Family Ties (Sharing Space #2) Read online

  Brianna turned to look out the window. Orange lights flashed across her face as our express train whizzed through a station.

  “My mother has been too busy to notice much of anything.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing.”

  Just like that, the case was closed. I was curious to know more, but figured I had all day and night to dig further.

  Watching Brianna’s face light up as we entered the Children’s Museum was well worth the wait. There was a space exhibit that I knew would please Brianna, seeing as how Crystal told me she’d taken an interest in astronomy. We went through the thirty-minute tour and then I treated her to a manicure at my favorite salon. I managed to convince her that the Rococo Red was a little too adult and that it might be more appropriate if she went with the Cotton Candy Pink. There was some resistance at first, but when the manicurist informed her that Selena Gomez was a regular at the salon and frequently chose that color, Brianna was all for it.

  After our pamper session, we walked the few blocks to my apartment. The already brisk day was turning chillier, and we linked our arms for warmth. While I prepared Brianna’s favorite dinner—spaghetti and meatballs with shredded cheese on top—she took a bath and changed into pajamas. Over dinner we talked about my mother’s upcoming Thanksgiving visit.

  “I love when Auntie Adrian comes to visit. She always brings really cool gifts,” Brianna said while and licked sauce from her finger.

  “Yeah, that’s not all she brings,” I replied, handing her a napkin.

  “Huh?”

  “Nothing.”

  “So, what’s it like?”

  “What’s what like?” I asked, taking a sip of soda.

  “Living with a white man.”

  I nearly spat out my Pepsi. “What do you mean?”

  I was actually worried that Brianna might take my living with a man the wrong way. It was important that she knew it was a roommate situation and not just shacking up with some random guy. I figured that she was bright for her age and wouldn’t get the wrong idea. What I didn’t expect was for her to take an interest in Patrick being white. Her question took me by surprise, not only because it was asked, but also because of how nonchalantly it rolled off her tongue. What happened to my cute little niece, and where did this young lady come from asking such adult questions?

  “Is it weird?”

  “No, it’s not weird. It takes a little getting used to… having a male roommate period, but not because he’s white.”

  “Oh.”

  Since Brianna had just put me on the spot, I figured turnabout was fair play. I was dying to know what was going on between her and Crystal.

  “So, I was talking to your Mom…”

  Brianna cut me off by blowing out her breath.

  “See, that right there is what I wanted to talk to you about. What’s going on, Brianna? Why the sudden attitude towards your Mom?”

  She just looked down at her empty plate. I decided to back up and try being less confrontational. “Bri, you know that your mother loves you very much, and so do I. If something is wrong, bothering you, I hope you know that you can talk to either one of us.”

  “Well, maybe I can talk to you.”

  “Why do you feel you can’t go to Crystal?”

  Brianna looked at me like she was trying to explain simple arithmetic and I just wasn’t getting it. “My mother doesn’t have time to talk to me anymore. We used to talk all the time, do things together. But lately, she’s been too busy with…”

  “With what?”

  “She doesn’t think I know, but I do. I’m not stupid and I’m not blind.”

  “Honey, no one thinks you’re stupid, but I can’t help with… with anything… until you tell me what it is that’s bothering you.”

  Brianna sighed deeply, pushed her plate away from her like what she had to say required too much room, and crossed her thin arms across her chest. “My mother has a boyfriend.”

  Was that all?

  I was relieved to hear that Brianna wasn’t in trouble at school or anything like that, but I didn’t want to downplay Brianna’s feelings over Crystal having a new man in her life either. No one likes to have their feelings trivialized, and kids were no exception. I wanted to reassure Brianna that she was, and would always be, number one in her mother’s heart. I wanted to tell her that if her mother found someone who could make her happy, she should be glad for her and try to give this new guy a chance, but all that came out was—

  “Oh.”

  With all the textbook replies I could have given, I didn’t feel comfortable discussing Crystal’s business or, as my mother would say, “grown folks business,” with her own child.

  “Have you met him?”

  “No”, she sulked. “She hasn’t come right out and said anything, but I know that’s what it is. She is always changing her voice when I enter the room and she’s on the phone. Miss Beatrice has been coming over to take care of me more than usual cause now she’s always got things to do, and one night I woke up in the middle of the night thirsty and I heard her talking to a man in the living room. I couldn’t hear what they were saying exactly, and I knew if I opened my door she’d hear me and make me go back to bed.”

  “Sweetie, I don’t know what to say. Your mother is a grown woman and I’m not sure we should be having this conversation. Besides, you don’t know for sure that she’s dating someone.”

  Brianna raised her voice and I noticed there were tears brimming on her eyelids. “Then why is she acting like that and who was that she was talking to? I know she has a boyfriend and she must be too ashamed of me to want me to meet him.”

