Their Freefall At Last by Julie Olivia

32

Ruby

There are a lot of powerful women in my life who take what they want. There’s Bennett’s mom, Brittney, who raised a stellar son who makes sure to raise his fist in solidarity every time our friend group discusses the oppressive patriarchy. There’s Quinn, Lorelei, and Theo—all confident in their own skin and ready to tackle said patriarchy. There’s my mom, who saw a losing battle with a cheating man and cut town to start anew. And there’s Miranda, who has that same man in a tight grip.

“Is Alice gonna be there tonight?” she asks. Her tone is calm, but I feel the tension, even from the living room. “The accountant?”

After a second of processing the venom in that woman’s job title, Dad answers, “Yes.”

Richard Sullivan can pretend he’s calm, but I swear I hear his molars grinding. I stroke a hand through Lucas’s hair as he stares, transfixed, at the TV.

“Oh good,” Miranda says. “I figured she’d be there. But I’ll be sure to let her know receptionists are your type, not accountants.”

I can hear his grunt from here.

It’s hard to feel bad for my dad. And if Lucas wasn’t involved, I might even applaud Miranda for being a bulldog about it all. But I feel for the kid in front of me, who is probably out of his selective hearing phase, understanding the banter between them at a much younger age than I did.

It’s like, one day, kids only hear the word Robotron,and then the next day, they’re asking you, “What does douche mean?”

That wasn’t a fun one to explain.

I don’t get why Miranda and my dad are still together after all this time. Maybe it’s because of Lucas. Or maybe she really does like my dad despite his flaws. Or maybe, just maybe, she simply enjoys busting his balls.

Dad’s shoes snap on the hardwood as he enters the living room, shifting his tie back and forth. “Amelia, we’ve also got a work thing tomorrow,” he says to me. “I have an extra pizza in the fridge.”

He didn’t even ask if I’d be available.

I force a flat smile. Dad doesn’t look me in the eyes, but I guess neither do I. We’re two sides of the same coin.

I nod because Lucas needs me, and saying anything other than, “I’ll be here,” would cause a raised eyebrow, and even at almost thirty, that eyebrow makes me feel like I’m headed for time-out.

I’m pathetic.

I’m twenty-nine. I pay my own bills. I own a freaking house. I don’t need my dad’s approval anymore. But God if it doesn’t hurt to see the downturn of his lips when I tell him no.

After they leave, I spend the evening watching whatever Lucas likes, eventually coaxing him to build Legos with me when I feel like his eyeballs start to melt from too much screen time.

I check my phone throughout the night. I haven’t heard from my boss about the position I applied to within our company. No confirmation he received it. Nothing.

“Don’t you want to know?”

Jolene’s words hit my gut.

Of course I want to know where I stand. But the idea of following up feels pushy. Though I bet Jolene already would have were she in my position.

But I’m not Jolene.

I tuck Lucas in a little past his bedtime because neither of us could settle on a book to read, and then I bag up the leftover pizza for Dad and Miranda’s lunch tomorrow.

I check my work phone once more.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

Sometimes, when I stare at my work phone for too long, I get weird impulses. It’s like there’s a tiny devil on my shoulder, coaxing me to open a new email to my boss and type, Excuse you, fucker, but did you even see my application?

It’s probably best that I don’t listen to the demon.

Instead, I place my work phone to the side and grab my personal device, shooting a text to Bennett.

Ruby:I miss being a kid sometimes.

Even though it’s late, he only takes a minute to respond.

Bennett: I miss eating wings every night.

Ruby:We ate too many wings.

Bennett:Not enough, if you ask me.

Ruby:We should have had more variety. More mac and cheese or something.

Bennett:Absolutely not. You always added food coloring to it, like a weirdo.

Ruby:I like green mac and cheese. Sue me.

Bennett:Someone should. That’s a crime on macaroni. But what’s with the nostalgia?

Ruby: I was thinking that life was easier when I was Lucas’s age. All I worried about were roller coasters.

Bennett:You still worry about roller coasters.

Ruby:Yeah, but now, I worry about promotions in tandem with roller coasters. Very different.

Bennett:Did you ever hear back from your boss?

Ruby:No.

Bennett: Let’s burn his house down.

My lips tip up into a familiar smile.

Ruby:Arson? So soon?

Bennett:It’s either that or poison.

Ruby:Extreme.

Bennett:I like to think I narrowed our options down to the best ones.

I pause my fingers over the keyboard. My heart itches. I take a chance and scratch it.

Ruby: Want to brainstorm my company’s destruction at The Honeycomb after Dad and Miranda get back?

There’s a delay. Dots forming and then disappearing. For it to take this long, I already know the answer. But the text still hurts to see.

Bennett: Not really a good night.

I close my eyes, holding my phone to my chest, remembering where my best friend is. Who his arms are wrapped around. Who is tracing over his tattoos, breathing into his ear, and wrapping her legs around his waist.

I want to scream every curse word that comes to mind, but instead, I type back.

Ruby: Totally get it! No problem! Have a great night! :)

Bennett:You too, Parrot.

Instead of throwing my phone through a window, I gently place it next to me and blink up at the ceiling.

It’s like I’m right back where I was at thirteen. Running through the woods with only my nerves and a flashlight. But this time, I can’t run to my best friend.