Hope, Heartbreak & High Heels (HHH)

by Sheryl

  “Quite a touching speech. Probably got you out of chores for the rest of the weekend,” Amit nudged me. I was closest to him since David was always more serious and Gabe was always on the road.

  I laughed. “Well that wasn’t the intention but why not?”

  “So how are you little sis? You doing ok?” Amit asked me as he poured us some wine.

  “Yeah I’m good. Works been keeping me busy and fall is always busy with all the holidays and stuff,” I took a bite of my challa.

  “Been going out much?” he looked at me.

  Uh oh. Was he hinting at something? Or someone? Man, I’d become really paranoid! “Not too much. Latisha’s birthday two weeks ago was big. Other than that just the usual drinks here and there and of course basketball.”

  “It’s been a while since I played last. We should head down to park later today and get a game in. What do you say – think you can beat your brother?” Amit challenged.

  “Oh it’s so on,” I shot back. He smirked. Reminded me of Daniel.

  “Who wants to head to the park later on today?” I asked everyone out loud.

  “Me, me, me!” screamed all the little ones all at once. I smiled. It was fun to be surrounded by the ones you love.

  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  I watched as my siblings played with their kids on the slides and swingsets. Becky was supervising her two younger kids on the see saw. Amit was pushing his little daughter on the swing set while his wife watched over their son in the sandbox. Gabe‘s wife was helping their son on the slide While David and Noa were crawling through the jungle gym with the rest. It was endearing.

  “You ok?” David’s wife Lizzy came and sat next to me with her newborn.

  “I’m good. Just watching all the cute kids play,” I told her as I played with the baby.

  “Don’t go by appearances. They’re not all cute and fun all the time,” she joked.

  “Must be nice though,” I commented.

  “It is,” she agreed. “And I mean this is what I grew up always wanting so can’t really complain. What about you?”

  “What about me?” I looked at her.

  “Anyone special on the horizon?” she asked gingerly. I liked Lizzy. She was nice. But we were different, and there was no way I could discuss my view or feelings on relationships with her.

  “Nah… Haven’t found the lucky one yet,” I answered evasively.

  She studied me for a second. “I don’t know if it’s my place, but don’t give up or close yourself to the opportunity. Love and family is a wonderful thing and life is too long to go through it alone.”

  “I agree. But I don’t want to end up with the wrong person either,” I countered.

  “True. But give people a chance, they can surprise you.” I looked at her. Did she know something?

  “Yo guys, we’re up,” Gabe and Becky’s husband Isaac jogged over to us. “Their game just finished.” Gabriel had been given the task of alerting us when the game at the basketball court was done.

  “Alright, lets go!” Amit announced. We grabbed all the kids and walked over to the court. A surprise awaited me.

  Daniel.

  I stopped in my tracks as I stepped onto the court. There he was, black hair, green eyes and all. Sweaty in basketball gear but nonetheless still gorgeous. I hadn’t spoken to him since Tish’s party.

  He froze as he saw me too.

  “Hey Daniel!” Becky called out. He greeted everyone cordially, but never took his eyes off of me.

  “Happy Thanksgiving! What’s going on?” he said.

  “Eva suggested playing some ball while we were all home today. You remember my sister Eva don’t you?” Becky asked with a mischievous smile.

  “Of course. Hi Eva.” He finally said.

  “Daniel. Good to see you again,” I managed softly. That was a lie. Seeing him again just brought back memories of our argument and made me feel horrible.

  “Hey Hartman! Do you wanna join us? We’re a man short anyways,” Amit called out.

  No. Daniel looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

  “Nah, this is your family time. Besides, I’m wiped out from my game,” he refused.

  “Oh come on... You can pull off one more,” Becky forced. He looked at me; as if asking for permission.

  “Please play with us? I’m the odd one out,” I finally asked.

  He thought about it for a moment. “Sure.”

  The couples split up and we formed two teams. Becky, Lizzy, Amit, Gabe and me. Isaac, David, Amit’s wife Nora, Gabe’s wife Michal and Daniel. The kids sat on the sidelines in their fall jackets and hats and cheered us on. First team to score 21 would win.

  The game was close. The husbands often cut their wives some slack, taking advantage of the situation to push and rub up against them. I had to admit, Daniel was good. He was agile, took good shots and was strong on the board. I couldn’t help but admire his lean physique and sharp technique.

  “Quit drooling and score already. Pun totally intended,” Becky elbowed me.

  “I am so not drooling.” I snapped back. She just laughed at me.

  It was tied. First one to score next would win. Daniel came down the court with the ball. I went up to guard him.

  “While we’re here, I wanted to apologise. For acting like such an arrogant brat,” I quickly whispered.

  He looked up and smiled. “Apology accepted. You did let me play. So you still think you can beat me?” he asked.

  “I think I can try,” I answered, stretching my arms out to block him from going right.

  “For someone who didn’t want to spend anytime with me you sure are awfully close,” he teased. “Let’s make a deal. If I win, I take you out for dinner. If you win, you take me out for dinner.”

  “That’s the same thing!” I pointed out.

  “Fine. If you win, you take me out. If I win, I leave you alone,” he changed.

