I sigh and turn a corner Celeste’s gestures toward, “There’s just a lot of history between us that makes every conversation that much harder. She brings up everything over and over, I…I can never win.”
“But win what? The argument? From where I was sitting it looks like you two may have spent some time together but grew upverydifferently. I think Ellie just wants you to see how she had it, without sounding like she’s whining or complaining about how she grew up,” Celeste says, and in all fairness I can’t disagree.
“I know. I wish I could tell her how proud I am of her, her sobriety, and her relationship with Delaney. You’re right, I don’t know her that well, but I’veneverseen her smile at someone like that, not even my parents.” My brows pull together as I try to recall a time where Ellora, myself, and our parents were alltogether and happy. My mind goes blank. Maybe that time never existed, maybe none of us were happy at the same time in the same space. My heart breaks a little at that.
What the fuck would Celeste think of this family? She wouldn’t want any part of something so broken.
“You have to tell her that, Dominic. You have to voice your pride in her, or she’ll never know.” She looks at me with so much earnestness in her eyes that I fight to keep my eyes on the road. I can’t imagine Celeste having a hard time remembering a happy family memory. She is the epitome of happiness. As much as I hated those football guys calling her sunshine because they couldn’t be bothered to remember her name, “sunshine” truly is a great description of Celeste.
“I will. I’ll tell her,” I say as I pull up to the house Celeste is pointing toward, putting her little yellow car in park and stepping out, stretching my legs. I hustle to the other side to open her door before she can.
“Why thank you, Prince Peggy,” She winks at me as she hops out, her purse flung over her shoulder. As she meets the little white fence surrounding her small property, she turns back to me. “Thanks for driving me home, I’m glad I can count on you.”
“It’s no problem at all,” I say before turning to begin my walk home.
“Dominic?” My name sounds like heaven on her lips, and I turn on instinct. With her face blushed from the sweet alcohol and her hair swung over one shoulder, she’s just perfect.
“Yes?”
“In case no one’s said it before, I’m proud of you.” She smiles and my heart explodes in my chest. Warmth radiates from my heart through my veins down to the tips of my fingers. I smile so big I feel my eyes crease.
“Goodnight, Hoot.” I say, then bite into my lip and turn before I spill my heart out to her.
I walk back home with a stupid, big, fat, grin on my face that I just can’t shake. I probably look like a serial killer to anyone else on the streets, smiling like an idiot and walking alone at night, but I just don’t have anything in me to care after hearing Celeste tell me she’s proud of me. The praise rings in my ears much longer than my walk home.
SEVENTEEN
Orange Pekoe
Celeste
I wakeup to my temples throbbing and my cell phone ringing so violently it falls off my side table and onto the floor. My groan is comically loud. I’m not outrageously hung over and it could be worse, however after experiencing binge drinking on a few nights out in my first year, my tolerance has plummeted. I hardly have time to be social in general these days so even those two sugary drinks went straight to my head. I rub the dream crumbs from my eyes and stretch so deliciously I feel at least four cracks popping throughout my spine. I take a deep breath and lean over my bed, my hand fumbling across the floor for my phone. I pick it up and see Delaney’s name across the caller ID. I’m not in the mood to hear Delaney’s twice louder than usual human voice through a speaker so I send her to voicemail and text her.
I’m awake. Head hurts. Text please, no calls. Dying.
OK Drama Queen. Ellie apologizes for last night.
Omg no, I hope Ellie is ok. It was nice meeting her finally, even if it was under less than ideal circumstances.
She said her and Dominic have too much drama between them to be civil.
Not that I want that level of drama, cuz wow lets talk about putting it all out there on the table, but a sibling to fight with would be nice.
That’s what you have me for betch. Don’t you ever forget it.
I smile at Delaney’s inclusion of me in her family as per usual and make my way from my bed to the bathroom, turning on the shower to a scalding temperature I’m sure only the demons of hell can bear. I hop in, plunging myself under the sizzling stream.
After thoroughly scrubbing the booze from my skin, hair, and teeth, I drape myself in the fluffiest robe I can find and pad down the stairs. The smell of fresh coffee and bacon fills my nose halfway down and I groan at the delectable scent.
I scurry into the kitchen to find Mom cooking away, in an equally fluffy robe and a pair of fuzzy cow slippers.
“Good morning, my sweet girl,” she says by way of greeting, putting her own tea down, handing me a steaming coffee, and placing a kiss on my forehead. “Wow, your shampoo smells so good, is that strawberry?” she asks, returning to the bacon and eggs she has simmering in a pan. I grab the creamer from the fridge and add a few dollops to my coffee and take an enormous gulp before answering.
“And vanilla. It’s not new, but it’s tried and true so I stick with it.” I shrug. I love how my Mom finds happiness in the smallest things.
“Well, it’s great. Never change, kid,” she says playfully, a spatula pointed at me. I settle in at the kitchen table and pull my feet up underneath me, draping the ends of the long robe over my legs. I sigh as I take another deep sip from my coffee. The sun’s rays beam in through the window behind me, through the holographic film Mom put up earlier this year, spilling rainbows across the kitchen table. I wiggle my fingers under the translucent colours, letting the dopamine fill my brain at the sight. It was Mom’s idea to add this peel-and-stick to the window that creates these rainbows because, “Why decorate in grey when you can be bold with every other colour? Who is grey for?”To which I totally agree. While our home will never be as eclectic and colourful as Delaney’s apartment, I think it has enough touches of Mom and me to make this our little sanctuary.
“So how did your date go last night?” Mom’s voice cuts through my cloudy head.
