Page 63 of Unbreakable
I laced our hands together. “I’ll stick up for you. And I’m sorry for not seeing that.” I gnawed on my lip. “So, are you leaving me?”
He kissed my temple. “I don’t want to. Unless you want that other guy.”
I shook my head and laughed. “No. Not at all.”
Dylan’s eyes glowed. “Can I kill him?”
I laughed until I snorted. “He’s not worth jail time. Then you really wouldn’t get to see me.”
“I mean, maybe I could just take my skate blade?—”
I clapped my hand over his mouth. “No, Dylan?—”
“Just a fingertip! I’d just take the skin off!” he whined.
“Forget about him. He’s not important.”
“He’s such a jagoff?*,” he scoffed.
“You’re so mad, you’re speaking Yinzer?”
“He tried to hork?* my wife!” Dylan grinned. “Can’t just get away with that stuff.”
“What the hell is ‘hork’? You’ve never said that to me once!” I laughed.
“He tried to steal you. And he has to pay.”
“I promise, Dyl, I really don’t think about him.”
“Fine,” he conceded. “Can you stick it out with me until we figure all this stuff out?”
I nodded, grabbing his cheek and kissing him. “Let’s stick it out.”
* Pittsburgh speak/Yinzer for dickhead/jackoff
* Pittsburgh speak/Yinzer for steal
TWENTY-SEVEN
JEANINE
NOW | DECEMBER
If you come up this weekend, I might be like I was when we first became friends
Rachel
That’s ok babe. I love you all the ways
After dinner,Dad lit a fire in the fire pit, and we all gathered outside with a glass of wine. Andy helped his mom into her seat, and I was relieved to see her spirits weren’t too dampened by her illness. Kathy had always been the cool mom among our friends’ parents—single, with a classic and effortless style. Andy’s dad had been out of the picture since I knew them, but Kathy always seemed unaffected. I admired her independence.
Andy and my mom stepped inside to put the dishes away while I sat with Kathy.
“Kathy, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
I pinched my lips together. “Was it hard being Andy’s mom alone?”
