Living Alone Together - Chapter Four
Two separate lives are lived side by side.
Chapter Four.
"Hey, yourself," Aislinn answered softly as she sat in a chair opposite her sister.
"Thanks for taking care of James," Cora sighed.
"Any time, of course. How was work?"
"Same. Less stress because I don't have to worry much about James."
"We'll make it work out, Cor. Don't worry."
Cora gave her twin a smile before her forkful of spaghetti and kissed her sister on the cheek.
"Ew! Corrr!" Aislinn joked wiping off some stray spaghetti sauce.
Cora spun her fork with anew with more spaghetti. Wiggling her eyebrows, she stuffed it all in her mouth just like when they were children.
Aislinn reached for her cup of tea.
Just because she had a babe, didn't mean she should lose all her mischievousness. Speaking of which...
She jumped a bit in her seat with anxiousness.
"I've got a date for you, Aze!"
Aislinn cocked her eyebrow.
"You better be kidding."
"Come on."
"I'm not going."
"It's too late, I already set it up."
Putting her cup of tea down as gently as she could - which wasn't very, she asked, "What is up with you guys wanting to me to go out?"
"What's wrong with going out and having fun from time to time?"
"Nothing..."
"Why don't you come out with us the next time I go out with Sienna and the others?"
"I don't know..."
"He won't be there, Aze."
"Who?"
"You don't have to play dumb with me."
"I'm not..."
"Well then, if you're not talking about Travis then you're going out with us tomorrow."
"Cor..."
"It's done. Oh, and you ARE going on that blind date. I'm not going to make you into a spinster babysitter until AFTER we've tried to hook you up."
"Cora!"
"What? I'm just saying."
"You're incorrigible."
"I know, right? I love it."
Cora gave her twin sister a flying kiss before turning to wash her dishes.
"What will I do with you?" Aislinn asked as she shook her head and sipped the rest of her tea.
"Keep me company. That's what."
"No news from Anthony?"
"None," Cora answered curtly, making it known that she didn't want to talk about that.
Anthony is James' father who Cora met when she went away to school. Five months after moving back after college graduation, she gave birth to the beautiful little boy who slept in the next room. After graduation, Cora had revealed that she and Tony had plans to get everything settled and they would become a family.
He came to visit both mother and child when she had given birth.
Tony left a month later, after getting an urgent call from home, saying he was going to come back after tying loose ends in his hometown.
He never came back and they never heard from him again, except for the yearly birthday card for James and Cora, sent to Pa's house.
Despite being abandoned by the boy she loved and still loved, Cora went on raising her child alone and independently.
Aislinn always figured that deep down Cora still held on to the hope that Tony would come back.
Why would he not want to be a part of their lives?
Surely the annual post card was an indication of his want to be a part of their lives, yes?
Getting into bed, Aislinn wondered if she'd ever get the chance to show much love she was capable of giving a man and family.
Just as her head hit the pillow, she started to dream about the same man again.
Always at a grocery store, he appeared out of nowhere to save her from thieves who tried to take her jewelry and purse. They didn't succeed, the only thing was a shimmer on her finger caught her eye. A ring!
She had on such a beautiful princess cut diamond ring. As she stood there admiring it, William encircled her waist with his arms and whispered, "Marry me, Aislinn?"
She heard herself whisper, "Yes".
Just as he leaned in to kiss her, a rap at the door jolted her awake.
Ugh!
"Yeah?"
"Aze, get up, it's already noon."
Groggy and confused, Aislinn looked over at her clock to confirm the time. Yes, it was past 12pm.
A little ball of lightning jumped onto her bed.
"Auntie! Can we go to the park?" James asked enthusiastically.
Aislinn laughed and tickled her nephew.
"Let Auntie get out of bed and eat first before you make her take you out, James."
"Ma, can we get ice cream today?"
"Sure, little man. We will. Now let's go and get Pa something to eat."
"Why? What's wrong with Pa?" Aislinn asked, concerned.
"He said he was having a headache."
"Ok, does he need anything else?"
"Not right now."
Aislinn dressed up and checked in on her Grandfather.
"Pa..." she whispered to the man laying down in bed watching the news report.
He grunted.
"You alright?"
"Of course I am."
She smoothed the hair on his head.
"Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm fine, baby. Just go about your daily. I'll be fine with rest."
"You sure?"
He turned his head to face her with a frown growing deeper.
"Ok. Ok." she said with hands up in surrender. "I get it, you're good."