  “Aww come on… I already apologised,” I protested.

  “I know. But it gives me a reason to do this,” he winked at me.

  Before I realised, he tripped over my foot and the ball bounced off loose. Gabe grabbed it and went in for a lay up. He scored. Everyone cheered.

  Game.

  I looked at Daniel who just smirked at me. At that moment, I wasn’t sure who really won and who really lost.

  32 – AIMEE

  I sat silently at the table as Ezra and his father discussed the stock market. I really wish I didn’t have to spend Thanksgiving at his parents’. But since all the girls were gone for the weekend, he had insisted that I come with him and not stay at the loft alone. Not going home was not an option for him since he was the only child. At first I thought it was a good idea until I realised that it meant four days of fake smiles and discomfort with the elderly Worthingtons. It was only Friday and I was already itching to get back to the city.

  “So Aimee, what do you usually do on Thanksgiving?” Mrs. Worthington asked me out of the blue.

  “Well I’ve only been here for a couple of years. While I was at school I usually studied for finals. Last year my mother came up to see me but this year she cancelled last minute. And four days is too short for me to fly back to Paris.” I told her.

  “That’s nice. Do you see your mother often?”

  “Well we try to see each other a couple of times a year. Summer, Christmas and the odd holiday here or there. I’ve tried to convince her to move here but she doesn’t want to leave France.”

  “Oh ok.” And just as quickly she lost interest and went back to stirring the sugar in her coffee.

  I sighed and checked the time on my phone. It was close to midnight but it felt much later. I hoped that we would be turning in soon.

  “We’ll be back late afternoon tomorrow. So I guess we’ll have dinner together?” I heard Ezra ask his parents.

  They looked at each other and frowned. I guess they were upset about Ezra skipping Sat
urday lunch. Mon dieu, they had four days with him and they wanted to argue over one lunch?

  “Are you sure? I mean you could wait…” Ezra’s mother started. I saw Ezra glare at her, which made her stop. He then glanced in my direction and gave me a smile. What was that about?

  I tried to stifle a yawn. “Everything ok? Where are we going tomorrow?”

  “I thought we’d go out for brunch to a café downtown. I wanted to take you around the neighbourhood. I think you’d really like it,” Ezra explained. “You look tired. Do you want to turn in?”

  “Yes please...” I requested.

  “Not at all. Why don’t you go ahead. I’ll be up in a minute. Just need to…erm…finish up some stuff with Father,” he said quickly. It was my turn to frown. I thought, well I had hoped, he’d at least accompany me to bed. Oh well.

  I pushed back my chair and stood up. “Goodnight. See you tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight Aimee,” they murmured in chorus.

  As I climbed up the grand staircase I could hear hushed voices.

  “It’s too soon…”

  “Why can’t you just accept my decision…”

  “Not good enough…”

  Who knew what that was about? I didn’t care enough; I just wanted my pjs and my bed. Before I could spend any more time thinking about their conversation, I was fast asleep.

  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  I sat in the car, not knowing where we were headed. All I knew was that we were going to brunch. So I was dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, cashmere off shouldered purple sweater and Latisha’s black suede pumps. They were simple yet tasteful, versatile but still remarkable. In preparation for this weekend with the Worthingtons I had borrowed a few pieces from Eva and Latisha’s wardrobe – dresses, shoes, blouses... I knew that my own clothes would be considered too funky and I didn’t want to give Ezra’s parents another reason to look down on me.

  “You ok? You’ve been awfully quiet all weekend,” Ezra took my hand in his and squeezed it gently.

  “I’m fine. Just tired,” I said curtly. How was I to even start explaining everything that had bothered me about this weekend?

  “Well what do you think of my hometown?” He asked. His eager smile and energy were contagious. I smiled. How could I stay mad at someone this cute?

  “It’s sweet. Quaint. Never really been through here before,” I said honestly.

  “As much as I love the city, someday I want to move back here when I start a family. It was a great place to grow up.” He shared.

  I looked at him. He was dressed in a white shirt and jeans and had his sunglasses on as he whistled while he drove through the streets. I ran my fingers through his brown curls and he flashed me a smile. I could never stay annoyed with him; after all he had just brought me along because he didn’t want me to be alone during the holidays.

  “Here we are,” he said as he parked outside a small café. ‘Le Petit Boulanger’ the pastel green and yellow sign read.

  “Vraiment cute,” I observed. “Coincidence?”

  Ezra just grinned. “Come on,” he led me inside.

  It really was cute. The small café had pale yellow walls with daisy trimmings that were covered with framed photographs of Paris. There was a pastel green counter at the back with shelves of pastries and other breads in the display. There were small white tables and chairs scattered around with vases of daises on each.

  We sat down and an elderly woman came to our table us.

  “Madame Rogers! How are you?” Ezra gave the sweet woman a hug.

  “Bien, merci. This is her?” She looked at me. Ezra nodded.

  “Let me get a good look.” She held me by the shoulders. “Aww, tres jolie…She’s beautiful! God bless you both!” She gave me a tight hug.

  “Bonjour, I’m Aimee,” I introduced myself.

