Someone Else’s Life(33)



“Oh . . .” Annie walked to the junk drawer to give Serena a moment. She opened it, rummaging around, but there wasn’t a single battery to be found.

“I wanted to die like my father.”

Annie looked up at those words, her breath catching. She closed the drawer and made her way back to the couch, sitting down next to Serena.

Serena waved a hand in the air. “I just . . . wanted to disappear, you know? I didn’t want to live my life anymore.” She gave a little laugh. “That’s why I understand how you felt the year your life fell apart.”

“Yeah.” Annie nodded, picking up her wineglass from the coffee table.

Serena’s face suddenly lit up. “We both seem to have diarrhea of the mouth tonight, don’t we?”

Annie had just taken a sip of the wine and snorted. Some of it shot up her nose. She clapped a hand over her mouth before it could spew out of her mouth. When she could talk again, she said, “Don’t say things like that when I just swallowed a mouthful of wine.”

Serena grinned at her, and Marley watched them, the bone dangling out of his mouth. Annie reached out to rub him on the head, and he returned his attention to gnawing on the bone.

“That’s why I was so excited when Danny proposed. I mean, I loved him and was so happy to marry him, but he had a big family. A brother, a sister, and like a million cousins. They had huge family get-togethers for the holidays, and they welcomed me when we were together. But ever since we broke up, they won’t speak to me anymore. I don’t know what Danny said to them, but they blame me for what happened . . .”

Annie frowned when Serena didn’t continue. “What happened?”

A dark cloud came over Serena’s face, and suddenly, the mirth that had just filled her face was replaced with something darker. “It’s complicated. Let’s just say they blame me for the breakup, even though he was the one who ended things with me.” She spoke through clenched teeth.

Annie eyed her, trying to gauge her mood. Was Serena still angry with Danny for breaking up with her? Or was she sad that she had lost the big family that had once welcomed her? “Life’s been a bitch to you, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, yes it has.” Serena’s eyes shifted, and suddenly, she was the warm, friendly person Annie was beginning to like a lot. “This is why I feel so comfortable with you. You just get me. I don’t usually tell people about my past. It sounds so awful.” She chuckled, and a chill went down Annie’s spine. The sound was so hollow, so devoid of emotion, that she felt bad for her new friend. As much as Annie’s life had gone downhill four years ago, others were having just as tough a time, if not tougher.

“You’re welcome to share my family.” Annie wanted to do what she could to make Serena feel better. “Jeannie is supposed to come visit soon with her family, and then it’ll get even louder.”

“That sounds so nice, you have no idea.”

Annie tipped her head. “Jeannie hasn’t been back here since our mother died. I think she’s afraid to. But Sam and I talked her into coming for spring break. Her kids miss this place. And we miss them.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to be with family again.” The wistful tone was back in Serena’s words. “I can’t tell you how often I used to look at families who were out together, even doing something simple like taking a walk or having a picnic at the beach, and wish I was part of it. It was just my dad and me for most of my childhood, and then once he was gone, it was just me. And for a while I thought I had Danny and his family, but now, it’s just me again.”

She looked so sad that Annie wanted to reach out and hug her. The thing was, Annie could picture Serena’s longing perfectly. To think your life was going to go one way, to plan for it, wish for it, and finally have it in reach, only to have it all fall apart. “I know this doesn’t help, but I’m really sorry for what you went through as a child. I don’t know what happened between you and Danny, but I know what it’s like to have your dreams crushed and to lose someone.”

“It does help. Especially because I’ve always thought you were so perfect. I never thought you would understand all this.” Serena was looking away, not meeting Annie’s eyes.

“I do understand.” Annie was going to say more, but then she stopped. What had Serena just said? That she’d always thought Annie was so perfect? That made no sense—they’d just met today.

Before Annie could think more about what Serena meant, Serena suddenly reached out to clink her glass against Annie’s. Except she did it a little too hard and wine sloshed out of Annie’s glass and onto the blanket covering her legs. Annie made a soft sound of surprise and used the napkin in her hand to try and clean up the spill.

“Oops. I’m so sorry.” Serena giggled. Annie stopped dabbing at the blanket and looked up. Serena sounded drunk. But how could that be? They hadn’t even finished their second glass of wine. Maybe she was a lightweight?

“It’s okay.” Annie didn’t want her to feel bad and tried to make light of the spill. “The wine will blend in with the burgundy part of the blanket.” She got up to get paper towels and a cleanser for the spill.

“I’m so clumsy sometimes.” Serena sank back, relaxing into the couch cushions as if she hadn’t just told a story of an awful childhood and the loss of her fiancé. Annie nodded at her, thinking that Serena was putting on a brave face to cover her hurt.

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