Chapter 13

Lizzie called me the next day and we agreed to meet for dinner.

“Did your father really say that?” I asked Lizzie as we slid into a booth at the restaurant. “That you weren’t permitted to contact J.J.?”

“That’s right,” Lizzie replied. “You’d think, after losing Wendy, he might want to reconcile with the son he also lost. Like a second chance. It boggles my mind that he doesn’t see it that way.”

“From what I recall,” I said, “he was always pretty hard on J.J.”

The waitress arrived, placed two plastic-covered menus in front of us and poured us some water. She took our drink orders and left us alone for a few minutes.

“What did your mom say?” I asked.

“Mom was happy to hear J.J. was all right and that he had found someone.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked Lizzie. “Will you still try and get in touch with your brother?”

“Of course,” she replied, “and I told my father that. I think he was shocked because it was the first time I ever talked back to him. Then he threatened me with the old cliché: ‘Not while you’re living under my roof.’ I’m not sure how serious he was about that.”

She continued to read over the menu.

“Are you worried?” I asked.

“Strangely, no,” she replied. “Though I probably should be because he’s been paying my tuition and letting me live at home rent free for the past couple of years. At the same time, I’m twenty-five years old. Maybe I should just move out and get my own bank loan. Then at least I wouldn’t feel like I was wearing a yoke around my neck.”

“It’s always an option,” I agreed. “I’m sure a bank would give you a loan, considering your future career prospects.”

With a resigned sigh, Lizzie set the menu down on the table. “I really don’t want to go home and face more arguments, so thanks for having dinner with me.”

“No problem,” I replied. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“Believe me, I am. Actually, I feel an incredible sense of freedom, like I’ve been in jail for the past years and I just got released.”

“I hope it wasn’t me,” I casually mentioned, “because your father always considered me a bad influence. He’ll probably think it was me who encouraged you to rebel.”

“It doesn’t matter. But that’s exactly what it was, you know,” Lizzie replied. “I had this overwhelming, burning urge to defy him. I couldn’t stop myself. After years of biting my tongue, I had to let it all out. Now I understand how J.J. must have felt and why he constantly rebelled.”

“While you girls always toed the line.”

“Mhm.” Lizzie sipped her water and thought about that. “I hate to think we were just submissive. I don’t think that’s what it was.”

“What do you think it was, then?”

I shrugged. “Maybe we instinctively knew it was wiser to follow the rules in order to keep the peace, while J.J. was the type who liked to poke at a hornet’s nest just to see what would happen.”

I laughed, “That definitely sounds like J.J.”

“You know, when Dad meets people, he just says he has two daughters.” Her beautiful face clouded with sadness.

The waitress took our orders and left.

“It’s weird,” Lizzie said. “Even though you and I barely know each other, I feel like you understand the situation better than anyone.”

“I don’t know about that,” I replied, unpretentiously. “But I’m glad you called me because you were the only thing I could think about today. You and this very strange situation.”

I was half tempted to reach across the table and touch her hands, she had such delicate hands, but I resisted.

“It is strange,” Lizzie agreed. “I had a hard time concentrating, too. I’m worried about that exam tomorrow.”

“Sorry. Guess I am a bad influence after all.”

“No.” She shook my head. “Not at all.”

“Is there any way I can help?” I asked. “You could study at my place if you don’t want to go home. I could quiz you or something. At the very least I could bring you coffee.”

“That would be helpful, actually,” she replied.

“Which part? The quizzing or the coffee?”

“Both. It’s an oral exam where we’re put in a situation with a fake patient who presents symptoms and we have to diagnose. You could be the patient. And bring me coffee, too.”

I inclined my head curiously. “Are you saying we’ll be playing doctor this evening?”

“That’s exactly what we’ll be doing.” Lizzie couldn’t help but laugh.

I sat back and held my hands up in surrender. “Then I’m definitely your guy.”