She smiles and nudges the tea forward. “Does Graham still contact you?”
“No.” I pick the cup up, bring it to my nose, and push it away again. It reeks of flowers and dead pigeon. “I got a new phone. New number. I haven’t been back to my apartment once. Jessie gets me anything I need, so I don’t have to go to the store. Unless he gets brave and rocks up to Kane’s house, it’s unlikely I’ll run into him for a while.”
“And you’re not back at work?”
“No.” I sigh. “I don’t know… I don’t think I’m really in the right headspace to teach children right now. My school brought in a substitute, and she’s been there for a while. It’d probably be more disruptive if I come back now when they’re almost done their semester. I’ll just let it ride and go back in August. Start the school year fresh.”
Nodding, she takes a sip of her rodent tea. “That sounds like a promising idea. Do you have plans for the summer? Something exciting?”
“Actually…” Jess’ stupid grin flashes through my mind.Ask her! Tell her our plans, get your quack’s permission or I’ll tie you to the train tracks.“Yeah. Maybe. I wanted to talk to you about that.”
“Really?” From heavy talk to playful smiles, Sonia sits forward in her chair. “Go on.”
“Ah… I think I’m going to buy the Buick. It’s a genuine classic, and I’m in genuine love. I’m considering marrying it.”
She snickers. “The one you’re building? Mr. Alesi will sell it to you?”
“Yeah. He said he would, and since I’m with it every day, I’ll know when to steal the keys so he can’t drive it away and sell it to someone else.”
She grins. “Okay. New car, new beginnings. I like where you’re going with this.”
“So, Jess wanted me to talk to you about something. Like,” I hesitate, “I’m not sure if we need your permission to do it.”
She tilts her head to the side. “You don’t need my permission for anything, Laine. You’re a grown woman. These visits aren’t mandated, and I don’t hold your future in my hands. I’m just here to talk. You come because you want to. You come to see a friendly face and talk about some things you’re not comfortable talking to your family about. I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy knowing you. I hope you always consider me a friend, I hope we can see each other in the store and you’ll show me your beautiful smile, but you don’thaveto visit me. You can stop these sessions whenever you want.”
“So I can leave the state and I won’t get in trouble?”
She laughs. “You can move to Russia and you won’t get in trouble. Though I hope you don’t. I heard winters over there are brutal. And,” she shrugs, “put simply, I’d miss you.” Re-crossing her ankles, she meets my gaze. “Tell me your plans.”
“Ah… while we’re on that, I also have something else to talk to you about. It’s a big news week.”
An hour after walking into Sonia’s office, a couple cycles through smiling and crying and a whole lot of ‘but I can’t’ and ‘isn’t it weird’ and ‘am I a bad person for thinking this’, I walk out again with pink eyes and a smile on my face.
“So?” Jess tosses her magazine aside and jumps up. “Did you ask?”
“Yeah…” Almost like I’m in shock, I look around the room in a daze. “I asked.”
She falls into step as I move toward the front door. “And?”
For the first time ever, I step out of Sonia’s office in cutoff shorts, flip flops, and a tank top. The sun kissing my skin has never felt so good. “She said I better finish the Buick.”
“Woooooo!” Jess jumps into my arms with a squeal.