What She Deserved, Part 1

The house was small. She struggled to keep it clean. Her daughter, who was in first grade, would spill something almost every meal. She hadn’t desired to be a mother, but it came, during a high school fling. Becca was the result. She cared for Becca, as any mother would, but it was hard doing it alone.

Sometimes she wondered what her life could have been like if Becca wasn’t born. She would have probably gone to college, majored in art, had a career.

The doorbell rang, startling her out of her thoughts. It must be Annie. No one else ever comes to visit. She opened the door.

“Hello, Celia,” said Annie. “I brought some banana bread.”

“Thanks,” Celia replied. “Come on in.”

Annie set the bread on the counter. “I got a promotion at work today.” She worked for a marketing firm.

“Congratulations.” Celia often wondered why Annie came to visit. Sure, they had been friends in high school, but they lived such different lives now. Annie never asked how she was.

“And . . .” Annie paused dramatically. “I have a date with Rob tonight.”

“Who’s Rob?”

“He works in the HR department. He’s about our age. He’s really funny. I asked him out the other day.”

“I hope it goes well.”

“Me too.” Annie smiled as she walked out Celia’s front door.

The next weekend, Celia got a text from Annie. The date was great. Would you like to meet him tomorrow at my place? Celia didn’t have any plans. Why shouldn’t she go? Sure.

She ended up having to take Becca to Annie’s. None of the few, cheap babysitters she used were available. When they got out of the elevator in the apartment building, Becca asked, “Is this where Miss Annie lives?”

“Yes.” Celia knocked, and a woman she didn’t know opened the door. “Come in. Annie’s in the kitchen.” After telling Becca to sit in a chair and read, Celia moved around groups of people to find Annie. She heard laughter and entered a tidy kitchen.

“You’re here! Celia, this is Rob,” Annie beamed.

From his tan skin to his winning smile, Rob reminded Celia of a model. He wore a plaid button down and jeans. Suddenly, she realized he was talking to her.

“. . . must be Annie’s high school friend. What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a cashier at 7-Eleven.” Celia cringed inwardly. “The hours aren’t great, but it helps keep things afloat.” Along with the child support checks, she thought. The bright lights of the kitchen made everything more visible, and she wished she was wearing better clothes than a tube top and capris with worn edges.

“Annie’s told me a lot about you.” Rob hesitated, and Celia realized that Annie had left. “She said you like art?”

Celia smiled. “I used to. I did a lot of art before my daughter was born. I’m single,” she added unnecessarily.

Rob’s face twitched at her comment. He looked as though he was holding back a laugh. “What kind of art did you do?”

“I drew a lot. I would sketch my classmates for a quarter.”

Rob’s laugh was boisterous and inviting. “One of the reasons I decided to go into HR is because I think of people like art. It takes a lot of time and thought to figure out who they are.”

“Wow.” Celia had moved from standing near a sink to standing in front of the fridge, a foot away from him. “How long have you worked there?”

“About a month. It feels like a place where I can really establish myself.”

“That’s how I feel about 7-Eleven.”

His forehead wrinkled in confusion, and he paused. “Really?”

She chuckled. “No, but I have been there for almost three years.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Annie in the doorway and felt the need to back away from Rob. She moved in reverse slowly, and Rob glanced towards the doorway.

Annie bounded up. “Hi, honey. I’m glad you’re getting to know Celia.”

“Yeah,” Rob glanced at Celia. “She’s really something.”

“Well, we’d better go meet some other people,” Annie smiled. “Thanks for coming.”

Celia found Becca, and they left. The next few weeks moved slowly. She kept thinking about Rob and Annie’s relationship. Since he was so friendly when first meeting her, she knew that he was the right boyfriend for Annie. Why didn’t she have someone like that?

One evening, she got home from work and saw that she had a text from Annie. Rob and I need to get out of the apartment this weekend. Can we come to your place tomorrow night? The three of us could spend time together.

It seemed like an odd request to Celia. They’ve only been dating a month. Wouldn’t they want to spend time just the two of them? She hadn’t seen them since the party. Her shift ended at 5:30. Sure. As long as you don’t care that Becca will be around.

The next morning, Celia told Becca about their visitors. “Miss Annie is bringing a friend over tonight. I need you to be on your best behavior.”

“I’ll try, Mama,” Becca said, spilling milk on the floor from her cereal.

Celia handed her a rag. “I know you will.”