The Song

Part Twenty-Nine

I spent the next few days doing my best to avoid contact with anyone. I was so tired of everyone trying to tell me what to do about my situation, and I was really ready to get the hell out of town and start over fresh where I could get my own piece of mind.

“Jess!” Julia called through her flat. It was the day before my meeting with Aston to sign the divorce papers and I was all packed and ready to leave as soon as it was done, just enough money in my bank account for a one-way ticket to America. To be honest, I was shocked my mother had sorted everything so quickly!

“What?” I sighed, slouching out to the kitchen.

“Mum’s coming for dinner,” she said.

“Why?”

“Does she need a reason?” Julia asked me, “She’s our Mum.”

“She doesn’t do this.”

“She wants to make sure you’re ok about tomorrow.”

“Right…”I said skeptically. That didn’t seem like my Mum at all! Something was definitely up.

I sat at the breakfast bar as Julia sorted out our meal. None of us were particularly good cooks, so she called in an order at a restaurant up the road.

My Mum came in about an hour later, carrying a bottle of expensive red wine and a folder.

“Want to crack this open Julia?” she asked, passing it to my sister.

“Sure,” she replied, taking the bottle and pouring out three glasses.

“Oh, I can’t,” I said.

“Sure you can,” my mother scoffed.

“No, I really can’t. My doctor said to stay away from alcohol for a while. I’ve been on some pain meds and I don’t want to get sick.”

My sister rolled her eyes at me and left the extra glass on the counter as she went to sit at her dinning table, my mother joining her.

“Jess, are you coming?” my Mum said.

“Yeah,” I sighed, sliding off my seat and going to the table.

“I brought you something,” my Mum said, passing me the folder in her hands.

“What’s this?”

“Your new start,” she said.

“Sorry, what?”

“I’ve sorted out a job for you,” she replied, “And I got you a late enrollment at the university I went to for my law degree.”

“You want me to go to uni?” I asked.

“Yes, you can finally do law school like you were always meant to. No more of this silly music stuff. That way you’ll be able to support yourself instead of relying on that husband of yours.”

“But…” I started, staring at the pamphlets in the folder, “This isn’t what I had in mind.”

“Jessica, when I said I would sort out a divorce for you, I did it so you’d finally realize your true potential.”

“I want to play piano though. I want to go to America and play piano.”

“Jessica…” my mother sighed, "You haven't done so well on your own so just do this for us."

“Mum’s done a lot to get you this spot,” Julia said.

“I didn’t even know about it though!” I said, “If I’d have known I would never have agreed.”

“Come on Jess, you can’t let us down! We’re your family.”

“No, this isn’t what I want!” I said, snapping the folder shut.

“You’re being very selfish right now.”

“No, you guys are!” I said, trying to keep my temper down, “Why do you think I need to be just like you two?”

“Because we’re happy?” Julia asked.

“Are you though? You both live alone and work a million hours a week. That doesn’t seem like a happy life to me.”

“Yeah well, at least we have our memories,” Julia muttered.

I sat and stared at her for a minute, shocked that she’d said that.

“Fuck you Jules,” I hissed, “You have no idea how hard this has been. How lives have been ruined by a silly accident.”

Without another word I stood up from the table and strode into my room, grabbing my packed suitcase and the few things that were still lying around. In a huff I pushed my way out of the house, heading to the elevator.

“Jess! Where are you going?” Julia asked.

“I don’t know,” I said, “Far away. I’ll be at my meeting to sign the papers tomorrow and then I’m gone.”

“Jess…”

I dragged my suitcase out of Julia’s building without another word to either her or my mother, hailing a cab on the corner.

“Where to miss?” the driver asked.

“Umm…” I started, thinking about it. I couldn’t afford a hotel room if I was saving what little money I had for a plane ticket to America, but I didn’t know where anyone else lived.

“Miss?”

Without thinking I rattled off the only address that I could think of, the cab eventually pulling up at Aston’s house. Nervously I dragged my bag to the door, pressing the bell and shivering slightly.

“Hi,” I said as he opened the door. He looked pretty shocked to see me and I tried my best to plaster on a smile for him.

“Hi.”

“I know things aren’t good right now, but… Do you mind if I sleep here tonight?” I asked.

“It’s your house too,” Aston said, pushing the door open.

I smiled faintly at him and dragged my suitcase into the foyer, leaving it by the door. It was weird to be back here so soon, and under such awkward circumstances. But it was also oddly relaxing. It did sort of feel like home at this point.

“Have you eaten?” Aston mumbled, taking my coat and putting it on the hook by the door.

“No.”

“I’ll cook something for you.”

“You don’t have to,” I said.

“It’s ok,” he replied, wandering into the kitchen. I followed him in and sat down in my familiar spot at the kitchen table, watching him pull down some pasta and a jar of sauce. “Everything ok?” he asked.

“No.”

“What’s going on?”

“My family is driving me nuts,” I replied, “My Mum enrolled me in law school… I needed to get away before I did things I'd regret. But, I realized I don’t really have enough money to get a hotel or anything… This was the only place I could think of to come to.”

“How did you know how to get here?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“The address?”

“I don’t know, I just blurted it out,” I said. I watched as Aston’s eyes went wide with this statement, not sure what to think.