Page 60 of Kayden: The Past
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The Sister I Wish I Had - Suzy
Sophia did save me,but Suzy had a major impact on my life and on holding on to Sophia. Suzy helped rescue me that day long ago when I hit rock bottom and got lost in the bottom of a bottle. Suzy was Sophia’s roommate and welcomed me into her home when I had nowhere else to go.
The girls lived together to help save money, and neither one of them wanted to be alone. Suzy told Sophia to bring me home with her that day from New Orleans. Not many people would open their home and heart to someone the way Suzy did for me. We knew each other but hadn’t spent tons of time together. But from the first day, she made me feel like I belonged there. She was one of the most genuine and caring people I knew. She was pure and naïve and wanted to find love more than anything in this world.
She hadn’t yet had that great love and dated a few guys who never treated her right. She was always filled with questions. She wanted to know about my marriage and why it fell apart. She asked how my love for my wife was different than my love for Sophia. Suzy had a million questions. She talked a lot. I was used to living with men, and they had so little to say. But Suzy just rattled on for hours if I let her.
When I found out I wouldn’t be getting my job back, Suzy asked me to stay. She liked having a guy in the house. I think she just liked that I could fix shit. I mowed the lawn, fixed the faucets, cleaned the house, and cooked dinners. We were like a fucked-up dysfunctional family, the three of us.
I felt protective of Suzy—she was like a sister to me. She always wanted to believe that people were good. She never thought they were capable of bad things. I took it upon myself to explain to her that men are assholes. We were looking to get laid. I knew I’d have to keep an eye on her and keep her safe from shitheads like I used to be. I’d vet her dates and make sure they treated her right.
Suzy cried when we moved out. I loved her for that, but I didn’t shed a tear. I wanted to make a home with Sophia. We were living in a bedroom—it was a love nest. I was overjoyed the day we packed everything and got the keys to our new apartment. Suzy had tears streaming down her face as she carried boxes to Sophia’s SUV. We were only moving a couple miles away, but to Suzy, it felt farther. She felt like we were abandoning her. We weren’t. She gave us the chance to be together—to make it through the hard times.
Without Suzy opening her home to me, I honestly don’t know where I’d be. I don’t think I would have crawled out of my pit of despair. Sophia would have left me most likely, and my addiction to alcohol would have ruined my only chance at happiness. Suzy had just as much to do with my sobriety as Sophia.
She was the little sister I always wished I had—one who loved me.
