Page 112 of Wrench
the sticky glob of syrup in my hair, I would have spent the afternoon basking in his scent.
I felt it was best to spare my dad the explanation of why I looked the way I did.
Stepping into the shower, I found it difficult not to sing a chipper tune. I just felt so
relieved at having Isaac back in my life, like I hadn¡¯t breathed all week. After one night
with him, even my muscles felt less tense and sore. Well, aside from the muscles that we
used the night before, of course. Unfortunately, my dad believed that I was up all night,
upset over a broken heart, so I had to censor the natural skip in my step.
After spending an extra-long time in the shower, reenacting what Isaac had done to me
with my own hands, I wandered through the day in a daydream. Afraid to appear out of
character around my dad, but not wanting to seem too sad by hiding in my room and
worrying him, I decided to do chores around the house. My dad shook my head at me as I
watered the flowers on the front porch, asking me ¡°Why don¡¯t you take it easy, Sammy?
You were up all night¡¡±
I gave him a weak smile and said, ¡°Just trying to keep busy, you know?¡±
With his brows furrowed, he twitched his mustache. ¡°Okay then¡¡±
By the time I had cleaned the entire house, the sun was down, and I actually felt
exhausted. I got into bed for the night and picked up the cheesy romance novel I¡¯d started
a couple weeks earlier. All day I had thought of funny things I wanted to text Isaac about,
but I couldn¡¯t. He made that clear. I went to sleep hoping Isaac would call the next day.
Three days later and still no word. Sitting in my office with Lizzie and Ellen on our
lunch break, I felt preoccupied. Without any word from Isaac, I began feeling like an
addict, with Isaac being my drugs of choice. I knew I shouldn¡¯t be worried, he made it very
clear that he was serious about me and that it would be hard. But I wasn¡¯t used to this
dynamic; sneaking around, as if we were having some extra-marital affair, but we were
two single adults.
Even though I should have known better, I couldn¡¯t help but worry he would be out
with other women when he wasn¡¯t with me. Even if it was just to maintain appearances,
he could have his arm draped around another women¡
¡°Why do you keep checking your phone?¡± Lizzie asked me, sitting with her legs
crossed on the examination table with a pair of chopsticks and a takeout container of pad
