For once in her miserable life my mother was speechless. No witty comeback, no equally hurtful jab. “I’m going to return some messages.” Jemini left the suite, drink in hand.
“You took that shit too far.” Anika immediately scolded me. “Did you really have to bring that up? You know that was a tough time for her.”
“She doesn’t like to talk about it because when you look at it in the light it’s real suspect. On a scale of one to ten of motherhood, she was a three point five.”
Anika stepped off the pedestal and sat next to me. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not trying to ruin your day.”
“It’s a little too late for that.” She took a sip from my glass of champagne.
“She just needs to keep his name out of her mouth. Jemini acts like he’s my golden ticket. Not a fucking day has gone by when I didn’t regret the way I handled the breakup. I walked away from a man who loved me, like really fucking loved me. A man who was thoughtful and intentional with his energy and time. And I don’t think I appreciated how rare that was.”
“Yeah, I could’ve told you the dating scene was rough. It’s the Wild Wild West in this motherfucker.”
“He was my first everything. I just got scared because no one gets the love of their life on the first try.”
“You were too young to appreciate what you had, but now you have a second chance.”
I was so tired of those words, second chance. “What if it’s not the same?”
“I can guarantee you it won’t be. You’re not college kids anymore, but your boobs are still perky and that ass.” She made a popping sound. “If we weren’t sisters?—”
“Don’t, don’t you dare.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“I have a pretty good idea.”
“Can I finish?”
I waved my hand giving her the floor. “If we weren’t sisters … I would strap on a dildo and fuck you deeply.
“Thank you?”
“Missionary style so I could see your pretty face.”
I flashed a glance at the sales attendant who’d returned with several veils, and I was certain she’d heard all of that.
“Hooking up with your ex is a rite of passage. We’ve all done it.” She pointed to the clerk. “Am I right? But I think that’s what makes it so exciting, is the chance to fall in love all over again.”
“What if he doesn’t fall back?”
“Then he’s an idiot and we’ll TP his house, scratch his car, and post his nudes.”
“That’s illegal.”
“Which one?”
“All of them.”
“That man adores you. I’m talking drinking your bathwater after you’ve run a 10K race. Like you could call him right fucking now and tell him you wanted the Gucci Softbit maxi shoulder bag in green and it would be at your front door in under an hour. Give me your phone, let me text him.”
“No.” I clutched my phone to my chest.
How about this, after dress shopping, call Aldridge, get fucked and you’ll feel better. That post-sex clarity will kick in. Now I’m going to wrangle Mom. You’re going to apologize, and we’re turning the page.” She stood to go in search of our mother.
“Anika.”
