Truly (New York 1)

XChfSardo: It’s May!

XChfSardo: R U there?

Finally.

Allie had come into town for the express purpose of communicating with her sister. She’d resolved to sit on the fucking bench in the fucking park all afternoon if she had to, because she couldn’t handle the uncertainty anymore. Where was her May, and why wasn’t she here? Why had she stabbed Dan, then dumped him—and did she know Dan refused to accept the finality of the dumping? That he’d chased May to the nether regions of Michigan to win her back?

She typed a hasty “I’m here!”

The cursor blinked, and the words XChfSardo is typing came up. Then, the bloop of a message arriving:

XChfSardo: I’ve got a few minutes. What’s up?

What was up was that Allie had a hundred questions to ask her sister, a thousand things to say, and a clawing feeling of panic that kept rising into her throat at the weirdest moments, like when Matt took off his shirt in their room last night before he went to take a shower. He did it with his back turned to her, and she thought, I do that, too. They always undressed with their backs turned.

That wasn’t right, was it? That wasn’t how about-to-be-marrieds were supposed to be. Allie was fairly sure they were supposed to be knocking over gallon jugs of milk to fuck on kitchen tables, not falling asleep side by side, as asexual as a species that reproduced by budding.

What was up was that at this very moment, Dan and Matt were down on the dock, plopping fishing poles in the lake and drinking epic amounts of beer, while Dad carried on with his winterization chores and Mom sprinkled garlic salt on steaks in the kitchen.

After breakfast, Allie had broached the subject of May, and Mom had said, I’m sure your sister will be here soon, and when she sees him, they’ll work it out. As if May were simply suffering from a brief episode of senselessness.

What was up was that the future had completely lost its shape. Everything was strange and backwards, and Allie needed May. Not text messages, but May’s voice, if May’s presence wasn’t an option.

Allielooya: Call me?

The phone chimed right away with May’s reply.

XChfSardo: Can’t.

And then, a moment later, her explanation:

XChfSardo: Not alone. Wd b weird. Can text, tho.

Fighting back disappointment, Allie tried to pare her questions to the bare minimum.

Allielooya: Still in NY? Who R U with?

XChfSardo: Yes. Ben.

Allielooya: Who’s Ben?

XChfSardo: Guy I met at a Packers bar.

Allie plopped back onto the bench, because it was either that or hurl the phone into the pond in front of her, and if she did that, she’d be even worse off than she was now.

May had met a man at a Packers bar.

When Allie tried to wrap her head around it, her brain kind of shied away, like a skittish horse.

Allielooya: Who r u and what have u done w my sister?

XChfSardo: LOL

XChfSardo: Will explain when I c u.

Allielooya: When r u coming home?

XChfSardo: Tues.