I plugged my phone into the charger. It beeped and chugged happily at the source of its life force.
Looking around my room I tried to see it the way a stranger would. What had my ex seen when he first come in? Books. The bed, obviously. The strange collections of pictures pinned to the wall.
Jai would never see any of this. What would be the excuse to get him up to my bedroom when we had his apartment where we could stroll around naked and make noise? I could feel myself blush. My parents would be mortified if Jai and I did anything like that here. I would be mortified knowing they could hear the two of us making my bed squeak. Maybe that was why my parents had brought that bed specifically; to make sure I didn’t have sex in it.
“What do I pack?”
Clearly clothes would be the first thing to go into a suitcase. I hauled out my luggage and dropped it on top of my bedspread. “It’s been a while suitcase.” Turning, I considered my wardrobe. Then I eyed the blanket box at the end of the bed. “This could take a while.”
Do I pack everything I own? Summer and winter clothes and those interchangeable items for spring and autumn? Or should I leave behind some clothes so if I had to spend a weekend at home for some strange reason I could just jump into some old clothes?
“Underwear.” I pulled the draw open and reached in. “Um,” my hand closed around something not fabric. Glancing at the door to make sure it really was closed over, I pulled out my toy. Don’t’ giggle, don’t giggle, whatever you do Cecelia don’t giggle.
“Jai and I could have some fun with this... or I could when he’s working nights...” Without thinking about it I shoved it into the bag and quickly dumped knickers and bras and socks and stockings and hankies over the top, before reaching into the wardrobe to pull t-shirts and jeans and skirts and jumpers- “Jeez! I’m going to need another suitcase.”
I eyed the dresses hanging up. “You guys will be a little more difficult to transport.” And then the shoe boxes bellow. I am not that much of a shoe person, books being my preference. However, over the years with formals and trips to the theatre I needed the occasional fancy pair of heels to go with a frock. But I hardly wore any of them now. In fact I had four pairs of shoes that I lived in; blue ballet flats, joggers, black low heeled combat boots, and high heeled slayer boots. Running around the park, going to the shops, work, and even funerals were covered by these four pairs.
There was a knock at the door.
Shit, no time to hide the suitcase as the door swung open and mum entered.
Just as my phone started to ring. I dived for it, putting it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, how’s the packing going?” Jai whispered into my ear.
I glance at mum. She didn’t look impressed. “About that, I still have to talk to my mother.”
“Why?”
“Really?” I threw back.
“You’re twenty-three. Tell her that you’re moving out, pack your bags and call me to come
pick you up.”
“If only it was that simple.” Mum was watching me, her arms folded and body leaning against the door jam. She really was going to wait for me to finish this conversation before yelling at me. Unless. “Jai, what are you doing right now?”
“Talking to you.”
“No, I mean, you’re at work.”
“I have a break. Why?” He suddenly became suspicious.
Rightly so. “Hang on for a sec.” I moved to mum and held out the phone. “It’s about time you guys meet.”
Wordlessly she took the phone. “Hello Jai, this is Cecelia’s mother.”
She paused, I could hear him speak but not the words.
Sorry Jai.
“I just want what’s best for my daughter.”
Ohh, not sounding very promising. I went back to my wardrobe. Jai was right, I was twenty-three and earning my own money even though dad wanted me to go back to working in the family business. I can leave at anytime. Especially with his key.
I started to pull dresses out and laid them neatly on the mattress. I will have to place them in his car carefully.
“I understand, Jai. But have the two of you gone through everything that will need to be paid? Worked out who will clean and cook?”
I struggled not to snort. Mum moved in with dad pretty much one week after meeting him. Did they have everything planned out like that before? Not likely. So why was this so important to her right now with me?
“Yes.”
I moved to the bookshelves. Where will they be stacked in the apartment? Jai wasn’t a reader, but surely he understood that I was, since each time I pulled out a new novel from my handbag when he would start up his game console.
“Of course.”
It was sounding better. At least she wasn’t saying no.
“I would like to meet you first, before I let Cecelia leave.”
“Mum,” I snapped. “You’re not going to let me do anything because I’m just going to do it. I am moving in with Jai!”
Mum paused. Then, “You heard all of that? I know, she can sometimes be like that.” Mum smirked.
Jai had made my mother smirk on the phone, yes at me her only daughter, but still; that took skill.
“Tonight would be great. When do you finish work?”
Mum pushed herself away from the door jam and came over. “I’ll give you back to Cecelia. See you tonight Jai.”
I took the phone quickly. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Is she still there?” He asked quickly.
“Just leaving my room. That was strange.”
“You threw me to the wolves.”
“Sorry.” I winced.
