Page 17 of Unconventionally, Elle
We were both remembering how well I'd handled that phone call. The center of my world was taken away, and Jude had already left for NYC.
"Well, only a few days before, she had been talking to me about visiting the condo again and spending a weekend in Boston together. I thought it was odd, because of course we were renting it out, but I still told her I was too busy and couldn't take off from work. Maybe it was some weird memory trick or death premonition for her to want to go back to Boston. She used to tell me how much she loved it there."
"Oh, Elle, I'm so sorry." She placed her hand on my forearm and squeezed.
"Yeah, so the Boston condo wasn't something I wanted to
remember... yet. Those holidays and trips were full of great memories, but I don't know, it still hurts. And to know it was one of the last things we talked about and then I was too busy to even visit her at home, I still feel guilty."
She nodded in understanding and picked up her wineglass. "To Grandma Di and Grandpa Will."
I looked up with watery eyes. Then I lifted my glass to hers. With a shaky voice, I toasted, "To Grandma Di and Grandpa Will."
I closed my eyes and took a long, deep breath. "I want to remember now. I want to feel snowflakes land on my tongue." I opened my eyes and smiled to myself as memories floated to the surface. "I want to go to Revere Beach again and feel summer waves crash on my thighs. I want to smell spring flowers blooming in a garden and feel the crisp fall air tinged with pumpkin and spice." I looked over and met Rachel's warm gaze. "Am I crazy?"
Her eyes were gentle. "No. Not at all. That all sounds absolutely
dreamy."
"I think so too." I smiled and brought my glass back to my lips.
15
Twelve years ago
Of all the places Sarah and I traveled to that semester, London became my favorite memory. We were in a queue for a popular Indian restaurant in Shoreditch, but after waiting in line for more than two hours, we decided to try our luck elsewhere. We swiped our Oyster cards and got on a tube to Piccadilly Circus.
"Please mind the gap," the operator echoed as we disembarked.
It was chilly, and even though Sarah and I had on matching tan overcoats, the brisk wind gave me a shiver. Sarah had adventure in her eyes as she grabbed my hand and jogged up the stairs with me in tow.
It was a clear, cold night once we exited the tube station. We couldn't see the stars because of all the light, but the city was alive. We were alive. It felt like Times Square except better--it was British.
An advertisement popped on a screen in the area.Wickedwas playing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
"Oh my God, I've always wanted to see that on Broadway!" Sarah squeezed my arm and pointed to the advertisement.
"You know, I read that you can get discount tickets for shows. There's like a booth or something." I looked around to see if I could find the mysterious booth.
"Seriously? That's perfect, because judging by that sign, we may be a little short on cash for the regular price." She laughed. I glanced up and noticed the price the next time the advertisement flashed by. We couldn't afford seventy-five pounds per ticket.
After talking to a handful of passersby, we found out that the booth we were looking for was in Leicester Square. Once we had our tickets, we rushed to the Apollo Victoria Theatre for the beginning of the show. With fifteen minutes left to spare, we stood outside the theater for a moment to take in the night. Sarah grabbed my hand and held it firmly in hers. Then she placed her head on my shoulder.
"Isn't this incredible, Elle? Can you believe we are in London together and get to do this?"
I leaned my head against hers. "I mean, I should believe it. We are here. But yeah, it's unreal. I wish Rach was here with us."
"Me too." Sarah pulled out her digital camera from her tan overcoat and told me to get into the frame. She held the camera up in front of our faces and blindly snapped the picture. "There, now we can show her and always be able to look back on this with a smile." She grinned at me and put the camera back into her pocket.
We made it to our seats just in time for the play to begin.
16
Now
Thirty hours in the car and an excessive amount of Starbucks later, I made it to Boston in the heat of summer. I'd had a few months to process all of the changes in my life, and I could honestly say September in Boston beats September in New Orleans. I hadn't been to the condo since my grandmother's death, and the first step over the threshold felt like a punch to the stomach. I cried for most of the first day and managed to eat some popcorn while watching Disney+ on my iPhone. On my second day in the city, I picked myself up and began moving my furniture around the condo. I ordered pizza, hung artwork, and scrolled through the Pottery Barn website for an unspeakable number of hours. I told myself it was worth it, though, when my new bookshelves arrived, along with my muted gold curtains and oversized wool area rug. Yep, totally worth it.
While cleaning out the closet, I found a metal box on the very top shelf pushed all the way against the wall. My tenant had been a shorter woman, so there was no way she would have noticed this. I pulled the box down and stepped off the stool tosee what was inside. I never could have imagined the treasure I found--a box of letters!
