Life is Stranger

The Wrong Valentine

Joyce could hear the muted sound of music emanating from her daughter's room. She placed a hand upon the handrail as she tilted her head backwards to call upstairs. "Chloe! Are you coming down today or not? It's past midday and you haven't left your room yet. I fixed you some food."

A muffled reply came from the other side of the closed door. "I'm not hungry. Leave me alone."

"But you must be hungry! You didn't eat breakfast with us this morning."

"I said I wasn't hungry. Jeez! Rachel's taking me out for a meal later. I'll eat then. Okay? Get off my fucking case."

"I care about you, Chlo..."

"Spare me the bullshit!"

"Not this again. Please. This has to stop, Chloe. If you don't eat, you'll get ill and...I mean look what happened to Max when she didn't eat. She could have..."

The music was suddenly shut off. The door was yanked open. The previous beat of the music was now replaced by the drumming thud of boots rapidly striking the wooden floor of the upstairs hallway.

"Stop right fucking there! Don't breathe another damn word! Listen up, and listen fucking good. Don't you ever, and I do mean ever, mention that bitch's name to me ever again."

"Chloe, please don't call her that."

"I'll call her what the fuck I like. She abandoned me."

"She never abandoned you, Chloe. She never will. She loves you more than anyone. More than anyone, Chloe. You need you to know that. One day you will, I'm sure. I just wish that day could be today. I really do."

"Are you fucking cereal? She fucked off to Seattle and then just dropped me from her life. No letters. No phone calls. No messages. Nothing. Yeah. If that's not abandonment, then I don't know what fucking is."

"She deserves a chance, Chloe. She deserves a chance from you. Deep down you know that...don't you?"

"I'll tell you what I know. I'll tell you what she deserves, shall I? She deserves all that I can throw at her. And she'll get it too if she dares ever to show her fucking lying face back here. I hate her. Her name is not to be mentioned in this house again. Got it?"

"Please, Chloe. Please don't do this to her. Don't do this to yourself."

"Me? Fucking me? How is any of this my fault? She left me. Not the other way round."

Joyce was about to respond when the strident ringing of the telephone filled the hallway.

"Hello? Hi Alice. What's the matt...oh dear. Of course I will. Give me a few minutes. I'll be right there. Okay. See you soon."

As Joyce replaced the receiver in its cradle, she noticed that her daughter was already halfway up the stairs. "Chloe, wait."

"What for? It's obvious that you haven't got time for me, and I've heard enough on this topic for one day."

"I'll always have time for you, Chloe. I wish you would..."

"That's your problem. That right there. That's why you and me don't see eye to eye."

"What? What is?"

"Wishing. Wishing for shit is pointless and stupid. Nothing good happens. Ever. Hoping and wishing for stuff just leaves you disappointed in the end. Yeah. Fuck that shit. I always expect the worst to happen...and then it fucking does. That is how the universe works."

"Chloe, it's you that has the problem. Can't you see that? Without hope we're...we are..."

"Dead." Chloe uttered the word low and slowly. Her mother could hear the blunt finality in the spoken word.

"No. Please don't say things like that."

"Why not? It's fucking true. I'm dead inside. I have been for a long time. I might be walking and talking, but I'm already dead."

"Chloe..."

"What? How can this be a surprise to you? You've been there. You've watched me. You've seen it all."

"I know, Princess, but I always hoped that one day it would end."

"It will. One day this will all be over. And not before fucking time, too."

"Please Chloe. Stop this. Isn't there anything? Not even a glimmer of hope? You're stronger than this. Please tell me that there's something in you still. Please."

"Maybe there is. But it has nothing to do with her, that's for fucking sure. I know that's what you're thinking."

"If not her, then who?"

"Rachel."

"Rachel? Your friend from Blackwell? You and her are...you're a..."

"Yes. I am. We are. Well?"

"Well what?"

"I'm waiting for the speech. The lecture. C'mon, let's get it over with."

"I...I'm...happy for you."

"What?"

"I just want you to be happy, and if this is what it takes...if she is what you want, is what you need, to make you happy, then that's what I want, too."

"Didn't you hear me? I just told you that I have sex with other women. I'm a lesbian. A dyke. Your daughter, your precious Princess, is a rug-muncher."

"Yes. You are. You are my daughter. You are my precious princess. Your happiness is all that matters to me. It always has been, and it always will be."

"That's it? So you're cool with it? Totally?"

"Yes, Chloe. I hope she treats you like you deserve to be treated."

"I...I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Anyway, this arrived this morning. It is addressed to you."

"What is it?"

"What does it look like? It's a card. A Valentine's card."

"Who from?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?"

Chloe's eyes scanned the envelope and there was a fleeting look of sorrow in her eyes. It was gone in a moment.

"I'm gonna...open this in my room."

"Alright."

Chloe began to slowly walk back up the stairs.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah."

"I saw that, you know."

"Saw what?"

"That look in your eyes just then. I know, Chloe."

"You know? You know what?"

"That you were secretly hoping that it was from her. That it crushed you when you saw that it wasn't."

"Mom, that's..."

"...the truth. That you still love her. You can't hide it from me. But more importantly, you can't hide it from yourself."

Chloe's face started to form a scowl. Her mouth opened...then abruptly closed. Her face softened. A tear welled in her left eye. "Mom..."

Joyce took her daughter into her arms. "It's okay baby. Everything's going to be okay. Just you wait and see."

The doorbell rang.

Chloe's Valentine had arrived.