wonder_city | Wonder City Stories III #54

Apologies for the late-in-the-week posting -- I have been on the road back from Wiscon for the past couple of days!

Eyes Met and Unmeeting

It surprised Suzanne that she wasn't weeping, sitting in the horrible little waiting room near the catheterization room. She'd been such a waterworks for the past several weeks, no matter what she did to stop it, no matter how many times Pastor Al told her she needed to stop crying because it was damaging other people.

They hadn't had any news since Madeline walked out of the room, saying, "They're in," and hurried back to the emergency room, pulling on someone else's white coat as she went.

Andrea was sitting next to her with the calm air of someone who'd done this before. That nonchalance enraged Suzanne unreasonably.

Finally, Suzanne managed to say, "It was really inappropriate for you to slap me."

Andrea looked at her, opened her mouth, then closed it. After a moment, she said, "I'm sorry."

Suzanne was stunned back into silence. She couldn't remember another time that she'd heard Andrea apologize without also justifying what she'd done.

Maybe Andrea was more shaken than she thought.

A few minutes later, Andrea said, "He's been living with me, you know."

Suzanne looked at her, but Andrea was looking at the floor. "I didn't know," she said.

"You didn't even try to find out where he'd gone after you threw him out," Andrea said, her voice a deadly even non-question that made Suzanne wince.

"I… didn't have time," Suzanne said, looking away at a dull landscape print on the wall. "I was… they kept me busy."

"I see," Andrea said. After a moment, she said, "He's a good man."

"I know," Suzanne said. "He's the best."

"I hope I haven't realized it too late," Andrea said. Her voice was oddly thick.

Suzanne had to swallow the lump in her throat before she could say, "Me too."