***
I pulled into my driveway and shut off my car, but not before I saw the silhouette of someone sitting on my porch. My heart leapt into my throat. I rarely had visitors, and I never had them at this late an hour. I turned my headlights back on to get a better look at who was lurking, but it didn’t do much to help. So, I rolled down my window and stuck my head out.
“Hello, can I help you?” I asked nervously.
“For God’s sake, Becca. It’s only me,” a familiar voice shot back.
“Michelle?” I breathed a sigh of relief and got out of the car. What was my sister doing here? Better yet, why was she on my porch like this? “Why didn’t you use your key?” I asked as I climbed the steps up to the porch.
“I lost it,” she said.
I frowned. She lost my house key? That was comforting. I made a mental note to have my locks changed.
“Please don’t look at me like that,” Michelle said, standing and following me inside. “It’s probably somewhere in all my boxes.”
Right. She was in the process of moving. I’d forgotten. “How’s that going anyway?” I asked as I kicked off my shoes and turned on the lights. The scent of my lilac air freshener filled the room and made me smile. It was so much better than the smell of that awful cleaning solution they use at the hospital.
Michelle shrugged. “It’s going slow. Jax isn’t making it very easy on me. Every time I go to the house to get more stuff, he’s there, begging me not to leave, to give him another chance.” She plopped down on the couch. “I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. I’m so close to giving in.” She said as she looked up at me for judgment.
“Oh, Michelle, you can’t do that.” I sat beside her and gave her a hug. “Every time you feel like going back, remember what he did to you.”
“I know.” She sighed. “But Nana and Grandpa always told us to forgive and forget. It’s the quickest way to a happier life.”
I smiled at the memory of my grandparents and how they would always say things like that. They were wonderful people, taken from us much too soon. “Yes, they did say that, but they also always told us not to be doormats, remember?” I shot back at her.
She nodded, but remained silent.
“Jax has been mooching off you for over a year, Michelle. He’s refusing to get a job; he’s blown your savings, and you caught him cheating on you.” I shook my head and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Forgive him if it will make you feel better, but don’t forget what he’s done, and please don’t take that loser back.”
At that, Michelle laughed. “Thanks, Becca. You always know how to make me feel better.” She hugged me then stood. “I’m sorry I was lurking on your porch like some weird stalker.”
I laughed. “You don’t ever have to apologize for coming here. My door is always open to you. And probably to the rest of this town, too, thanks to a lost key.” I winked.
Michelle groaned. “I swear I will find your key.”
“Thanks. You hungry?” I responded.
“Starved.” She told me.
Despite being grateful for my job, I was not grateful for the weird schedule I was on as a result of it. Working nights really messed with my internal clock. Here it was, almost midnight, and I was starting dinner. This was not good for my waistline.
“I’m not sure what I have, but I’m sure I can throw something together.” I went to the kitchen, and Michelle followed. After a quick inventory of my cabinets and refrigerator, I found some leftover chicken and pasta. I tossed them into a baking dish, covered it with a jar of spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese, and put it in the oven. Not my most gourmet meal, but it would do.
I turned to find Michelle sitting at the breakfast bar, arms propped on the counter top, watching me. I smiled and asked, “What?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head and straightened. “How was work?”
I shrugged. “Same old, same old. Broken bones, runny noses, heart attacks. Nothing exciting.”
“If you hate it so much, why don’t you quit, Becca?”
I hated how intuitive my sister was; she knew me too well. It was impossible to hide anything from her, and I knew she’d heard the melancholy in my voice. I sighed. “I don’t hate it, but I just wish I was doing something more fulfilling, you know?” I shrugged and turned to check on my impromptu casserole.
“Well, you know what I think of your career choice.” Michelle said as she joined me near the stove, opening the cabinet and retrieving two plates. “Mom and Dad totally strong-armed you into being a nurse.”
I really didn’t want to have this conversation with her again. Was she right? Of course, but I didn’t need to tell her that. She knew it already. I’d become a nurse because my parents wanted me to, convinced me it was the smartest thing to do. It was a source of stability in an unstable town. Even though it wasn’t my life aspiration to be a nurse, I couldn’t be angry with my parents. They’d been looking out for my best interests, and they’d been right. Because of my job, I was able to live comfortably and had even bought my own house last year.
I took the pasta from the oven and set it on the counter. “If you promise to drop this, I’ll open that expensive bottle of wine I bought last month.”
Michelle grinned. “Deal.”
I laughed. It was so easy to distract her with the temptation of a fine wine. While she scooped food onto our plates, I grabbed the bottle of wine and two glasses. I was glad she was here tonight. I really didn’t want to be alone.