07

« Please, stay, » she whispered. « I’m sure that all of today’s events have made you feel completely unwelcome here… I suppose I shouldn’t ask you not to go. »

Belle momentarily drifted away in sadness. Mary examined soft imploring eyes that held a glaze. Belle’s cheeks remained red, and her fingers, laced, hovered before her lips.

« Mary ? » she implored, but when her dependent shook her head, she deflated.

Disappointed, Belle ran her hands over her dress and erected her posture. « I understand, and I am sorry. »

Belle granted Mary peace by exiting the guest house. Mary stepped back and sat on the bed, and covered her face. Why should she stay ?

« Please, think over it, » Belle whispered, her eyes fixated on the approaching cab in the distance. Mary refused to look at her and focused on the approaching car.

In a hurry, Mary helped the driver store her bags in the car and slipped into the back seat.

Belle had pressed her back behind the front doors once she secured them closed. Belle retrieved a handkerchief from her cardigan and patted her damp eyes. As she secured the embroidered cloth away, she turned her attention to the top of the staircase and paused. With shock, Nathan monitored the matron over the balcony above the gallery, and her angry eyes beheld him.

Soon, his footsteps clamored down the right staircase and behind her as she hobbled speedily across the foyer. He stepped in her way, blocking her from passing under the staircase. « Belle, c’mon. What just happened ? »

In under twenty-four hours, he had seen her eyes filled with passion. She pointed at his face. « I’ve never been so disappointed in you. There is nothing you can say to me to make this right. »

When she returned to apartment ‘405’, Mary jiggled the key with force before the door unlocked. The door pushed back, but after footsteps thundered from inside the apartment, she threw her hands up. Nellie waved a wooden bat above her shoulder before recognizing her sister.

« You scared the hell out of me ! I thought it was another attempted break-in ! » Nellie threw the weapon down and tugged her into a hug. They pulled back and Nellie questioned, « What are you doing here ? »

Air slithered into Mary’s throat before she yanked her suitcase in and shut the door behind. For a moment, she pressed her back to the door and looked at the ceiling tearfully. Wide-eyed, Nellie pleaded for an explanation. « Say something, Mary. Speak to me. C’mon, you can do it. Just breathe. »

Mary opened her mouth to exhale. Her sister begged again, and finally, she confessed, « The people there were awful ! »

« What are you talking about ? » Nellie took a step back. « You said you even attended the party and honestly I was shocked you did to then say it was fun ! »

« I lied ! »

« Why ?! » Nellie panicked. « Why would you do that ? »

« I wanted to help. »

Nellie whispered with pleading eyes, « This was a tremendous risk for us to take, but we took it because we needed that money. »

Mary wiped her face and explained, « I’m sorry, I couldn’t do it ! I thought my progress was going well, but it all crashed down !

Infuriated, Nellie suggested with folded arms, « So did you lie to me about therapy too ? »

Mary widened her eyes. « What do you mean ?! »

« How are we supposed to relieve the school loans, credit card debt, or save up for Buddy’s daycare ?! In thirty minutes, I have to go to an interview for a second job because the bar has started tip pooling ! »

« I thought you changed your mind about getting a second job ? »

« Well, we should be glad I didn’t, Mary ! » Nellie shook her hands. « I can’t believe this is happening. When Joe told us about that job, I knew it would be a break for us ! I was going to take the job, but you insisted ! You said you were doing okay ! Do you know how hard it was for me to say ‘yes’ and let you go live with strangers ? »

« Mommy ? » a little blonde-haired boy whimpered as he appeared out of the small hallway. Nellie sighed at her sister before softly cooing to her son to go back to sleep. But before his mother could block his view, he swirled around his mother and lifted by his smiling aunt. He concentrated intently as he signed, « I love you » to Mary, and she gave him a kiss on his freckled nose.

« What are we going to do now ? You know they’re increasing the rent in this building they barely make habitable for people to live in ? I’ve been looking at places for us to move to, » her big sister panicked, interrupting their moment. « What really happened ?! »

« He was drinking for breakfast ! » Mary ferociously retorted. « You wouldn’t have panicked too ? »

Nellie looked down and held her hips. Her eyes fluttered uncomfortably as she took a brief pause with a glaze in her copper-brown eyes.

« Sorry. I wish you had told me that first because it’s inevitable that we run into people who–«  She took in a deep breath, and blinked away the tears. « I get it, Mary. Swear I do. The world is full of alcoholics and a lot of them are high-functioning. I see it every night bartending. I hate it, but dammit, I can handle it. Had I assumed the worst, I would have taken–« 

Mary shook her head and interjected, « I can go back to clearing tables ! If not, I’ll find another job. »

Nellie shrilled at first, « Mary, please stop ! You were getting a grand a week, but I want you to be safe ! I need time to wrap my head around this loss. What other job are we going to find that can pay that much ? None of us ever made anything close to that, individually. »

With closed eyes, she paced momentarily and breathed through her mouth. Her little sister disrupted the silence. « Nellie, we’ll find a way. We always do. »

Irate eyes looked straight into Mary. « I love you, but that is the last thing I want to hear right now. We all have credit card debt and we are still paying off college loans over your two bachelor’s degrees, Mary. One is actually useful, but you fell off from the freelance work before selling your equipment to help pay the bills, and then the other barely provides opportunities to anyone in this city ! »

Mary took a step back and cradled Buddy. Seeing the tears falling down Mary’s face, her sister placed her hand over her forehead with regret. Nellie signed, « I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. »

She heard the tearful reply. « But you did. »

« This is too much right now. » Nellie’s finger pointed to the barred window. « I-I have to catch the bus in ten minutes. I guess I don’t have to take Buddy to the neighbors since you’re here. But I don’t know what else to say to you, except maybe check those bills on the coffee table to remind you of the seriousness of our situation. »