Carolina Blues

“Hello? Anyone home?” I heard April before I saw her, her raspy voice echoing in the empty townhouse. She spoke with such a thick accent, her Chicago roots showing more than the jet black ones on her scalp.

"You need to get your hair done.“ I lamented from the top of the stairs. She jumped, looking up at me and flipping me the bird.

"You’re a bitch, you know that?”

I nodded, leaning back on my hands and watching her peruse the bottom floor. The click of her heels on the hardwood was relaxing, so familiar, that this new house already felt like home. I shuddered at the sight of her red backpack hanging on the railing where she’d dropped it. “Why’d you bring that thing?”

"What thing?“ she called from the kitchen before stomping back to the stairs. I nodded to the old Jansport, climbing down and tugging at the fraying straps. She slapped my hands away and fingered it lovingly.

"I like it. It reminds me of med school.”

“I hate it. It reminds me of med school.”

A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth, flashing her blinding white smile that some say could be seen through a surgical mask. Her hair fell around her shoulders as she reached back and pulled out her ponytail. “God, that drive was horrendous. My ass fell asleep before I got off of our block. 700 miles my ass… more like 7,000.”

“C'mon, it’s not so bad. It’s a pretty drive once you hit Pennsylvania-”

“You mean Flyers Country?”

“Did Max warn you too? Yeah, he stocked me up with like, a dozen new t-shirts before I left. Like what, I’m going to move to North Carolina and suddenly care about all of this?”

“Not warn me as much as threaten me. Showed me a bunch of pictures and said ‘this is what happens when you stray’! He’s such a trip!”

I snorted a laugh at her impression of my dad, her thick Cuban accent a spot on imitation. He treated the league like it was his own personal mafia, the Red Wings his family- sometimes more than I was. His ownership of the team had been around longer than she had, effectively outranking her in every way.

“To be honest, I’m relieved to be away from all of that.” She nodded, taking a deep breath and looking up and into our new home. “What’s up, Apes?”

She didn’t answer, just giving me a tight-lipped smile and shrugging. I raised an eyebrow and stepped closer.

"I brought Doug.“ She pulled my hands as far apart as they would go, even adding hers for emphasis.

"April!” I groaned, dropping my head on her shoulder. I had spent the whole day unpacking my own shit, dropping boxes on my feet and finagling furniture up the stairs. I had hung pictures and tiptoed around our new place, so damn excited for a fresh start.

“What? I didn't know how long we’re gonna be here.”

“It’s a one-year contract. One. Year. That means that in twelve months we’re going back. You couldn't have put him in storage?"

She gasped as if I had slapped her, stepping back and laying her hand over her heart. "I wanted him here! Come on, Georgia! It’s just like home, right?”

She didn’t give me a chance to answer before she stepped outside. I fell back against the banister and groaned, hearing a car door slam and her heavy footsteps. "Here we go!"

I smelled him before I saw him, the ten-year-old bean bag chair barely hanging on and full of farts from our college days. "Holy shit, April! How does he smell worse here?"

She shot me a sheepish grin and kicked him away from the door, "Yeah, I left him on the balcony while I was packing and it rained for a few days. But if- if you let him stay I won't make you help me unpack tonight."

I looked from her to the bag, taking an extra minute to mull over her offer before throwing my hands up. "Fine. But you're buying me dinner too. Now."

"Deal! I saw a cute diner on the way into town!" She grabbed my hands and laughed, pulling me towards the door and flicking the light switch on the way out.

Notes

Thanks for reading! Slow start but I look forward to developing this story. Can't wait to update