The Long Winter #115
A Fresh Start
“…Bye babe, I’ll see you in August!”
Sandra’s smile vanished as soon as Penny’s face disappeared from her phone. She was happy (SO happy!) for her buddy to be living and working in such a place as Miami. Even as she sat there in boring Nowhere, Michigan staring at the green forest surrounding her parents’ house. She had been stuck there for months, her access to a car limited due to her injuries from the previous winter, and her only human contact consisted of strained dinners with her concerned father and her oblivious, distracted mother, and shouting matches with her younger brother.
She shoved her phone into her pocket and shuffled out of her room. Of course Jamie would be in the bathroom. He was always in the bathroom, especially when she wanted to use it. She sighed and went down the stairs. Her father was already gone (of course) and her mother was at the kitchen table watching something on her phone.
“Good morning, Sandy.”
“Mom.” She poured herself some coffee and retrieved creamer from the fridge.
“Do you have plans for the day?”
“Last PT session.”
“I hear you have a crush on Jake.”
Sandra felt herself flush at the mention of her therapist’s name. He was handsome, with big, expressive blue eyes and sandy brown hair and wide shoulders and strong arms. But his hands were what she loved the most (yes, loved). They were so soft and supple, smoother than hers, completely unlike the hands of every other male she had ever met. They were such nice hands she was deathly afraid he would be gay and the fantasies that had sustained her through the long, dark winter would wither and die and she would have nothing as she languished in this nothing place through a long, hot, nothing summer. To cover all this flashing in her mind she snorted and answered flippantly.
“Whatever, Mom. He’s just my PT person. He’s paid to take care of me.”
“He’s very cute. And he’s not much older than you. If you weren’t going back to that silly school of yours I would say he’s your best shot at a comfortable future.”
“I can meet someone up there too, you know.”
“They’re all playboys. Too rich, too bored. Too much experience, too little common sense.”
“Oh my gosh, Mom, we are so not having this discussion again,” Sandra whined into her coffee.
“Find someone boring, Sandy. Reliable.”
Sandra walked to the sliding glass door and looked out across the little yard at the forest. Birds flitted here and there and her mother’s fragrant lilacs were filling the air with their fresh scent.
“I’m leaving for the spa. You’re welcome to come—“
“I can’t, last PT, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right.” She looked up and smiled at Sandra. She wore too much makeup and that smoothed her cheeks over, but her eyes showed every one of her 50 years for all the world to see. “Well, if you need to go anywhere I’m sure Jamie will be happy to drive you.”
“He’s already going to be so happy to drive me to my appointment…”
Her mother mumbled something conciliatory and stood up. She kissed Sandra on her forehead before leaving. Sandra listened to the garage door whir closed and then she sighed. Jamie thumped down the stairs. His hair had been shaggy all winter and she still found him uncomfortable to look at with it cut short and neatly styled. She noted his crisp slacks and well-fitted dress shirt before looking back outside.
“Hot date today?”
“Just driving your fat ass around.”
“Gosh, Jamie, do you have to be such a jerk?”
“I’m a piece of shit, Sand. Get used to it.”
She glowered as she turned and sat down at the table. The coffee cup was getting heavier and heavier. She wished she was still at the Institute. With Penny. They would have continued exercising every day. She would still be in softball shape. Instead she was winded going up the stairs and soft and pliant in places she had never been soft and pliant before.
“What time’s your last appointment?”
“11.”
“Lunch after?”
“Whatever’s fine.”
“Great.”
Jamie left with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies. Nothing but the best for him. She sighed. Her brother was graduating this year and was looking forward to working in the family business. Unfortunately, he showed none of their father’s organizational talents or people skills (at least so far as Sandra could tell) and as a senior his classes were all finished. She knew he was upstairs streaming some video game and that his dress shirt was part of his gaming uniform. He bragged about how he always stayed on-brand, even when he was still in school but she had no idea how that included his goofy, floppy winter hair.
She picked up her phone and wasted time looking at her friends’ pages, wondering if she was going to have anything at all interesting to do that summer. She was still talking to Raoul but they were booked out through the end of the year and there were no good times for her to go down there. Penny acted cagey about hosting her down in Miami. Leah was out of the country and seemed disinterested in spending any time with her. Clark was in France (good riddance) and she made it a point not to talk to Madison Carter, that bitch.
I am not staying here all summer. I can’t do it.
