CHAPTER 17: “Honey, I’m home?”
1628 Words
ODESSA
My apartment is weirdly not dusty when I walk in with my box that is full of mail from the past 3months but it is still my slice of heaven.
Though very large, it is minimalistic, has neutral tones and earthy colors but most importantly, it is private.
“I am home.” I fall back on my sectional sofa and accidently kick over the mail box that the building manager gave me.
I am picking up the different sized envelopes when I notice a yellow A4 packet from California without a return address. I rip it open to find a half burnt wedding invitation for a ceremony happening in days.
“How long was I gone?” I check inside and there is a simple note ripped from a notebook with words written in a red marker.
HURRY to L.A!
I check the invitation again and to my complete surprise, it says: Liam Griffith &…. request your presence at their wedding CEREMONY… next week?
I can’t read the rest because it is burnt but I move to computer in the corner and Google. There is no news of his engagement which means this could be some sick joke but as Jessica walks in half an hour later, I know it is not.
“Liam is engaged?”
I don’t mean to skip the formalities because we haven’t seen each other in so long but what hell? Last time I checked, he was my boyfriend.
“You found out.” Jessica puts her bag down and walks to the kitchen, probably to get me a strong drink.
“Jessica.” I pick up the burnt card. “Liam is engaged!” I repeat because I don’t think it has sunk in yet.
I was gone for 3months.
How is he engaged?
“Here sweetie, you are going to need this.” She hands me a glass of Russian bourbon with ice.
“No. I don’t want alcohol Jessica.” I put the glass on the coffee table. “I want an explanation, how is my boyfriend engaged?”
She crosses her arms.
“I want an explanation too Odessa.” She looks at my suitcases by the door. “Where the hell have you been? You dropped off the face of the earth. No text, nothing.”
Right, there is also still that.
“I told you, South Korea. I had music job there,” I look away. “Now,” I give her the invitation card. “Please explain this.”
“Hey, we just got ours too.” She puts it next to the glass and sits down. “I thought it was you but it’s not, sorry girl.”
Sorry?
Is she kidding?
“Jessica,” my jet lag is catching up quick and my mind is literally running. “How is Liam engaged to be married in less than 2weeks?”
What if lockdown went on for another month? Would I have come back to my boyfriend being married to someone else?
How angry is he with me?
“There is other news.” She is clearly trying to defuse me but it only alarms me as I take a seat.
“Other news?” I tread lightly because I am already on edge. I do not need one push over to my psychotic breakdown.
“You are going to be a godmother,” Jessica singsongs a “Yay!”
“What?” I don’t catch on till she holds her stomach. “Jess, you are pregnant?” The tears rush to my eyes as she smiles.
“I am pregnant b*tch!” She opens her arms and I finally hug her.
My best friend is pregnant. She is really brewing and baking a mini-her (hopefully) with a man that adores her completely.
Okay, this is better news.
“Congratulations!” I let the happy tears drop because “I am going to be a godmother! We are having baby!!!”
I jump up in excitement.
“That’s right auntie V,” we separate to laugh but neither of us can even smile once our eyes meet.
What started as tears of joy for my best friend, who deserves all good news and happy energy because she is clearly glad she is pregnant, gets tainted by the wedding invitation stuck in my head.
“I am so happy for you,” I really am. “Are you happy? Is Dr Henry happy?” I wipe my cheeks.
“Yes, I am and Alek is elated.” She holds my hands and I nod a “good.”
Because she deserves good.
“Odessa this kid isn’t due for another 6months, which means we have 6months left to unf*ck up your life.” She wipes my cheek when a rogue tear drops again. “Did I mention my baby daddy has family jet?”
“Once or twice,” now we laugh.
“I know you just got back but are you ready to go to L.A? It seems you are already running late.”
I look at my bags and nod because they are full of new clothes that I got during my layover. It would have been suspicious to travel without luggage so I replaced everything I burnt before coming home.
“Let’s go unf*ck up my life.” I hug Jessica again and it actually feels like home.
I really missed home.
“Welcome back,” Dr Henry greets with a strict smile and I give him a high five.
“Congratulations,” they both deserve this new start and happiness.
“Thank you but I am told we are about to unf*ck up your life. Let’s save the celebrations for later.” He kisses Jessica’s cheek and she nods clearly proud of him.
LIAM
Everyone has received their invitations last minute because I want to keep this wedding a secret for as long as I can.
But the disappointed, angry and hurtful reactions are getting to me. My phone and email are full because of the news but it surely can’t get any worse.
Right?
“Honey, I am home.” Odessa stands the moment I walk into my house.
Never mind, it just got worse.
“You are back?” I am so emotionally out of it I would not be surprised if she was a figment of my imagination.
For one, her hair is shorter. It is not noticeable because it is still shoulder length but it is obvious to me.
Odessa is slimmer too, paler and leaner. It is like she has been working out since she has been gone but she is also still breathtakingly beautiful.
“Just in time for the wedding, it seems.” Odessa lifts up an invitation I know I didn’t send. “Care to explain honey?”
Odessa calling honey is bad but at least it is not a sweetheart because that would be hurricane Vecker talking and I can’t take her on, this beat down.
“You first, sweetheart.”
What? I have the same anger I felt 3months ago at the airport.
“Nah.” She walks across the foyer to face me. “I want to know who it is.”
“What?” I shrug off my jacket and hang my keys just to avoid eye contact.
“Or you can’t understand English now?” Her Russian accent slips as she asks “who are you engaged to Liam Griffith?”
Odessa follows me to the dining room where she stops me by an elbow pull but the contact only makes me jump.
“What?”
Why is she asking like it’s not written on the invite?
“The invite was sent anonymously because you didn’t even bother to let me know you were involved with another woman. Let alone f*cking engaged to one.” She throws the half burnt invite on the table. “So who is it?”
“Jessica didn’t tell you?” That was the mean reason her and America got invites, to smoke Odessa out from wherever she was.
“I think one thing Jessica and the person who sent this card can agree on, is that I deserve to hear it from you.” She folds her arms. “Is it some spirit dancer? A wannabe W.A.G? Who is it Liam?”
“Why does it matter?” I genuinely want to know
“Because you are my boyfriend!” She yells but her voice cracks, “we just spent a year fixing our relationship and trust issues, so I want to know who you love more—NO—I want to know who you love enough to marry after 3months.”
Nope.
This is worse than I imagined because I can’t even say it out loud. I thought seeing Odessa would make it easier but I still don’t want to hurt her.
I still don’t want her to know.
“Who is she Liam?” Odessa yells when I turn my back to walk away. “Liam!” Hurricane Vecker comes out with a roar.
“It’s Fisher.” I sit by the bottom of the stairs. “It id Olivia Fisher.”
I close my eyes because I can’t bear to see that look in her eyes again. I can’t bear to see her slip away from me just when she came back.
There is no one I love more than Odessa ‘Vecker’ Dominaka.
Marriage and children weren’t even in my vocabulary before her. This is the reason we eloped once but things have changed and so have I, it is more complicated now.
Especially with her being back.
- Writer