  “Hey! You know better than that, girl. Your mother cherishes the ground you walk on. She couldn’t be more proud of you. Being a single mother is hard work. Every decision your mother makes in life, she has to consider you first, and she does it gladly because she wants nothing but the best for you. That includes decisions of when and who to date. She’s not gonna have just anybody around her child. Instead of looking at this as her being ashamed of you, have you ever considered that if she’s dating someone she may be trying to decide if he’s good enough to meet you?”

  She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and I handed her another napkin. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that.” She sniffed.

  “Why don’t you go wash your face while I clear the table? We can watch a movie if you’re not too tired.”

  Brianna smiled. “Okay.” She was halfway to the bathroom when she turned to look at me. “Do you think my Mom is mad at me?”

  I was surprised. “Why would she be?”

  “The way I’ve been acting.”

  I walked over to where she stood and gave her a hug. “Brianna, if there is one thing I’m sure of it’s your mother’s love for you. She’s not mad at you.”

  The rest of the night passed without incident. Brianna and I curled up on the couch and watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, one of her favorite movies. I personally didn’t get the fascination and gave it minimal attention. I kept thinking about Patrick.

  I hadn’t seen him since the night before when we’d had dinner with Myra. I wondered if he was out with a girl. He hadn’t mentioned having a girlfriend and I didn’t want to look foolish for asking. As I tucked Brianna into my bed I wondered why I cared so much where Patrick spent his nights away from home. I told myself that I shouldn’t care and, as sleep took me over on the couch, I caught myself listening for his key in the lock.

  Chapter Two

  Family Pressure

  Patrick

  The meeting with Charlotte didn’t go as well as I had hoped. In fact, the words epic failure might not be much of an overstatement. I had been flying high on the train ride to the East Village. Dinner with Chloe and Myra went well, I thought. I hadn’t planned on joining them, but I got a vibe from Myra and it wasn’t a good one. I wasn’t sure why, but it felt important that Chloe’s best friend like me.

&n
bsp; Despite a tense moment or two I think I was able to convince Myra that my intentions were pure, even though that might not have been entirely true. When Chloe shared her good news about work, my first instinct had been to give her a hug and then maybe suggest a night out to celebrate. I quickly checked myself, not knowing how that would have been perceived. Either way, I was happy for her and planned on doing something special to show it. I just hadn’t figured out what.

  I’d arranged to meet Charlotte and Orbit at an all night coffee shop called Cool Beans. I’d have preferred to meet her alone, but she’d insisted on her soul mate tagging along when she agreed to come. I arrived a few minutes early and grabbed a booth near the entrance so they’d spot me easily. The shop was filled with students guzzling down cappuccinos and surrounded by thick textbooks, and couples making eyes at each other over the rims of their lattes.

  They arrived about ten minutes after I did, just as I was informing the waitress that I would wait for my party to arrive before ordering. I did a classic double take. My little sister, who as a little girl had charmed anyone she met with her sweet face, expressive blue eyes and soft strawberry blond hair, now looked like crap. The girl who I had once considered one of the most beautiful women in the world now looked like a washed out version of herself.

  Charlotte’s normally well-kept hair was tied at the nape of her neck in a tangled mess. She was wearing a long floral skirt that looked as though it had never seen the inside of a washing machine, much less an iron. A loose white ruffled shirt hung from her thin frame, and it was very noticeable that my sweet little sister was in desperate need of a bra.

  Orbit didn’t make a better impression. They were arm in arm as my sister introduced me to the six-foot tall leather pants-wearing bohemian who had alienated her from her family and friends for the past few months. He looked like a broke white Lenny Kravitz-wannabe. I was cordial as I shook his hand, calling on all of my acting skills to hide my desire to punch him in the face. I owed it to my sister to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I figured there might be something to the old honey method of catching flies.

  “Hi, bro.” Charlotte and I kissed hello. “You look great as usual.”

  “You too,” I lied.

  “Hey Patrick, man. Nice to finally meet you.”

  “You too,” I repeated—again, a lie.

  I wanted to grab Charlotte by her bony shoulders and demand she look me in the eye and tell me what it was she saw in this guy. Instead I asked, “You guys ready to order?” The waitress reappeared and I could see the Which one of these things does not belong? question looming behind her eyes. Anger washed over me. I didn’t like the idea of someone looking at my sister like she was some kind of freak: my sister, who was both smart and beautiful and just a year ago would have had this waitress and every other woman in the coffee shop looking at her with envy. We placed our order and the interrogation in disguise began.

  “How are your classes going, Char?”

  “Agggh.”

  Was that an answer?

