Imperfectly Real (A Series of Imperfections) (3 page)

“Where is the little one?” I asked politely, not really caring, just attempting to make conversation.

“I put her upstairs in Felix’s crib to take a nap.” She shifted uneasily.

“I’d offer you a beer,” I said, motioning towards the bottle in my hand, “but they seem to be hard to come by these days.”

“Oh”—her gaze shifted toward her lap and she began to smooth out her skirt—”that’s alright. I’m not a big fan anyway. I haven’t touched the stuff in ages.”

“I’ll text Rob to bring some home, we should be celebrating. You haven’t been out here since we graduated.” Truth was that Elizabeth just didn’t fit well in the city—or with us for that matter. In fact, she didn’t even get along with her own sister. Again, I wondered why she had made the trek at all.

“No, really it’s fine,” she sighed. “I don’t want to be a bother, Tyler.”

“No bother at all.” I grabbed my cell and shot off a message before she could argue any further. “In fact, I’m going to want a few more myself.”

I attempted to make small talk with Elizabeth while we waited for the others to arrive home, but things were stifled—just like her personality. I was thankful when I heard cries coming from upstairs and she excused herself to go tend to the kid. I listened as she attempted to calm her. It still seemed weird to me that I was old enough to know people that had kids, especially when I felt like we were all still kids ourselves. You know that feeling, where you know you’re older and things have changed, but on the inside you’re still the same person you were years ago. Yeah, that’s how I felt all the time. Like I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t in my twenties anymore, and I still thought I could recover from a hangover in a matter of hours—when the truth is that a hangover now lasts for days. I threw my head back and closed my eyes, willing the effects of the beer wash over me. If there was one thing I knew, it was that I was nowhere near ready to be a father myself. I loved having Felix around and all, but I also enjoyed being able to hand him over and walk away when he started crying. That shit was stressful.

My eyes shot open when I heard the door open. Thinking I might have dozed off, I jumped up from the beanbag and stared at the doorway. Rob stood there with a thirty pack of beer in each hand. “I got the beer,” he muttered as he kicked the door closed behind him.

I followed him into the kitchen. “I said grab a few.”

Rob huffed and immediately began stuffing the beers into the fridge. “You know there was a time when sixty was
just
a few for us.”

He had a point. “Touché,” I laughed.

“Plus the way I see it”—he paused to open a beer and proceeded to chug it—”if we’re going to have to deal with Elizabeth all weekend, we’re going to need every one of them.” He tossed the empty can into the recycle bin before immediately grabbing another.

“What about me?” Elizabeth asked as she joined us, a tiny blonde, with little pigtails, perched on her hip.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment, and I hoped she hadn’t heard us. As much of a tight-ass she was, she didn’t deserve to have her feelings hurt. “We’re just going to use you as our excuse to party this weekend,” I offered, hoping that she hadn’t heard Rob’s dickhead comment. She shrugged her shoulders in response, seemingly content with my answer.

My eyes shifted to the little girl perched on her hip and in an instant I was amazed. My breath hitched as I looked over the girl, it was remarkable. “Holy shit, Half-Pint! You’ve got a mini-Em!” I’d seen pictures, but seeing her in person was remarkable. It was like looking at a shrunken version of my friend.

“I know right?” She shifted her gaze to the girl resting her head on her shoulder. “Say hello, Emily.”

The little girl confidently lifted her head and looked at me with those familiar big blue eyes. She stuck her tiny hand out towards me, smiled, and said, “Hello” clear as a bell.

I hadn’t been expecting that. “How old is she now?”

“78 weeks and three days, and she amazes me everyday.”

“And hours?” Rob asked.

“Pardon me?” She looked perplexed, totally unaware that she was the butt of Rob’s joke.

Rob went back to his beer. “Never mind.”

I took her tiny hand into mine and laughed. “Confident little thing aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “As if it wasn’t bad enough that she looks like Emma, she acts just like her too.”

I chuckled again at the irony of it all. Elizabeth and Mrs. Sloan could never handle all that was Emma and her free spirit. It seemed fitting to me that Elizabeth had been assigned the mammoth task of raising a mini version of the one person who went against everything the other Sloan women believed in.

