AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My dad shakes his head, swirling the ice in his glass. “No, but this is the best table in the house, and I thought we should have the best for you tonight. UConn is a respectable institution, of course it’s not Yale, but at least you’re going to an ivy for law school.” I cringe as my dad insults me while reminding me that I want to talk to him about not going to Columbia in the fall. I know for sure he’s not going to like that conversation. He’s already barely forgiven me for spending every summer volunteering with the Coast Guard.
The food is delicious and I get a little tipsy from the all the whiskey as I listen to my dad and his colleague drone on about law fellowships, different schools, and how I should start studying and taking the bar now. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t find the law fascinating, I do. I just am not sure I want to practice it. If I had my way, I’d become a scientist or a fisherman, that would really piss my dad off.
I don’t look forward to fighting the system, or possibly helping some monster go free. This is not the attitude of a defense lawyer—not a good one anyway. It seems like it’s all inevitable because I know telling my dad I’d rather go to grad school for marine biology will never fly.
After listening to them talk about cigars for 15 minutes, I excuse myself to go to the men’s room, not intending to return. I get turned around and end up in the lobby of the hotel. There’s a small wedding party gathered around a fountain taking pictures and I smile to myself. June is for weddings, my mom would say. She loved a good wedding and was planning mine the minute I was born. The familiar pang I get when I think about my mother is there as I imagine getting married one day without her.
I laugh to myself because I most likely won’t marry. There was only ever one person I considered marriage for and she turned out to be a huge mistake.
“Mollie, your veil is tilted, let me fix it,” I hear a familiar voice call out.
When I turn back and look closely, I see it’s my Mollie, ethereal in a cloud of white chiffon. The first thing I notice is that she looks happy, beautiful and happy. The pain is quick and sharp but also unexpected. I thought I was over her but clearly, I am not. Even four years later it stings to see her. It stings even worse that she’s happy with someone else. Some douchebag looking idiot who probably doesn’t know what he has.
“Okay, you two, now give us a kiss!” the photographer calls to them. I head out to the street.
The humidity is oppressive today and my graduation suit is unforgiving. Fortunately, the car my dad sent is still here and when I get in the back, the driver is happy to take the long trip back since he’s from Waterbury, where the college is located.
Maybe because it’s my graduation day I’m feeling extra melancholy but seeing Mollie has sent me even more over the edge. When I pictured my life that summer, I saw her in it and it looked way different from where I am today. I feel trapped but what other choice do I have?
My phone rings and it’s my dad.
“Son, did you give us the ole Irish goodbye?” he says and I know he’s too drunk and jolly to be mad.
“Yep, didn’t have anything to add to that riveting conversation about Cuban cigars,” I say and he laughs.
“I left something for you in the car,” he says and I notice a large envelope sticking out of one of the seat pockets.
“What is this?” I ask as I take out a sheaf of papers.
“It’s your graduation present,” he says and as I read, I realize it’s a deed to an apartment in the Village. My dad owns several properties so I’m not surprised he’s given me a whole apartment from one of his buildings. “You can move in next weekend.”
“This is amazing dad, thanks,” I say and I am a tiny bit excited to move to the city and start a new chapter of my life. Maybe it won’t be so horrible.
“Jack told me that there’s a spot for you this summer since one of the interns we hired got knocked up. That’s what we get for trying to be progressive and hire a woman.” Ugh, nope, I hate it already. I’m going to have to deal with this misogyny and I’m sure a heavy dose of racism once I’m in the office.
“Wow, dad you’d think since you are a lawyer that you’d know how illegal that statement is, not to mention offensive.”
“Now son, you’re going to have to toughen up if you’re going to make it in this city. You should start packing when you get home, and then I’ll see you a week from Monday at the office. Be there at 9 am, don’t be late.”
He hangs up and I fold my phone shut and lean my head back on the soft leather of the seat. All dreams of persuading him to support me in what I really want in life are dashed. I don’t know why I was fighting it anyway.
Once I start at my dad’s firm, that’s it, life sorted. Law school is a breeze for me, and I pass the bar before I graduate and they hire me on as an associate the day I graduate from Columbia. All I do is work, I barely have time to enjoy my nice apartment and when I do have fun it’s fleeting and with colleagues from the firm, no one I’m really close with.
About a year after graduation, I finish and win my first case and when I go out to celebrate with my paralegals, I run into an old friendly face.
“Look at you! You’ve come a long way from those red swim trunks. Is this Ralph Lauren?” my old supervisor, Tom slides onto a barstool next to me. He’s gripping the sleeve of my expensive suit and my smile is wide as I am genuinely happy to see him.
“Tom, you look great too, is this Versace?” I retort, patting the lapel of his also very well-tailored expensive looking suit. It’s midtown Manhattan, there’s no shortage of men wearing overpriced suits around here.
“Ugh, no it’s Tom Ford you asshole.” He leans in and hugs me and I’m a little surprised but hug him back. “It’s so good to see you. I want you to meet my husband, Will,” he says gesturing to the very handsome man behind him, also in an expensive suit.
“So good to meet you, I’m Owen,” I say and we shake hands.
“I’ve heard about you,” Will says, leaning in to inspect me more carefully. “You’re the one who met your soul mate at 18?”
“That’s debatable since I’m pretty certain she’s currently married to someone else.” The pain of thinking about Mollie is still acute after all these years which is silly. I change the subject anyway. “So, where did you get married?”
“We were one of the first couples to get a marriage license here in gay ole NYC,” Tom says. “We got married at the Botanical Gardens last spring. It was gorgeous but phew, the flowers were in bloom, and everyone was sneezing.”