  “That bad?” I was hoping I’d have a least some good news to report home. I didn’t think my parents could take her failing school on top of everything else.

  “Man, I want to teach, ya know? They’re not teaching me how to teach, at least not the important things. Sure, I can tell them all about this country’s screwed up history, but what about how to be a good person, how to make a difference, how to… be?”

  “Char, I thought you wanted to teach kindergarten. What else is there to learn in kindergarten besides ABCs, 123s, and how to be a good person?”

  “You don’t get it, man,” Orbit interjected.

  I ignored him. “Charlotte, make me get it.”

  “Look bro, I just don’t agree with their philosophy, that’s all, but I’m not failing if that’s what you want to know.”

  I didn’t know whether or not I could believe her, but I let it go for the moment. Orbit reached into his worn suede jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. The waitress returned with our coffees.

  “You can’t light that in here. I’m sorry.”

  Orbit put the single cigarette and lighter in his inner jacket pocket. “No problem, Mama. It’s all good.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Char, Mom wants to know if you’re going to come to dinner this Sunday. Everyone will be there.”

  Besides being her boyfriend, apparently Orbit was now my sister’s personal assistant. “No can do. Charlotte and I have the Save the Earth festival on Sunday.”

  “Oh yeah. I’d almost forgotten.” Charlotte turned to me. “I’m gonna have to take a rain check on that one.”

  “Well, when do you think you’ll get a chance to go home? Mom and Dad really miss you. When’s the last time you’ve seen your nieces and nephews?”

  “Oh come on, that’s low. Don’t guilt trip me.” Charlotte took a sip of her latte. “Although, my Mom does make awesome roast beef.” She nudged Orbit in the side.

  “Remember what we said, babe. No red meat.”

  He wouldn’t eat cow, but he had no problem wrapping his ass in it?

  “Charlotte, you can’t keep blowing them off.”

  “You’re making this sound worse than it is. Mom and Dad know that I’m busy. I don’t remember them hounding you this much when you were in school.”

  “That’s because I managed to attend school and still behave like I had a family.”

  “Whoa, this is getting a little heavy, I’ll excuse myself and let you two do your thing.” Orbit swaggered outside to have his cigarette.

  “Finally.” I moved to sit next to Charlotte, as if putting us closer together physically would somehow help what I wanted to say sink in. “Charlotte, you haven’t been home in months. You barely call anymore. Would it kill you to skip this festival and see your family instead?”

  Without looking me in the eye Charlotte responded, “This is very important to Orbit. He’s always been into protecting the Earth and our environment.”

  I couldn’t hold back a laugh. “So he says as he puffs on his cigarette.”

  “Patrick! If you’re not going to be serious about our commitments—”

  “Our commitments? Charlotte, you’ve changed into a totally different person. What happened to the fun-loving but responsible girl who loved her family?”

  “Don’t you mean the flighty, purposeless little girl who didn’t really have any goals or direction? And for the record, I love my family, especially you. I just don’t feel like having you all grill me on my new relationship or bug me about my choices.”

  I glanced behind me and noticed Orbit finishing up his cigarette. “Listen, you were not purposeless and you didn’t lack direction. You were normal. You were open. The mere fact that you have to alienate yourself in this relationship from the rest of your family says that something’s not right.”

  I stood up and tossed some cash on the table as Orbit entered the café. “Call me if you change your mind… or come to your senses.”

  As I exited the café I heard Orbit mumble, “Party’s over so soon?”

  I seethed the whole way home. When I got there, Myra was gone and Chloe had gone to bed. I tried to be quiet as I prepared for bed myself, but I was sure she could hear the steam coming out of my ears. I was up most of the night thinking about the meeting with Charlotte. How had two people who were so close grown so far apart in such a short period of time? She was a different person, and it wasn’t just her appearance that made her unrecognizable. Her attitude, the way she spoke to me, and the way she could barely look me in the face the whole time we were together were all so unlike her.

  Had I ever really known my little sister? I never would have imagined that meeting a man would turn her into someone else. I thought she was stronger than that. I wasn’t even sure what it was about the guy that had her so willing to change her whole lifestyle. He wasn’t that handsome and he didn’t seem very smart. True enough that I hadn’t really given him an opportunity to say much, b
ut that meeting wasn’t really about getting to know him. It was about getting my little sister back.

  I tried to put my thoughts of anger towards my other siblings out of my head as I drifted into a restless sleep. Why was it suddenly my sole responsibility to get through to Charlotte?

  That night I dreamt that Charlotte was hanging from a cliff and I was reaching over the edge, trying to grab her hands, when I heard my family cheering me on. I turned to look over my shoulder and saw my parents, brothers, and sisters standing nearby, pleading with me to save her.