A dream trip to Cabo could be what ends Elsie and Tommy’s relationship. Elsie and Tommy are forced to deal with airport drama courtesy of his mother. Tommy’s in problem-solving mode. Elsie breaks down in tears, wholly inconsolable. Will he still be able to salvage this trip, their first vacation together? Start Elsie and Tommy’s story here – Not Even Cabo – Will This Vacation Be What Ends It? – Part 1
Chapter 4
Elsie stopped walking, and he did too when they were away from the prying eyes. With a calmness that felt alien given her breakdown not too long ago, she said, “Go with your family, Tommy.”
“Baby, she said she could get us seats. We can still-”
“Still go on vacation so that your mother can treat me like shit the entire time? No, thanks.” She sounded so calm, that it threw him off.
“It won’t be like that. I’ll…” he trailed off.
“You can’t, won’t talk to her. We both know this.”
He was silent before grabbing her hand as if to keep her from leaving.
“Go,” she said, turning towards the exit.
“Why do you always have to be so dramatic?” he whispered after her, loud enough for her to hear.
She stopped and turned to him. “Your problem with all this is I’m being dramatic?”
“A normal person would just calm down, take the trip and resolve this on the other side.” He said, his voice much lower than hers, ever conscious of the risk of drawing attention to them.
“What do you know about normal people? Normal people are not afraid to talk to their parents or tell their mother not to be cruel to a woman they claim to love.”
“Elsie,” he whispered, his voice soft like he was afraid of setting her off again.
She could feel the anger in her begin to rise again, “This may come as a surprise to you but I’m not willing to prostitute myself for a trip. Not even Cabo.”
His face fell like she’d physically struck him. She was beyond caring. She walked off, dragging her suitcase. Even though she told herself not to do it, she stopped and turned. He was standing right where she left him. She heard herself say, “We’re done.”
**
Elsie took out her cell phone and with shaky fingers compared the prices of hailing a cab ride through each of the ride-sharing apps. She rubbed her chest at the prices, a fruitless attempt to calm her racing heart. All she ever felt these days whenever she had to spend money was anxiety. She was convinced the high that one allegedly gets from shopping and spending money was a reserve of the wealthy. All she felt every single time was panic because every expense meant less money left. Every expense felt like a loss, like grief.
Her ride was here. She slipped into the car after the driver put her small suitcase in the back and as soon as she closed the door, she felt the inexplicable return of the tears. Maybe it was the warm interior and the resulting comfort of just sitting down or maybe, just maybe she was now the kind of person who cried anytime anywhere sans provocation.
She was taking deep breaths to calm herself and hadn’t realized she was doing it until she heard the driver’s worried, “Madam, uko sawa.” He was asking if she was alright.
She turned to find his concerned eyes on her. And the banks burst. Again.
Between sobs, she told the driver what had happened. He said she’d done the right thing, and it would only have gotten worse if she’d gone on vacation with them. “Ulifanya vizuri. Those mother-in-law situations don’t get better.” His affirmation of her decision simultaneously made her feel better and worse.
By the time he dropped her off, it appeared she was fully drained. No more tears left to shed. That dry spell lasted until she realized that she didn’t have her house keys.
Is this where it ends? Stick around: Not Even Cabo – Confronting Reality – Part 5. Not Even Cabo – Confronting Reality – Part 5
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