Juliana and Adriana, but Christina was different. This was a softer, less
businesslike side of her that Taylor hadn’t seen before. They weren’t
friends. They were co-workers. There was a difference. Lines. Even so, she
knew she was going to answer.
“I— well— not until a few years ago, actually. I knew before that. I
tried to make it work with— Chloe’s dad. I thought that maybe I was
confused. I was young. I got pregnant and he ended up taking off, but I
knew that we’d never be together. I knew by then that it was never going to
work for me to be with someone conventionally. I was never attracted to
him, and I was pretty much done lying to myself. My parents were
supportive, but when I tried to talk to my friends, they didn’t get it. People
were confused, especially because I had a daughter by then. They thought I
was the one who was confused. They didn’t understand and they never
would have. I loved living on my parent’s farm, but I wanted to give
something else a
try. I thought that I might feel— free— in a bigger city.”
“I can see that. It must have been really hard, enduring so much.”
“It was hard to move too. I had to leave my whole support system
behind. It was rough trying to find work here. I kept losing my jobs. You
saw me that night, at the benefit.”
Christina’s eyes seemed to darken, and Taylor shifted on the couch.
She felt a stirring in her chest, something direct and sharp, a pain behind her
ribs. “Yes. That guy was a jerk.”
“That was the third job I’d been fired from. I got the idea for my
business that night. My dog put his head on my knees and I just felt so
much better.”
“Your dog! Oh my gosh, do you have to go right away and let him
out?”
Taylor realized it could have given her an easy out. She could just
get Chloe and leave, but for some reason she didn’t grasp it. “I stopped by