“Yeah, well. What’s for dinner?”
Looking around my room I tried to see it the way a stranger would. What had my ex seen when he first come in? Books. The bed, obviously. The strange collections of pictures pinned to the wall.
Jai would never see any of this. What would be the excuse to get him up to my bedroom when we had his apartment where we could stroll around naked and make noise? I could feel myself blush. My parents would be mortified if Jai and I did anything like that here. I would be mortified knowing they could hear the two of us making my bed squeak. Maybe that was why my parents had brought that bed specifically; to make sure I didn’t have sex in it.
“What do I pack?”
Clearly clothes would be the first thing to go into a suitcase. I hauled out my luggage and dropped it on top of my bedspread. “It’s been a while suitcase.” Turning, I considered my wardrobe. Then I eyed the blanket box at the end of the bed. “This could take a while.”
Do I pack everything I own? Summer and winter clothes and those interchangeable items for spring and autumn? Or should I leave behind some clothes so if I had to spend a weekend at home for some strange reason I could just jump into some old clothes?
“Underwear.” I pulled the draw open and reached in. “Um,” my hand closed around something not fabric. Glancing at the door to make sure it really was closed over, I pulled out my toy. Don’t’ giggle, don’t giggle, whatever you do Cecelia don’t giggle.
“Jai and I could have some fun with this... or I could when he’s working nights...” Without thinking about it I shoved it into the bag and quickly dumped knickers and bras and socks and stockings and hankies over the top, before reaching into the wardrobe to pull t-shirts and jeans and skirts and jumpers- “Jeez! I’m going to need another suitcase.”
I eyed the dresses hanging up. “You guys will be a little more difficult to transport.” And then the shoe boxes bellow. I am not that much of a shoe person, books being my preference. However, over the years with formals and trips to the theatre I needed the occasional fancy pair of heels to go with a frock. But I hardly wore any of them now. In fact I had four pairs of shoes that I lived in; blue ballet flats, joggers, black low heeled combat boots, and high heeled slayer boots. Running around the park, going to the shops, work, and even funerals were covered by these four pairs.
There was a knock at the door.
Shit, no time to hide the suitcase as the door swung open and mum entered.
Just as my phone started to ring. I dived for it, putting it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, how’s the packing going?” Jai whispered into my ear.
I glance at mum. She didn’t look impressed. “About that, I still have to talk to my mother.”
“Why?”
“Really?” I threw back.
“You’re twenty-three. Tell her that you’re moving out, pack your bags and call me to come
pick you up.”
“If only it was that simple.” Mum was watching me, her arms folded and body leaning against the door jam. She really was going to wait for me to finish this conversation before yelling at me. Unless. “Jai, what are you doing right now?”
“Talking to you.”
“No, I mean, you’re at work.”
“I have a break. Why?” He suddenly became suspicious.
Rightly so. “Hang on for a sec.” I moved to mum and held out the phone. “It’s about time you guys meet.”
Wordlessly she took the phone. “Hello Jai, this is Cecelia’s mother.”
She paused, I could hear him speak but not the words.
Sorry Jai.
“I just want what’s best for my daughter.”
Ohh, not sounding very promising. I went back to my wardrobe. Jai was right, I was twenty-three and earning my own money even though dad wanted me to go back to working in the family business. I can leave at anytime. Especially with his key.
I started to pull dresses out and laid them neatly on the mattress. I will have to place them in his car carefully.
“I understand, Jai. But have the two of you gone through everything that will need to be paid? Worked out who will clean and cook?”
I struggled not to snort. Mum moved in with dad pretty much one week after meeting him. Did they have everything planned out like that before? Not likely. So why was this so important to her right now with me?
“Yes.”
I moved to the bookshelves. Where will they be stacked in the apartment? Jai wasn’t a reader, but surely he understood that I was, since each time I pulled out a new novel from my handbag when he would start up his game console.
“Of course.”
It was sounding better. At least she wasn’t saying no.
“I would like to meet you first, before I let Cecelia leave.”
“Mum,” I snapped. “You’re not going to let me do anything because I’m just going to do it. I am moving in with Jai!”
Mum paused. Then, “You heard all of that? I know, she can sometimes be like that.” Mum smirked.
Jai had made my mother smirk on the phone, yes at me her only daughter, but still; that took skill.
“Tonight would be great. When do you finish work?”
Mum pushed herself away from the door jam and came over. “I’ll give you back to Cecelia. See you tonight Jai.”
I took the phone quickly. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Is she still there?” He asked quickly.
“Just leaving my room. That was strange.”
“You threw me to the wolves.”
“Sorry.” I winced.
“Yeah, well. What’s for dinner?”