Elizabeth recounted some pretty funny stories about Emily while we drank a few beers. That kid sounded like she was a handful. I mean, I don’t know many almost-two year olds who would tell an old lady that she smelled bad!

“Honey, we’re home!” Shane called as he, Emma, and Felix burst through the front door.

Emily squirmed in her mother’s arms, obviously anxious to greet her aunt and cousin. Elizabeth set her down and we all watched as Emily and Emma embraced. It was truly uncanny watching them together, and I felt myself smiling, in spite of my rotten mood.

Shane and Rob immediately began discussing a baseball game that they’d placed a bet on, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from watching the family reunion happening before my eyes. The whole situation was curious to me, and for some reason I wanted to know what was going on. Emma and Elizabeth hugged. Elizabeth looked pained, while Emma appeared to be sympathetic. Emma whispered something in her ear and Elizabeth nodded in agreement with a slight smile. My suspicions grew with the exchange—I knew it was weird that Elizabeth had come here, but their obvious emotions lead me to believe there was more to it than a ‘friendly visit’. There was a reason, but what the hell was it?

We ate pizza and drank beer while watching the two little ones play. Little Emily doted on Felix, and I had to admit that it was pretty cute seeing them together. Emma was eventually able to convince Elizabeth to relax and have a beer with us. She looked awkward holding the bottle. I imagined that she was much better suited for a wine glass but I had to hand it to her, she was doing her best to fit in.

“This is why I wish you and Shane would move home,” Elizabeth spoke softly. “The children are missing out on these precious moments.”

“Well you can keep wishing.” Emma added quickly.

“I know, but a girl can dream. I always pictured my kids having cousins to play with everyday.” She paused and frowned. “Seeing them together now, Emily doting on Felix, it’s just too precious. It makes my heart hurt.”

Emma rolled her eyes at me. I smiled because it was so not Em. She just wasn’t one for all the family bull. Mr. Sloan was about the only thing that kept her sane within her family life. He was a cool dude, just like Em—well, minus the dude part.

“So what are we going to do while you’re here, Liz?” Rob questioned, apparently trying to change the subject. I knew he was hoping to party with us for a change. The poor guy was jonesing to let loose more than I was. The change in the condo had been hard on him, and he coped by being around less and less, choosing to go off on his own in search of a good time. None of us was exactly sure of what was going on with Rob, but ever since he’d gotten that new smartphone, he’d been more of a space cadet than before.

“I really just want to relax and let the kids hang out.” She spoke softly while Emily brought her a toy. Elizabeth responded by absently reaching out and smoothing her hair. My eyes shifted to Emma who was cringing. It was sad that I knew how she felt about that gesture more than her own sister did. It was
the
number one thing that Mrs. Sloan did that had driven Emma nuts—still did in fact. Mrs. Sloan just loved perfection.

“I think we should go out,” Shane eventually offered, sharing a look with first Rob, then Emma. “We haven’t done a whole lot since Felix was born, and it would be good. It’s been an uncharacteristically quiet six months for us.”

Rob, being the drama queen he was, immediately fell to his knees and groveled before Emma. “Don’t make me beg, Em,” he stammered, while Emma sat silently, looking around the room, trying to gauge everyone’s feelings on the idea. Rob wrapped his arms around her legs and continued to whine, “Please? Please?”

She made eye contact with Elizabeth and smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. It would be good for us.” Her eyes lingered on Elizabeth a little too long, but she finally gave up and looked away. “So, where are we going, Rob?”

“Yes!” Rob jumped from the floor. “F-U-C-K-ing right! I wanna go dancing.”

“I’d be down for that,” I finally chimed in. I’d been so busy trying to figure out the dynamics of the whole sister situation that I hadn’t noticed I’d been silent since we’d finished eating.

“So it’s settled. I’ll call the sitter in the morning,” Emma chimed in, standing before scooping up the kids, propping one on each hip. “Liz, sit here and relax. Shane and I will put the kids to bed.”

