Page 34 of The Beat of My Heart
She looks at me like I have three heads, then takes the beer from my hand. I watch on as she sticks her little fingers into my beer and scoops them all out into her own glass.
“That was both disgusting and extremely hot,” I tell her. “Thank you for saving me from the floaters,” I laugh.
“That’s what I’m here for,” she tells me, “to save you from yourself.”
I pause with my beer mid-air at her statement. She does not understand how true these statements of hers are, and it is scaring the shit out of me. Trying to shake it off, I ask, “So, do I have something to worry about at this game tonight? Should I run to the ATM to make sure we have bail money?”
“Ugh, they are all exaggerating. I’m not that bad,” she tells me.
“Famous last words If I’ve ever heard them,” I joke. “Have you always been a die-hard baseball fan?”
The smile that takes over her face tells so many stories. Stories I want to know so badly but realize I can’t.You are only her now, not her forever. My chest tightens at the thought.
“As long as I can remember. My dad loves the Sox. My parents had season tickets since before they had me. We drive down for as many games as we can,” she tells me. “When I was a kid, my parents used to pick my best friend and me up from school, drive down for the game, then drive home after so we wouldn’t miss school the next day.”
“Sounds like you’re close with your family?” I ask her.
“Very. My parents and my best friend are all I have. I’ve never been very social, my best friend, she is this tall, beautiful goddess that everyone loves, so I’ve always had people around by proxy, but her and my parents are my peeps,” she tells me, smiling.
“That sounds really nice,” I tell her.
“What about you? I know, well, we don’t have to talk about your father, but what about your mom? Friends?” she asks.
Usually, this is a sore subject, but knowing how much my mother would have loved Angel has me opening up. “My mother passed away when I was in college, but before that, I counted on her for everything. Not in a momma’s boy kind of way,” I clarify.
Angel laughs as I hoped she would. “Of course not.”
“I just mean, she was the constant in my life, the one who always stuck by me and encouraged me. It was hard when she died, for my friends and for me. She was like a surrogate mother to them.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she tells me, placing a hand over mine. She doesn’t ask how she died, thank god, she just holds on to my hand, passing me her strength.
This girl!
Urgently needing to change the subject, I blurt out, “Tell me something about yourself, something real.”
She hesitates, thinking, then says, “My middle name is Grace.”
I almost drop my glass and have to swallow multiple times before I can speak again. “That was my mother’s name,” I force out. “Grace Juliette.” Lifting my head to look Angel in the eyes, I see she seems as flustered as I feel.
“Huh, wow, that’s an… ah… a coincidence, isn’t it? Funny how life works out. Well, we should finish these beers, the game will start soon. Do you watch baseball? I mean, I know you're not a Sox fan, but in general? Did you play any sports growing up? I was not athletic, but you could probably have figured that out. I’m not super graceful. Huh, Grace, there it is again. So…”
Placing my beer down, I pull Angel into me. “What has you spiraling, Angel? What is happening in this beautiful head of yours?”
Biting her bottom lip so hard I can see the indent forming, she shakes her head.
“You don’t want to tell me?”
She shakes her head again.
“Okay,” I say, taking half a step back so I can see her fully. “Did I say something wrong? Are you okay?”
Sucking in a deep breath, she finally speaks, “Yes, sorry, nothing like that. It’s just, well, we still have rules, but it sounds like your mother and I probably had a lot in common. I’m sorry I’m being weird, the superstitions all make me a little nuttier than normal. My mind is just wandering to crazy places.”
You and me both, Angel.
Chapter 12
-Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
