Marni’s story…
Marni saw the wounded look on Maxine’s features and wished she could take the words back. But even the two words, “I’m sorry” were stuck in her throat.
Marni knew that she was being unfair. Maxine was doing her best. But…well, Maxine was always gone! She was always working or studying. What happened to the old days when Marni would burst into Maxine’s bedroom and tell her older sister about her day, then listen and laugh as Maxine did the same? What happened to those nights when they would tell each other funny stories or secrets or just gossip together?
Marni stared at the graduation gown and cap. She didn’t want to walk with the other students for graduation. They all whispered about Marni and Maxine, pitying the sisters because they’d lost their parents a couple of years ago.
Turning, Marni stared out the window of her bedroom. It was a beautiful day, but Marni hated this house. She hated the painful memories and the lack of her parents’ presence here. Years ago, before the accident, Marni would come home to find her father baking cookies or her mother in the office with her glasses perched on the end of her nose. They’d play cards on Friday night after gorging on pizza. They’d go camping and ballet lessons, endured miserable piano lessons and…Marni would do just about anything to have her parents back. Or just her sister! Maxine was just…boring now! She didn’t do anything but work and work and study!
Sighing, she picked up the graduation gown and shoved it into the closet before heading downstairs.
“I’m not going to the graduation,” she announced, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she glared at Maxine.
Maxine lifted her eyes from the textbook she’d been reading and blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“I said,” Marni repeated, her tone with dripping sarcasm, “that I’m not walking in the graduation ceremony.”
Maxine was silent for a long moment and Marni tensed, waiting for the argument. “But…why not?”
Marni groaned and flopped down into the old chair in front of the desk. “Because it’s stupid.” She contemplated her nails. “This way, you don’t have to take time off from work. I’ll still get my diploma, but the school can mail it to me.”
Maxine jumped up from the desk chair, coming around to the front. “But Marni, you are valedictorian! You wrote your speech! I’ve heard you practicing in your bedroom. Why would you not walk in the ceremony?”
Because the other students were rude. Because they made painful comments about how she was an orphan. Because Maxine worked so hard to pay all the bills and walking in the ceremony would take four hours out of Maxine’s time – and that’s money that they’d need to pay the bills.
Because Marni would rather spend that time just sitting with Maxine, like they’d done before…before everything had gone bad.
“It’s just not something that I need to do,” was all she said to her sister. Marni got up and walked out of their parents’ study, her shoulders stiff as she braced for her sister’s next argument. When the argument didn’t come, Marni walked back up to her bedroom. She needed to make plans. She wasn’t going to be a burden to her sister any longer. Maxine worked too hard and…well, Marni wanted a bit of freedom too.
Josh’s story…
Josh watched the four women walk into the bar. Four blond women wearing jeans and a sweater set. The colors were different. But the women all looked nearly identical. Long, blond hair, cashmere sweater set, either a pearl necklace or a gold chain around the throat and simple earrings. Nothing that might draw the attention away from the woman’s features, he assumed.
“Relax!” his friend, Carl, said, throwing an arm over Josh’s shoulders. “You just made partner in one of the most prestigious law firms in the entire country! You’re one of the youngest to ever achieve that status!”
Josh thought about that for a moment. He was the youngest person to ever make partner. And all he wanted to do was head back to his office and get more work done. There was a pending lawsuit against one of his clients about sexual harassment and another suit that another client wanted to initiate against a competitor.
Josh was already a wealthy man. Becoming partner in this law firm meant that, in ten years, he would be even more wealthy, but also powerful. The lawyers at this firm were some of the most powerful in the world.
He’d worked one hundred hour weeks getting to this point in his life. Was it worth it? He glanced around at the other patrons in the bar. Was it all worth it? He hadn’t seen the outside of his office in…well, he couldn’t remember. He’d crushed the opposing counsel too many times to count. He was literally turning away clients, too many of which wanted his legal expertise.
And yet, what was he doing? This wasn’t why he went to law school. He didn’t want to charge people a thousand dollars an hour, or more, for his knowledge. He’d gone to law school to help people. When had he lost track of that goal?
Another drink was pressed into his hand and he looked down at the cocktail, not even sure what it was. Why was he here? What was he doing?
It was time that he stopped and figured out his direction.