“We will?” he questioned, seriously confused. Emma shook her head before she playfully slapped him on the arm and motioned for him to follow her. She was obviously hoping for a little alone time once they’d put them down.

“We will,” he said smugly, and quickly followed her lead.
What a puppy.

Rob quickly muttered something about having to go rest up for tomorrow and made his great escape before I could, leaving Elizabeth and I alone … again. “Can I get you another beer?” I asked, making a break for the kitchen.

“If you don’t mind,” she called. “You know, these things aren’t as bad as I remember them.”

“Like you ever drank!” I scoffed, knowing all too well that she hadn’t been much of a partier.

“I did. I know you guys don’t think I ever had any fun, but I did. Once upon a time I went to college …”

“Yeah, University of Maine.” It was hardly anything to brag about. The campus was only an hour from where we grew up and all the kids from our high school used to go there. We jokingly referred to it as “High School University”.

“I’ll have you know I was in a sorority!” she argued.

I stifled a laugh—she was trying to impress me but I wasn’t buying it. “Well the only reason these taste good is because this will be your fourth”—I handed her the bottle with a smile—”and I bet you’re already feeling a little fuzzy.”

Her face flushed. I spoke the truth, and she was obviously embarrassed at her lack of drinking ability, paired with her knowledge of our extensive partying reputation. I plopped next to her on the futon and, leaning back, I stretched my long legs out in front of me. We really needed to get some new furniture. I was tired of feeling uncomfortable all the time. We’d had the same pieces of shit since we lived in our first apartment in Brooklyn. It wasn’t like we couldn’t afford some—and by we I meant everyone else in the condo—we were just too goddamn lazy. You’re probably thinking, “Yeah right”, but we were all hella lazy, even Emma. Plus she hated the idea of decorating—props to Mrs. Sloan again on that one.

“You haven’t changed at all,” Elizabeth mused as she curled up on her side to get comfortable on said shitty futon.

My head thumped back and I turned towards her. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just … well … you’re exactly how I remember you. I mean, I know it’s been years since I hopelessly followed you around, but you’re just as caring and thoughtful as you were then. You always stuck up for me, even when my own sister wouldn’t.” She paused and frowned. “And here you are again, keeping me company when no one else will.”

I wanted to kick myself in the ass for not leaving when Rob did. He’d been smart to excuse himself. I should have known that Elizabeth would be just about hammered after three beers. She was feeling no pain as she started her trip down memory lane. “Ah shit, Half-Pint …” I paused.

She laughed. “I’d forgotten you used to call me that, until today.”

It had been the best way I could think of to describe her, in fact it still was. At the time, she was smaller because she was younger than us, but even then I’d known she was destined to be just a little thing. I used to tease her, saying that she was half the girl that Emma was.

She shifted nervously next to me while she took long hauls off her beer. We sat in silence and the tension in the room continued to increase. It was uncomfortable and I wanted nothing more than to excuse myself to bed, but for some reason, something kept me there next to her on that fuckin’ piece of shit futon.

“You know I had the biggest crush on you,” she continued. Of course I’d known that she was gaga over me, but I’d never let on. I let her make goo-goo eyes over me all the time. Hell, I had even let her fall asleep on my shoulder in her parents’ car one time. I just didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I was in high school and still just a kid. “Sorry,” she murmured, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“S’okay.”

I watched as her eyes immediately shifted to her lap. She picked nervously at the label on her beer while she frowned. I sensed her sadness and for some reason it tugged at my heartstrings. I could feel that she needed someone and being around her brought back all those protective feelings I’d once had toward her. It was strange, but I found myself wanting to shelter her … make her smile again. She reminded me of the sad little girl I used to stick up for when Em would pick on her. When we were ten, I’d even pushed Emma down and called her a bully. Poor Liz was five at the time and had just wanted someone to play with, but Emma wanted Shane and I to herself—she was greedy like that. Ultimately Shane and I convinced her to allow Elizabeth to play with us, but Emma had only assigned her the role of cheerleader while we played a pretend soccer game.