Giving him a big fat kiss on his cheek, she went down to start her day.
"Hey, yourself," Aislinn answered softly as she sat in a chair opposite her sister.
"Thanks for taking care of James," Cora sighed.
"Any time, of course. How was work?"
"Same. Less stress because I don't have to worry much about James."
"We'll make it work out, Cor. Don't worry."
Cora gave her twin a smile before her forkful of spaghetti and kissed her sister on the cheek.
"Ew! Corrr!" Aislinn joked wiping off some stray spaghetti sauce.
Cora spun her fork with anew with more spaghetti. Wiggling her eyebrows, she stuffed it all in her mouth just like when they were children.
Aislinn reached for her cup of tea.
Just because she had a babe, didn't mean she should lose all her mischievousness. Speaking of which...
She jumped a bit in her seat with anxiousness.
"I've got a date for you, Aze!"
Aislinn cocked her eyebrow.
"You better be kidding."
"Come on."
"I'm not going."
"It's too late, I already set it up."
Putting her cup of tea down as gently as she could - which wasn't very, she asked, "What is up with you guys wanting to me to go out?"
"What's wrong with going out and having fun from time to time?"
"Nothing..."
"Why don't you come out with us the next time I go out with Sienna and the others?"
"I don't know..."
"He won't be there, Aze."
"Who?"
"You don't have to play dumb with me."
"I'm not..."
"Well then, if you're not talking about Travis then you're going out with us tomorrow."
"Cor..."
"It's done. Oh, and you ARE going on that blind date. I'm not going to make you into a spinster babysitter until AFTER we've tried to hook you up."
"Cora!"
"What? I'm just saying."
"You're incorrigible."
"I know, right? I love it."
Cora gave her twin sister a flying kiss before turning to wash her dishes.
"What will I do with you?" Aislinn asked as she shook her head and sipped the rest of her tea.
"Keep me company. That's what."
"No news from Anthony?"
"None," Cora answered curtly, making it known that she didn't want to talk about that.
Anthony is James' father who Cora met when she went away to school. Five months after moving back after college graduation, she gave birth to the beautiful little boy who slept in the next room. After graduation, Cora had revealed that she and Tony had plans to get everything settled and they would become a family.
He came to visit both mother and child when she had given birth.
Tony left a month later, after getting an urgent call from home, saying he was going to come back after tying loose ends in his hometown.
He never came back and they never heard from him again, except for the yearly birthday card for James and Cora, sent to Pa's house.
Despite being abandoned by the boy she loved and still loved, Cora went on raising her child alone and independently.
Aislinn always figured that deep down Cora still held on to the hope that Tony would come back.
Why would he not want to be a part of their lives?
Surely the annual post card was an indication of his want to be a part of their lives, yes?
Getting into bed, Aislinn wondered if she'd ever get the chance to show much love she was capable of giving a man and family.
Just as her head hit the pillow, she started to dream about the same man again.
Always at a grocery store, he appeared out of nowhere to save her from thieves who tried to take her jewelry and purse. They didn't succeed, the only thing was a shimmer on her finger caught her eye. A ring!
She had on such a beautiful princess cut diamond ring. As she stood there admiring it, William encircled her waist with his arms and whispered, "Marry me, Aislinn?"
She heard herself whisper, "Yes".
Just as he leaned in to kiss her, a rap at the door jolted her awake.
Ugh!
"Yeah?"
"Aze, get up, it's already noon."
Groggy and confused, Aislinn looked over at her clock to confirm the time. Yes, it was past 12pm.
A little ball of lightning jumped onto her bed.
"Auntie! Can we go to the park?" James asked enthusiastically.
Aislinn laughed and tickled her nephew.
"Let Auntie get out of bed and eat first before you make her take you out, James."
"Ma, can we get ice cream today?"
"Sure, little man. We will. Now let's go and get Pa something to eat."
"Why? What's wrong with Pa?" Aislinn asked, concerned.
"He said he was having a headache."
"Ok, does he need anything else?"
"Not right now."
Aislinn dressed up and checked in on her Grandfather.
"Pa..." she whispered to the man laying down in bed watching the news report.
He grunted.
"You alright?"
"Of course I am."
She smoothed the hair on his head.
"Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm fine, baby. Just go about your daily. I'll be fine with rest."
"You sure?"
He turned his head to face her with a frown growing deeper.
"Ok. Ok." she said with hands up in surrender. "I get it, you're good."
Giving him a big fat kiss on his cheek, she went down to start her day.
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