Page 25 of A Furry Thing Called Love
I shake my head, laughing a little.My poor cousin… Ah well, it’s not like he didn’t know what he was getting into when he decided to move to the same city as Val.
“I’ll let you go to plan your evil doings.”
“Bye, love you!”
“Yeah, you too.”
We hang up and I drop my phone onto my lap, already missing Val.Fuck, it really has been too long since we last saw each other.
Valery…my first love, best friend, and all around pain in the ass, is someone I trust with my life, with Luka’s life, which is saying something as my cousin means a lot to me—the two of us bonding over being the black sheep of our family.Val is someone I trust more than life itself.Even when they’re being pushy and annoying, I know it’s usually because they see something I don’t.
I wonder what they’d think of Arlo…It’s a slippery thought to have, but I could see the two of them in the same room.Valery effortlessly getting past Arlo’s defenses to see what I do.
Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to have that… Except it’s far too soon to ask Arlo to take a cross-country trip with me, even just as friends.Isn’t it?
Chapter15
Arlo
“See,”Mom says over the phone after I give her an update on getting my cast off.“You had nothing to worry about, I told you that.You could be like Margaret, did I tell you they discovered she has osteoporosis?That fall she had a few months ago set off a chain of events that changed her entire life.So now, they’re trying to prevent more bone loss, on top of trying to get her wrist and hand back to some level of functionality.”
“Not quite the same thing, Mom.”
“No, I know that.”I can hear the eyeroll in her voice.“I’m just saying, it could have been worse.Think of all the problems you could be facing if you had any type of bone degradation as well.So, a new symptom or two isn’t terrible.”
I literally bite my tongue in order to not say anything about how you can’t compare two people’s situations.It’s an argument that’ll only fall on deaf ears, and lead to her crying about how she “Was only trying to help put things into perspective” and “I shouldn’t take what she says to heart, as she means well”.The problem is, Iknowshe means well.
My mother tries, in her own way.She just has very limited, structured views that are outdated at best.The “someone else has it worse” mentality is a form of toxic positivity that is partially the reason I moved so far away in the first place.
“Get tired of beach living yet?”Mom asks.
I laugh.“Definitely not.I love it here.So do the dogs.”
She makes a derisive noise.“I still think you should have left Millie here.You don’t need the extra stress.”
Looking out the back door, where Millie and Eli are playing in the yard, I highly disagree.“I love having her,” I reply.“She’s been good for me.Besides, we have an amazing trainer who is great with her.”
“Oh, well, that’s good.I guess if you think you can handle her…”
My teeth clack together as I clench my jaw.“We’re fine, Mom.I promise.”
“I know you’re perfectly capable and independent, but I worry, Arlo.You’re so far away, and after your fall…”
I sigh.“I know.I understand you’re worried about me, and I know you care, but you need to trust me.I know what I’m doing.”
“I know.I’m being a helicopter again, aren’t I?”
I laugh.“Maybe a little, but I know it’s coming from a good place.”
And I do know that.It’s what makes it so much worse.I know my parents love me, but they’re also…a little much.They both do and don’t understand my diagnosis.Relapses scare the shit out of them, and though my mother can be irritating as all fuck with her toxic positivity bullshit, I know it’s just a mask to cover up how terrified she is whenever something happens.
I learned a long time ago that I can’t live in fear of myself, or what might happen with my body later on.Yes, it scares me, and I have moments where all I can think about is the future—it’s why I asked Jordan if he’d take Millie in if I got bad news.
I’d like to think, overall, I’m living my life the best I can.Which means staying away from my well-meaning, but exhausting parents, and rekindling my friendship with Jordan.Except, every moment we spend together feels charged with something else.A promise of more that I’m not so sure I can take, not after disappointing him once before.
“Well,”Mom says,“I better let you go.I need to find something to feed your father.”
I chuckle.“Have fun.I’ll talk to you soon, love you.”
