear for that moment. "I've missed you. I'm uh... I'm doing better. I'm going back to school this week. I can't wait to see you. It's going to be a couple months before I get to move back though. So... Yeah."
"Hello to you too, Sally," I say in reply. I laugh, and I can hear her laugh as well. "I'm glad you're doing better."
"I'm just- so happy," she whispers. "He was my dad. But he was a sick, sick man..." She trails off and the silence between us lasts a long while.
"My aunt tells me it's okay if I can't grieve his passing," she continues. "She's not grieving either. She threw us a little celebration at her house, the night we got there. She let me taste test her wine. I think I like wine."
"Sally! We're not even sixteen yet!" I scold her. Sally chuckles, and I join her.
"So, what's been going on with you?" Sally asks. I suck in a breath.
Do I tell her now? How much do I tell her? Do I just tell her about my discovery of being gay? Or is it alright to tell her that she's how I know? These questions only circle through my head for a few seconds, but it's long enough for Sally to prompt me again.
"Hello? Luna?" I hear her say. I bite at my bottom lip, and look down at the floor beneath me.
"I'd rather tell you in person," I finally say. "But uh... I broke up with Liam. That's all I'm going to tell you over the phone."
"Oh, okay," Sally says. "How come you guys broke up? I thought you were cute together."
The words are innocent; she doesn't know, but they still hurt. I slowly lower myself onto the floor, leaning against the counter, with my phone pressed between my ear and shoulder. I take in a shaky breath and then let it out slowly.
"No, no we were not," I tell her. "I just... It would never have actually worked out. Sally, I would really rather tell you why in person. So... whenever I see you next."
"That could be tomorrow, if you want?" Sally says quickly. "My aunt wouldn't mind driving so we can hang out. It's been a while."
"Yeah, it has," I say. I'm smiling again just like that. "Okay. Yeah, come over tomorrow. I'm not going to explain everything... Just enough."
"Okay?" I can almost see the face she's pulling; the one where she's really out of the loop, and hates it so much. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Luna. You wanna get online and play some video games after I hang up?"
"Yeah, that would be great," I say. My heart feels lifted again.