Page 72 of Maybe This Christmas
Clearly, she was wrong.
“I had to get back to the city,” was the lame excuse Emma came up with.
Aniyah’s sigh crackled along the line.“What happened?”
Marge turned on the traffic report at full volume.Emma covered her phone.“Can you turn that down a little, please, Marge?My sister is on the phone.”
Marge harumphed to that but did as asked.Emma leaned back into her seat.“I think I was living in delulu land.”
She could picture Aniyah on the other end of the phone, her index finger massaging the spot between her eyes.“You are too practical for delusion, Emma.You were developing business plans the last time we spoke.So, what happened?I’ve got all night.”
“No, you don’t.”She knew that Aniyah was probably on her way out the door for a holiday event.She’d healed her childhood trauma by being a fantastic mother.Those kids were so lucky to have a mom who packed as much magic as possible into the holidays.
“So, beloved, please get to the point.What happened?”Aniyah said.
“Fine.Davis showed up.”
“What?You left Mr.Lumberjack Dreamboat to go back to DC withDavis?Put that pale-eyed menace on the phone right now.Better yet, put me on speakerphone.”
“I’m not with him.He came in like a tornado and left me like the remnants.”
Aniyah sighed.“Setting aside the insensitive analogy, I get where you’re coming from.So, what happened?”
Aniyah interrupted roughly every two words as Emma explained Davis’ payment plan to her.
“Are you fucking kidding me?That little weasel can’t get you back, so he wants to bankrupt you instead.Oh my god, I’m going to kick his ass.Better yet, I’m going to send my cousins to kick his ass.It’ll only take them an hour or so to get there from PG county.”
“We both know he would stroke out if he ever saw them, so please don’t.I’m just going back to the condo to pack up my things and figure out where I’m going next.”
“And Davis will be there too, presumably?”
“No.I texted him after he left to let him know I was going back to the city and would leave a check for him.He told me he’d be out of state until after the New Year, so I could stay there if I wanted to.So at least I’ll have the place to myself.”
“So, you’re really giving him money?Seriously?He has no leg to stand on.”
If anyone could understand the worry and anxiety bubbling up in her throat, it would be Aniyah.Growing up with an uncertain future meant she’d never allowed herself to get too comfortable.Paying Davis his discounted rate now meant that she could be done with him and still have a decent amount of savings to live off while she figured things out.
“We both know how petty he can be.I’d rather pay him half and be done with it.I’m already looking at an Airbnb to stay at while I apply for jobs.I’ll be okay for a few months, especially if I receive unemployment benefits when my severance ends.Those checks will start coming in the new year.”
“Wait, what about the stationery store?Aren’t you going back to Falling Leaves?That sounds like the perfect next step for you, Em.”
When Emma said nothing, Aniyah only sighed once more.“Don’t tell me you left without saying goodbye.”
“I left a note.I can’t go back there.It was some sort of Christmas-induced hallucination.They need me in the real world.”
“Falling Leavesisin the real world.You could have a home there if you wanted.”
Emma’s gaze moved to the haze of red brake lights ahead of them.“No.It’s better to start over.It’s too late to look back.”
There was a ruckus in the background as Aniyah corralled her kids toward the car.“You just left like two hours ago.There’s still time.”
Emma had had enough of this conversation.She’d rather talk to Marge about her sparkly money candles.
“I’ve gotta go, Aniyah.I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
She ended the call to Aniyah’s protests.Then she promptly put her phone in do-not-disturb mode.
All she needed was a good night’s sleep.Then she’d figure out the rest.
