I gave him one more look at the door and then turned and walked down his stairs as quickly as I could.
What had just happened?
6
SHE COMES FROM DILDO
The next day,late on a Friday night, I had a video call with Laura that somehow turned into a fight. It started out with Laura sending me a text saying Hannah wanted to talk, and I quickly jumped on a video call, carefully putting on my jovial aunt voice so that I wouldn’t say anything negative about her father. Everything was great, and I loved Nick, and wasn’t this whole thing a bucket of fun?
“How’re you doing, Hannah Banana? Everything okay?”
She shrugged, which looked like an earthquake on the tiny phone screen. “It’s too hot here.”
“Well, that’s why we have the miracle of air conditioning.”
“I don’t like the kids in Georgia, Tabby.”
“Why not?”
“One of them said I needed a manicure.”
“A manicure?” At seven years old? I tried to keep calm.
“Yeah. She said my nails were gross.”
“Oh, sweetie.” I gritted my teeth at this classic mean girl behavior in its infant form, maddening in its inevitability. “Your nails are fine.”
“Hers were pink, and she said I needed a manicure because mine were gross. Can I come stay with you? Mommy says it’s not as hot where you are.”
“It is cooler here, but you can’t come stay yet. It’s a very long trip.”
“Please Tabby?” That is Hannah’s nickname for me, especially when she wants something. “You could pick me up from the airplane if Mommy doesn’t want to come. I could fly by myself.”
“Oh, honey, I miss you, too. But you’re going to be starting school, and you need time to get used to Atlanta. I promise that if I end up settling up here for good, I’ll fly you up lots of times. You’ll become an international travel expert. But not just yet. You’re still getting settled.”
“I don’t want to live in Georgia. I want to live in New York. I hate it here.” It was the first time she had openly admitted to being homesick, and I felt it like a horse hoof to the chest.
“I’ll come see you before you know it!” My voice was thin from desperation, the kind adults always have when they can’t tell a child the whole truth. “As soon as I can. And Atlanta is so cool. Lots of new things to do and people to meet. I heard you’re getting good at swimming.”
“Yeah,” Hannah agreed proudly. The change of topics seemed effective. She started telling me all the different strokes she was learning, and how she was better than some of the kids who were nine years old. Eventually, Laura appeared and sent Hannah to get in her pajamas so Nick could read to her before bedtime. The image of Nick reading to her gave me an embarrassing flash of jealousy. How dare he act like Hannah’s parent and Laura’s emotional support when that had beenmyjob for the last few years?
“So how’s it going for you?” Laura’s tone was polite, even a little reserved.
“Good. I went to improv comedy practice.”
Laura blinked for a moment, taking in my words. “Well, that’s sounds fun and cool.”
“Definitely fun. Definitely not cool.”
“So…how did you get into that? Like an improv troupe?”
“I’m not into it. It just seemed like something different to try. I made a friend here and she asked me.”
“That’s neat.”
“Yeah.” My heart was speeding up and I realized I was furious with Laura’s patronizing tone. I consciously took a breath to calm down.
“You know you could have done improv comedy in New York, right?”