Birds chirped outside. The breeze carried that lovely lilac scent. It was tranquil. Relaxing.
“Not exciting at all!”
Sandra’s appointment was not far away. She focused on Jake’s face. One last time to look into those lovely eyes. She sighed. No one was doing anything online on a Monday morning in May. She played a game for a while and then her brother reemerged from his lair.
“Come on, cripple. Let’s get you to Dr. Frankenstein.”
“Screw you, you little butthole.”
He snorted at her and led the way to the car. She got in and buckled herself as he adjusted his seat.
“I should be driving myself,” she grumbled.
“You should be. But we’re under orders.”
She sighed and glared out the window. He backed the wine red Yukon out of the garage and drove down the driveway. His phone connected itself to the car and began playing whatever had been on his headphones. An audiobook. Not a novel. A… self-help book? A girl was telling him how to meet girls!
“What in the hell is this?”
“Not everyone has tits and an ass they can wiggle to get dates.”
“You had that cute girlfriend last year! What happened to her?”
“She dumped me for Jonah.”
“That loser?” Sandra stared at the screen while the woman talked about the importance of being willing to walk away. “He’s so gross!”
“Yeah, well, not gross enough for Beckett.”
“Ugh. He breathes through his mouth and chews with it wide open. He wears a brown belt with black shoes, and socks with sandals! Blech. Beckett’s an idiot, you can do so much better.”
“Well, thanks for your sympathy. That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“I say plenty of nice things to you.”
“Yeah, right.” He took on a mocking voice. “What the hell, Jamie! Get out of the damn bathroom! You’re wearing that? You look like a nerd! Get out of my way, nitwit! Living with you is the worst thing ever!”
“Whatever. You’re completely mean to me, too. Way meaner than I am to you.”
“Sure.”
She blew her breath out her nose and crossed her arms.
“I did like the gift you gave me for Christmas.”
“Spend it all yet?”
“It was gone that day.”
“I figured.” She glanced at him. “You should call Kirstie.”
“Kirstie? Why?”
“She’s cute.”
“I guess.”
“She’s into games, too. Don’t you see her watching your streams sometimes?”
“I haven’t really noticed.”
“Call her.”
They stopped at a red light. He looked at her and nodded.
“I will.”
“Good.”
The light changed and he pulled away. “What are you planning this summer?”
“I have no idea. I’m totally bored though.”
“Since your bestie’s down in Miami?”
“How do you know about her?”
“I see what you post, you know.”
“I guess… She acted weird when we talked about hanging out this summer.”
“Down there?”
“In sunny Miami Beach. I don’t know if I’ll go. I don’t want to intrude.” She glanced at Jamie again. “She’s down there with her girlfriend and I don’t want to make it weird.”
“Girlfriend?”
“You knew Penny’s a lesbian. Don’t act surprised.”
“I did not—“
“You check my shit online, don’t be dumb.”
“Fine. Seems like a terrible loss, she’s hot.”
Sandra rolled her eyes.
“Whatever. If you can’t go down there, why not go back north?”
His words hit her head like it was a gong. She turned slowly and looked at him, barely able to comprehend how right his suggestion sounded. How wise.
“I mean, you sort of know that Annelise girl, right? She’s still up there, I’m pretty sure.”
“Annelise, right. I should call her.”
“Call her, text her, whatever. If you can’t score a date with Jakey-Hot-Pants get your ass out of here.”
“That’s an amazingly good idea. I can’t believe you’re suggesting it.”
“Hey, I got to get rid of you somehow.”
They laughed.
“I’d be rid of you, too!”
The clinic was not far away now. She was already texting Annelise. Her suitcases were packed in her mind and she was thinking about where to stay. She smiled at Jamie.
“You know, that’s such a good idea I wouldn’t even mind if you came up with me.”
“Yeah, right—“
“Really. If things don’t work out with Kirstie (although I really think they will), you should come up and visit. It was your idea, after all. And there are tons of things to do other than hanging out at home fighting with each other all day!”
“Visit you up there? Hah! I’m glad this has been the best Ubering I’ve done for you this year, but maybe we shouldn’t press our luck.”
She laughed. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?”
“Whatever you say, Sand.”
She was smiling as he pulled into the parking lot. He was as well. She thanked him and ran inside for her last session, Jake’s soft, smooth hands vanishing from her imagination…