  “Pleasure to meet you! Why don’t you guys get comfortable and I’ll bring out some food for you,” she winked at Ezra.

  As we got comfortable, Madame Rogers rolled out a trolley with some coffee, croissants, fruits, fromage and spreads. I was excited.

  Ezra looked at me and grinned. “Since you couldn’t go to Paris this holiday, I brought it to you.”

  “Thank you!” I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “This is really sweet.”

  “Anytime. I know how much you miss home,” he gave me a smile.

  We laughed and talked and for a moment I felt like it was just the both of us back in the city again. I hadn’t felt this much myself all weekend. The food was amazing. The croissants were flaky and buttery like back home. The fromage was authentic – Brie, Camembert, Emmenthal. The fruit plate had fresh grapes, pears and figs. The jams were rich and fruity. Madame Rogers then brought us omelettes and nutella crepes mid way that we gobbled up.

  As we finished the last drop of the rich café au lait, Mrs. Rogers came back to the table.

  “Ready for some dessert?” She winked at Ezra.

  “Dessert?! Impossible! I can barely sit here,” I groaned.

  “I’m sure you’ll have room for this.” She went back to the kitchen.

  Madame Rogers brought out a large tower made of macaroons and placed it on the table. At the top was a red box.

  Ezra took the box and knelt down on one knee. Mon Dieu!

  “Ma Cherie. Je t’adore. I have loved you since the day you walked into the country club in your long purple gown. I have loved you since the time you forced me to go dancing with you all night long. I have loved you since the lunch we had at the country club when you turned up in your spiked heels and got stuck in the grass.

  I know we’re different and we have different interests. But I promise to keep trying, to keep finding a middle ground for us both. I wanted to take you to Paris and do this there, but instead I decided to bring Paris to us. Because I want to show you, no matter how different our backgrounds are, if we put in a little effort we can make this work and create our own little world.”

  I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks.

  “Aimee my darling, will you marry me?” He looked into my eyes, his deep coffee coloured eyes full of hope and fear.

  “Yes,” I whispered before bursting into tears.

  33 – LATISHA

  “So Latisha beta, did the hospital grant your holiday request?” Vivek’s mother asked me as she took a bite of her naan.

  “Well they agreed to keep my schedule light and I can take two weeks off then and one week off in December. But that means that I can only take one week off in the next year,” I explained.

  Tanu let out a low whistle.

  “Wow, that’s harsh!” Veera commented. “So what have you decided?”

  All eyes looked at me, waiting for an answer.

  “Well, if everyone really wants a summer wedding, I guess I don’t mind. I’ll just have to toughen up after,” I gave in.

  “Great!” Vivek’s father exclaimed.

  His mother agreed. “Good decision. And we can deal with next year, next year. I mean who knows if you’ll even want to continue after, you might want to take some time off and settle in.”

  I glanced at Vivek. “I mean I’m pretty sure I’m going to continue…”

  “Yes, yes of course. I was just saying,” she covered up hurriedly.

  Tanu shot me a sympathetic look.

  “So does that mean we’re going shopping this December?” Veera asked excitedly.

  “Yes of course. And we should probably try to narrow down on some venues before we leave. After all we’ll only have a week,” my mother suggested. “Is there no way you can take a few more days off in December? One week is so short.”

  I sighed. It was never enough.

  “Ma, a week is a week. Deal with it,” Tanu spoke up. I kicked her under the table. Such outbursts were considered impolite.

  “I want to check out Delhi too. The best designers are there after all,” Veera demanded.


  “Well maybe we’ll go a little early and select some things before Latisha joins us,” my mother-in-law said. “That way we can save her time.”

  “Tanu beta, will you be able to join us this December too?” my mother asked my sister.

  “Sure. And I can help narrow down things for Tish. After all, no one knows her better than me,” she winked.

  “Enough about shopping. Where are we thinking of doing this,” my father interrupted.

  “I think we should check out venues in Long Island and the Hamptons. Maybe a few in Connecticut too. Not too far but still out of the city so that we have enough space and everyone can stay together,” Vivek’s father proposed.

  Damn. There goes my island wedding.

  “What do you guys think?” My father turned to us. Vivek and I looked at each other.

  “Well we had thought of a small beach wedding. Maybe on one of the Caribbean islands?” Vivek suggested softly. I nodded my head.

  “No way! Too tough to manage and just not practical,” his father vetoed.

  Vivek squeezed my hand under the table and I tried hard to keep on a fake smile. This wedding was spinning out of control and I had absolutely no say in it.

  “Well then whatever you guys think is best,” Vivek yielded. So much for being my knight in shining armour! I’m sure a guy like Chris would have argued his way and gotten me what I wanted.

  Ok, I needed to stop thinking about him.

  My mother-in-law got up and brought out a cinnamon apple pie and pecan tart. She cut up slices and passed it around.

  “How many people are we thinking?” my father asked.

  The scent of cinnamon reminded me of Chris’s cologne.

  “I would say at least two fifty or three hundred. Then it depends on the date and location and how many of our relatives can make it,” my mother threw out.

  “Three hundred? What?” I choked on a piece of pie.