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Alex has come by on more than one occasion—not just at ood at keeping hirateful I don’t want to see hih not to cry all over him yet

“What do you want to do with this box?” Charlene asks

It’s labeled with a biohazard sticker

“You can put it in ure out what I want to do with it later”

She and e a look

“What’s in here?” Charlene rifles through the contents

“All the stuff froet rid of it, okay?”

My“It’s okay, Vi When you’re ready, we can get drunk and burn it all”

I laugh and sniffle Heartbreak is aptly na the Waters beaver makes my stomach clench I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for that

My mom does a little jump, like a yippy terrier and claps her hands “I picked up a fe things for you!” She opens a box filled with brand new glassware It’s another diversion, and I gladly take it Thinking about Alex makes me emotional

It turns out she went on a shopping spree with Sidney’s credit card, so I have a whole bunch of new things I didn’t anticipate Including a flat screen television and an aweso room and bedroom are set up, and most of the boxes are unpacked, we crack open some beers and order pizza

Charlene stays long after everyone else goes hoet droopy and she calls it a night As soon as she leaves, the tears I’ve been holding onto all day begin to fall I want the ache in my chest to stop, but I know it’ll take tihts until my eyes are puffy and I’m too tired to keep them open In bed, I toss and turn, unable to sleep

I stare through the darkness at the closet Several et out of bed and open the door I flick on the interior light and kneel on the cold parquet floor to open the box The Waters beaver is on top I bring him back to bed with ht up withused to It sucks when I forget soet it The walk to work is nice, though, and having my own place affords me some much-needed independence

A few days after I as treats

“I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I brought options” He hands me a tray with a milkshake and a chocolate sundae topped with peanuts

“That’s a hard choice I’o with the sundae”