Page 7 of Wild Pitch
Kendra: No, but I’m pretty sure you’re going to need to process this afterward. And I’m here for it.
Oh man, now I was even more curious than I’d been before. But as promised, Idid notGoogle her name, so when we sat down at the secluded table for two and Lily poured her heart out, I battled internally to hide the shock on my face.
“Dad got pulled out of Mother’s Day brunch in handcuffs. He’d been hiding his financial troubles for several years instead of coming clean and asking us to cut our spending. It turned out that he was embezzling from his company. When Mom went to pay the bill for the brunch meant to celebrate her, every single card she used was frozen. None of us knew why he was being cuffed and arrested, so I tried paying. Jeremy tried, but every card for every single account had been frozen.” Lily paused, and I reached across the table to take her hand, giving her silence and space to continue when she was ready.
She took a long breath in, let it out, and responded, her voice shaking. “At the time, I thought that the most mortifying thing I’d ever face was having my boyfriend pay for my mother’s celebration brunch. It has been humbling for sure.”
I squeezed gently, “Are you working?”
She smiled, “Yes, thankfully. I had been on a leave of absence while I was living abroad. They were happy to have me back earlier than originally planned. I don’t think they associate me with my father, but we’re in different fields, so maybe they don’t know.”
The waiter came back around, and I placed an order for a bottle of Chianti. When Lily started to protest, I assured her, “My treat. I’m celebrating my first paycheck, and since I’m still living with my parents, my expenses are minimal.”
“You’re still living at home?” she asked, and I could see the wheels turning.
“I am. I’ve started to look for a place, but what I can afford is either in a shitty neighborhood or too far from work. And I don’t want to buy a car.”
“I’m looking for a roommate. I’ve been scraping by with the rent, but honestly, without my parents’ assistance, it’s been absorbing most of my salary. Hence, I cannot afford to split a bottle of wine.”
Excitement immediately stirred. I hadn’t thought of looking for a roommate once Kelsey said no, but Lily and I had always gotten along. We’d roomed before on class trips, and I’d been invited with her on more than a few family vacations. We were compatible in a way very few humans were. We both liked order and structure and thrived in tidy environments. Judging from the recent changes with her father, we might now be on equal financial footing.
“When can I see it?” I asked, unable to hide my excitement. I hoped she would invite me back tonight. I finally visualized my life and future falling into place.
“Can you come by after work tomorrow? I’ve been storing some boxes in the bedroom and would rather get those situated before you see the apartment.”
I tried to hide my disappointment but remembered how meticulous Lily had always been.
“It’s okay if it’s not perfect.”
“No, I want you to get the full picture so you can imagine the space with only your things,” she said as our bottle of wine arrived.
I sipped the wine, and then nodded, indicating to the waiter that it was delicious. We were both quiet as he poured us each a full glass.
“Do you want to split the calamari appetizer?” I asked Lily. She nodded, and I ordered a creamy smoked salmon pasta while Lily ordered a wedge salad.
“Man, I wish I could eat what you do. You and your sisters have always been able to eat whatever you want,” she grumbled.
“We do, but our portions are much smaller than everyone else’s.” It was in times like these that I wanted to congratulate my mother for raising three daughters who weren’t obsessed with dieting. She had to unpack a lot of generational baggage to do it, but the fear Lily had of the calamari nearly crippled her enjoyment.
“Okay, enough about me,” Lily said. “Tell me about your new job. And dating life. Is there anyone interesting?”
“Oh God, you sound like my mother. It’s like now that Kelsey has the baby, she wants all of us to settle down and have families.”
Lily watched me carefully once the subject of Kelsey came up. She slid into my direct messages once when I posted a Kelsey-approved photo of Crew after he was born. She’s been happy for our family, but the announcement had been unexpected. We weren’t the only ones shocked by Kelsey’s unplanned pregnancy; many of our acquaintances had also expressed their surprise. In some cases, they did so publicly. Kelsey had always been ultra-responsible, and the one time she let loose, she found herself pregnant.
“How is Kelsey handling it?” Lily asked, genuine concern apparent in her gaze.
“She’s such a good mom to Crew. At the expense of herself sometimes, because she never gets a moment to rest. And she’s too stubborn to move back in with my parents, so things are nearly impossible for her right now. She’s driving Uber and working at a sports bar, and my parents are doing what they can to help her with childcare. If I move in, I’d like to have Crew over as much as possible. You’ll be okay with him visiting the apartment?”
“Yeah, it’s your home, Ky. Just make sure I know ahead of time if he’s sleeping over. I wouldn’t want to wake him up accidentally.”
Relief flooded me: “I’m so happy we ran into each other today. I missed you like crazy, Lily.”
“I missed you, too. It’s so nice to have a genuine, friendly face around again,” she beamed.
When the waiter brought our meals, I practically moaned in pleasure as I took the first bite of my creamy pasta.
“Mmm.”
