For the Love of Vee
Copyright© 2025 by DB86
Chapter 26: Yaron
“Yaron Beilinson? I’m calling from the Seattle Public Health Department to conduct a survey. On a scale of one to ten, how important is it to you to use deodorant on public transportation?”
I smiled. I didn’t recognize the number, and the voice was muffled by a cloth over the speaker, but it could only be her.
“Vee?”
“The one and only.”
“How are you?”
“I’m doing great, Yaron.”
“I’m happy for you, Vee,” I said, and I truly meant it.
It made me happy that she was taking steps in the right direction to achieve her dreams, no matter how small.
“Thank you. What were you doing?”
“I’m in bed writing a paper I need to present tomorrow. It’s been a long day. You know I’m striving to get my degree in record time. Oh, I almost forgot, I got news from your father.”
“How is he? He doesn’t have a cell phone, and he never seems to be at home when I call.”
“My dad says he’s doing okay. Not the best worker he’s had, but at least he shows up on time most days. My dad told me that one day he was wearing a rubber belt with colored stones. Do you remember that horrible thing you made a thousand years ago? Well, he’s using one of the necklaces to hold up his pants.”
Vee laughed. I couldn’t help but remember that little girl who dreamed of selling recycled jewelry that would make her rich. She was still herself, yet I had the feeling she was far from that version of herself.
“Please, thank your dad for what he’s doing for my father.”
I could feel the smile that always came to her lips when she thought of her dad.
“He misses you a lot. Almost as much as I do,” I added. I’d made up the first part, but it wasn’t really a lie—I was sure her father missed her.
“It’s only two months until Christmas.”
I gritted my teeth. ‘Only’ two months. As if it was just a second. I was counting the days on the calendar like an idiot.
“Two months feels like an eternity, did you know that?”
Vee didn’t answer. She just sighed. The streetlight outside cast shadows on my ceiling. I imagined her doing the same thing, lying in her bed, analyzing the same shadows.
“Do you have news from Barnaby?”
“My sister Hannah says he’s as grumpy as usual. Can you believe he pointed his shotgun at her the first time she visited him?”
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.