I don't know how many Inn victims get visits from the people taking over their lives, but it's unnerving to say the least. The boys and I didn't have that option, and I figured we would just leave the notes and maybe keep in contact via email. When I got one saying they were going to do a quick weekend trip into New York so that we could get to know each other better, I was quite surprised, and not just because I wasn't sure our bank accounts could afford it, but because they had told us they were doing it rather than asking, and it's something I would have discussed with Kutter and Rusty to make sure they were okay with it. Instead, I wound up telling them, but making it clear they didn't have to participate if they didn't want to. Rusty immediately responded with "are you kidding? I've got to see this!", while Kutter nodded a bit more seriously, although it didn't seem like he felt pressured.
Apparently, the new me knew the city at least a little, saying she checked and saw that a brunch spot she liked was still open, and maybe we could meet there.
And, yes, the person living my live is a woman. Indeed, the whole replacement family is or was, and in fact it's a seemingly much more straightforward substitution than we had: The new me is a single mother of two daughters, about my sons' ages, and the Inn made the younger daughter into Rusty and the older one into Kutter. They had arrived at the place first, new-me at one end of the booth and new-Rusty at the other, and the three of us wound up seating opposite our counterparts. There was a moment of silence, and I cleared my throat. "Hello, uh, Aidan."
She smiled a smile that was not my own and reached out a hand. "You must be Emilia." I shook it and she sighed looking me over. "Well, girls, it looks like we should have booked for a couple weeks earlier, huh?"
New-Rusty leaned in and looked my Rusty over. "Totally! Hey, are you Korean?"
"Like, a quarter."
"Oh my God, you're so lucky! I love K-pop and I've really been getting into Korean movies lately! They probably actually play them in theaters here and even if they're rated R or whatever they won't card you!" For maybe the first time in his life, Rusty found himself unable to get a word in edgewise. "Not that I don't think I'll enjoy being you! I've only just met your friends but they seem really cool! Oh, and I think I'm going to try out for a part in the fall play, because I don't know if that's something you would do but I wanna try every activity I can't do on account of being homeschooled--"
Kutter looked surprised. "What, really?"
New-Kutter rolled her eyes. "Yeah, everybody hates Mom and she thinks their kids will take it out on us but even though she works remotely she won't move."
New-me made a "knock it off" gesture with her had at her throat. "We're here to learn about them; they don't need to know our problems." She gave me the sort of smile she probably gave men a lot but which looked a bit odd on my face. "Sorry, teenagers. Although they're not wrong; we've had some setbacks and I'm not exactly popular in my home town because of stuff that happened before they were born."
"Because we were born."
"Would you stop?" She looked like she wanted to take her elder daughter aside and hiss something at her but I guess she realized that would look worse. "Look, we're not running from anything or looking to take your lives for our own." She tried to blow some hair she no longer had as me out of her face. "I'm not sure how to be reassuring and complimentary here, but, honest, I want to be myself again, but I'm not afraid to admit that I think we're all enjoying some time away from the stuff in my life because you guys seem to have had your shit together when you went to that place."
"Um... Thanks?"
She spent the next day or so showing us various spots and picking our brains, saying this would help us get ahead as new New Yorkers, although this city moves fast enough that a lot was "there used to be a great place here, but I guess it closed during the pandemic". Mostly mine, for practical work information. She seemed relieved to hear there wasn't a woman in my life, especially when she saw how new-Kutter seemed to be pushing hard for the original to let her dump his girlfriend, saying she's a nerd and if they're really into each other they'll get back together no problem. Kutter didn't like the idea, but also didn't likethe idea of his substitute pushing things one direction or the other.
Rusty and his sub got along like a house on fire, though - apparently she's as gregarious as he is and they share enough common interests that she'll probably do just fine standing in for him.
Plus, as we saw them off to LaGuardia, Kutter elbowed his brother and smirked. "I think someone's got a crush on you!"
"What? C'mon! Although..." Rusty smirked and made some sort of motions with his hands to frame his face that I don't quite understand. "I am extremely my type!"
Kutter snorted. "Oh, yeah, like you've got a type. You've got to establish a pattern to have a type! At best, you've got aspirations toward a type."
They argued a bit, but I don't think anybody won. At the very least, we came out of the experience feeling reasonably sure that they would keep our seats warm, although I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check in with them every once in a while to make sure that's all they are doing.
-Aidan/Emilia
No comments:
Post a Comment