CHAPTER5
Violet
Idon’t know for how long I stand outside on the pavement after Leon has taken off, but I can’t bring myself to go into the house.
It’s too depressing.
I may break down, and I don’t want to crawl my way out from such a low.
Instead, I plonk down on the pavement and stretch my legs out in front of me. The sun pours over my body, melting some of the chill in my bones.
The residence is quiet. It’s a weekday. Everyone must be at work. The isolation is thick around me, a coat that weighs heavy on my shoulders. It’s almost surreal, like a scene from a movie where I’m the last survivor after an apocalypse. I should draw it, but I can’t find the energy or the courage to lift my butt and walk into the house.
A cat jumps from a window of the house on the opposite side of the road, a bell dinging as he saunters over. The tabby arches his back and rubs against my legs.
“Hey, buddy.” I scratch his chin. “Looking for company?”
The front door across the road opens. A woman with red hair cropped short on the top and longer on the sides exits. She wears skinny, stonewashed jeans and a yellow T-shirt with a white daisy missing a petal. The slogan reads, I love you not.
“Hi,” she says, waving as she crosses the road. “I see you’ve met Tiger.”
Yellow flipflops with plastic daisies on the straps fall in my line of vision as she stops in front of me. She rides on the balls of her feet, her hands shoved into the back pockets of her jeans.
Stretching one arm toward me with the military swiftness of a sergeant major, she offers me a hand. “I’m Zelda. I saw the moving truck yesterday. Thought I’d pop over and welcome you to the neighborhood.”
I judge her to be in her early twenties. Crossing my legs to cover my scars, I shake her hand. “That’s kind of you.”
She sits down next to me and motions at my ring finger. “Newlyweds?”
“Yes,” I say, trying to smile around the word. “How about you?”
“I live with my boyfriend, Sam.” She leans closer and says from the corner of her mouth, “Don’t tell him, but we actually live with Tiger.”
The cat purrs and rubs his face against my knee when I stroke him. “He’s cute.”
“She didn’t mean that, Tiger,” she says to the cat before continuing in a loud voice, “He’s a vicious hunter.” Cupping a hand over her mouth, she whispers, “He’s sensitive about the topic since we got him the bell. Hasn’t succeeded in shredding a bird to pieces since, and it’s been hard on his self-image.”
“Oh,” I say, suppressing a laugh. “I can see how that can have a negative impact on a cat’s self-esteem.”
“He used to bring home mice and rats and snakes all the time.” She pets him and adds in a voice reserved for people who are hard of hearing, “Good kitty cat.” Lowering her volume again, she continues, “They say you should praise them for the gifts they bring you.”
“Have you lived here for long?”
“Six months. Your husband seems to be a very private person. We haven’t seen him around much.”
I shift my weight. “He works a lot.”
“One of those.” She nudges my shoulder. “How about you?”
“As a matter of fact, I’m looking.”
“Tough job market, right? What are you looking for?”
“I studied fine arts.”
She whistles. “Won’t be easy to find something in that field. Do you have anything in mind?”
“Not yet.”
I don’t mention we just got married today. People who aren’t as twisted as Leon and I may think it strange that my husband left for the office half an hour after our wedding.
“If I hear of anything, I’ll let you know,” she says.
“Thanks. I appreciate that. As you’re here hanging out with me, I take it you’re not bound to an office either.”
She shrugs. “We’re trying for a baby. Sam and I agree that one of us should be home full time as a caregiver if we’re taking on such a huge responsibility, so there’s no point in looking for a job right now.”
“Wow,” I say, fumbling for words. I can’t imagine bringing children into my world.
She blushes. “I know I’m young, but Sam is on the mature side and not getting younger.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to sound judgmental. I just battled to picture myself in the role. If you’re ready, you can’t be too young.”
“Right.” She tickles Tiger’s belly, who flops onto his back and attacks her fingers. “Try to tell my mom that.”
“You both want the same thing. That’s great.”