Page 27 - Vol. VI #9

I I I I couldn’t help frowning and she said said “Don’t look like that babe ” ” She looped her arms around my my neck “It’s the the day before Easter! Have a a a a a a a a a a a a a a little fun ” ” ” Fake grass adorned all the the the the furniture The The enter- tainment center was was covered with the the the the the obnoxious bright-green plastic as as as as as as as as as well as as as as as as as as as various rabbit decorations decorations and and more baskets than necessary Pink-and-yellow ribbons hung from the the the the the the win- dows The last last time I I I remembered my mother decorating like like this was was was when when I I I was was was seven All of of these decorations decorations looked to to to be be about that old the the the the the the baskets tattered and and the the the the the the the posters of of rabbit faces faded It was was was was just what you would expect things to to to look look look like like when when they’d spent over a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a decade in in in in in in in boxes moved from place place to to to place place her voice a wobbly lilt that had become all too familiar One more broken stumbling and cracked than the smooth and gentle voice from my childhood ” My mother looked genuinely excited it it it it was was something I I hadn’t seen in in in in in in in years Her baby-pink sweatshirt and and sweatpants matched the the the the the Easter ribbons and and she’d tied her her her her her hair into a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a messy bun with with an an an an an an extra yellow yellow one She’d rolled her her her her her her pants pants up up so so that they wouldn’t catch on on on on her her her her her slippers just above the the the the the the tattoo on on on on her her her her her her her ankle: a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a small blue daisy with with with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a smiley face in in in in in in the the the the the the yellow yellow center The stem formed her her her her her her first first initial It was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a token of of friendship from a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a friend friend who wound up up up sleeping with with with my my my father yet my my my mother still had had it it it it it touched up up when I I got my my my my first first tattoo angel wings in in in in in in in in in in the the the the the same shade of of blue “You don’t know know what you’re getting into ” ” I I I I said said even though I I I didn’t know know myself My mother stood in in in in in in the the the the living room just outside my my door door with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a large smile plastered on on her her face The The house smelled of of sugar and and smoke she’d probably already started baking and and I was was sur- prisingly calmed by the the the the the ever-present odor of of cigarettes “ There was a a timbre to A knock on on on the the the the door door prompted us us us to to to separate Brandie securely interlocked her her her fingers with with mine to to to to prevent me me from escaping back into the the the the the dark cavern of of my my bedroom (continued on on next page)
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“Guess what the surprise is!”