March 7, 2014
Dear Collin,
Sorry you had to end things with Laura. It sounds like she was acting pretty crazy, but if she was behaving like that she probably needed help. Her hormones could have been out of whack or something. I know sometimes at certain times of the month I can get really moody and irrational, but I don’t usually take it out on service people. You should have suggested she go to therapy instead of just giving up and dumping her.
Donovan does actually sing the melody to Wipe Out all the time, especially when he’s in the car because he says it makes him feel like a getaway driver. And he sings Surfer Girl by the Beach Boys to me in the morning, which is ridiculous because I haven’t surfed a day in my life. I guess it’s kind of sweet, though.
Well, I hope you’re writing a bunch of good songs. Hope I get to hear one someday.
Sincerely,
Glory
March 30, 2014
Dear Glory,
I wish you would stop treating me like I’m some douche bag who dumps girls at the first sign of trouble. Or subtly comparing me to your father. Laura had been acting psycho for months before I ended our relationship. It was like she used up all her normal behavior for the first year and then unleashed all her pent up insanity on me. There were dozens of times that I asked her if she wanted to talkabout something that had set her off, but she would just get defensive and accuse me of trying to “fix her.” Trust me, asking her to go to therapy would not have gone over well.
One time she spent two hours tearing her apartment apart trying to figure out what smelled like peaches, only to finally remember she had a peach pie in the oven. Another night she put on an alien mask and went around banging on people’s doors and shooting a fake gun at them because she thought it would be a really funny prank. Two people called the cops on her, but she came and hid out in my apartment, so they never found her.
There’s only so much crazy a person can take, you know? Sure, I could have tried a little harder or stayed in it a little longer, but it was so draining, and there was no indication that it was going to get any better. If the worst thing she did was sing annoying songs in the car, we’d definitely still be together.
Bye,
Collin
April 26, 2014
Dear Collin,
I’m sorry I implied that you were a jerk. You’re right, I tend to apply my father’s poor choices to all males, and I tend to distrust and see the worst in all of them. It’s a mindset I need to work on changing, so I’m glad you called me out on it. And to be honest, I was really hoping that you would make things work with Laura because she made you so happy before. It was almost like I was reading some sappy romance story and I just wanted you two to overcome your issues and end up together. Maybe I was living vicariously through you because I’ve never felt the kind of romanticeuphoria you described with someone else. I mean, things are really nice and comfortable with Donovan, but it’s nothing to lose sleep over.
Anyway, now that I’ve shared a piece of my soul with you, how are you doing? Are you still playing with your band? Are you dating someone new yet? How are your classes? I’ve been staying pretty busy between my schoolwork and my shifts at the cafe. The other day I taught a class of first graders on a field trip about how to make art with food. It was... interesting. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get the raspberry stains out of my uniform.
Anyway, hope your finals go well and that you’re enjoying New York in the spring.
Sincerely,
Glory
Chapter Thirteen: Senior Year
June 17, 2014
Dear Glory,
Your job at the cafe seems fun. It sounds like you just facilitate food fights, although I guess that would be more enjoyable for the students than it would be for the employees.
I’m not really sure how I feel about you envisioning my love life as a sappy romance novel. And if my life was a romance novel, I wonder if the cover would have some bare-chested stud with flowing locks on it. I don’t regret my relationship with Laura. We had some really great moments and I learned a lot about myself. But looking back on it I realize that a lot of my heightened emotions were a result of being independent and experiencing love as I navigated this new sense of freedom and the excitement of being in an electric city. And, let’s face it, I’m sure hormones had some play in it all too. If I had met Laura in Chicago back in high school, I probably wouldn’t have felt so strongly about her.
Speaking of Chicago, I actually went back there last month for a couple weeks. My mom fell down the stairs of the apartment building while she was trying to carry in a bunch of groceries and broke her leg and wrist. So I went to visit and check on her. She was totally fine, but my dad was a wreck, worrying about every little pain she had and blaming himself for her falling. “If I made more money we wouldn’t be living in this crappy apartment with crumbling stairs.” He said that and about a dozen variations of that statement while I was there. I think it made him feel worse that I gave him some money I had saved to help with her hospital bills.I never thought I’d be the one making surplus money in my family. I guess I don’t have a lot of expenses and the financial bar for the Finlay family is pretty low. But I don’t really care about that now. Sure, my dad could have gotten a better career, but he did what he loved, and for the most part, our family was always happy.
How is your mom doing, by the way? I guess I’ve got moms on my mind.
Bye,
Collin
