Page 5 of My Infatuation with Isabella

“You’ve been weird these last few weeks,” she says. “Some days you’re so happy and other days you’re sad and depressed. Anything you want to talk about?”

“I talk enough in therapy.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine, mom. It’s just difficult dealing with the past and the present at the same time. I’m digging up a lot of things I thought I’d gotten over a long time ago.”

Including all these feelings I have for the woman that should really be a non-event in my life right now. After everything she’s put me through, I should feelnothing, but it’s like a zombie apocalypse is happening inside me. This war has been going on for a while now,longbefore Christmas eve. These undead feelings started crawling out from the depths of me, clawing their way to the surface despite my best efforts to keep them dead. I know the only way to kill a zombie is to destroy the brain, but I can’t seem to do that because the brain is the place where she’s most alive. She’s on my mind every moment. I can’t stop thinking about her.

“Maybe in that sense, therapy is a good thing,” mom says as we walk back inside. “There are a lot of things you haven’t processed and dealt with properly.”

“In this family, we deal with issues by not dealing with them. It kinda feels unnatural to deal with things...in a healthy way.”

She gasps with fake surprise. “And here I thought I was a good mother for teaching my kids healthy coping mechanisms.”

“You were only a good mother for about three days in...2014. Remember when Dana and I wanted to do a movie marathon and you let us stay up ‘til midnight watching every horror movie we could find for three solid days?”

“Oh, sweetie, you shouldn’t count that. Your father and I were just trying to keep you guys downstairs so we could do sinful things to each other. Let’s just say the priest got an earful when I went to confession that Sunday.”

I groan my disgust, shutting my eyes to block out the images. “Mom, why are you this person?”

She shrugs and tries to look disappointed with herself. “I’ve tried to change.”

“You haven’t.”

“I’ll put it on my list as a New Year’s resolution for next year. There’s no point trying for this year. We’re already halfway through.”

“It’s February.”

She doesn’t reply and rushes off to assist a customer at the door. Running a restaurant is no easy task. It’s not like other jobs where you can make a to-do list and structure your day to get through it. Nope. Every day is unpredictable, and I never know what surprise I’m going to get next. I love it, though. I can’t see myself doing anything else.

I do my rounds, making sure I greet all the customers. We have a few regulars where a greeting is not sufficient, and an in-depth discussion is necessary. Marjorie’s daughter got into med school, Joe is still recovering after his foot operation, and Kayla finally got that promotion. I don’t even notice the afternoon creeping by until Pete walks through the door.

“Pete,” I greet as Kayla taps her card to pay for her meal. “Thanks for picking us up. I have no idea when I’m getting my car back. Every week, they tell me the repairs will be done bynextweek.”

“Don’t sweat it, Dyl.” His eyes discreetly move up and down Kayla’s body. “I’m unemployed. I have nothing better to do.”

I roll my eyes when he tilts his head to check out her ass and I know he’s about to start flirting. “Don’t,” I mouth as Kayla slots her card back in her purse. “Have a good day, Kay.”

“You, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I wait for her to leave, then glare at Peter. “Really?”

He shrugs. “What? She’s hot.”

“Don’t flirt with the regulars, okay?” I take a few steps and tap on the door to the back office. “Dana, Pete’s here.”

My mother walks out with Dana to man the payment counter in my place. “Hello, Peter. You’re looking well today...like every other entitled millennial living off their parent's hard-earned money.”

“Thanks for noticing, Lorraine. You know, I wear these overpriced designer labels just to get compliments like that from you,” Peter replies with his usual tone of mild disinterest before he looks at my sister. “Did you tell your brother that you’re so eager to go to choir practice because you have aboyfriend?”

“Shut up, Peter! He’s not my boyfriend.” She looks at me and lets out an irritated humph. “I swear between him and Scott, I don’t know who I hate more.” Her eyes move back to him. “And the role of annoying older brother has already been filled, so you can back off.”

“I have a younger sister, too. Annoying older brother is all I know how to be...Well, that and a washed-up millennial living off my parent’s money. Those are my only two personality traits.” He reaches over to ruffle her hair, then freezes when Dana immediately takes a step back and moves behind me. He cautiously lifts both hands. “Sorry, I forgot. No touching.”

After that awkward encounter, Dana gives a stiff nod and walks to the door. I follow behind her, but Peter pulls me back a step.

“Yo, Dyl. What’s up with your sister? She’s so jumpy sometimes, and I don’t know what I did to make her?”

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