The Two of Us

by Taylor Torres

Everything was going swimmingly until he asked me out on a date. Which was comical, because everyone who hooks up in a bathroom knows the bathroom hook-up rule: thou shall not ever see each other again after this. So, I tugged my skirt back down, claimed I had an incoming call, and told him to hang tight.

The Bathroom Hook-up rule

“I know this probably isn’t what you signed up for when you came into work tonight.” “No worries.” She passes me my receipt and a pen. “Happens all the time.” “People get behind the bar all the time?” “Unfortunately.” “Well in that case…” I drop a crumpled twenty into her tip jar and she snorts like this also isn’t the first time someone’s done that.

It happens all the time… is crazy

Dad always says boys grow faster because their bodies need more room to hold all their stupid.

Hold all their stupid

I didn’t go to Harvard, but this is not a dog. This is a creature you’d avoid out in the woods. A yeti of sorts.

Otso the dog

“I could sit here all day and try to convince you of how pretty you are, but I’m not going to because being pretty is not the accomplishment you think it is.” His fingers lift my chin. “Be kind. Be funny. Be interesting. That is where you will find your power.”

“”Be kind. Be funny. Be interesting. That is where you will find your power.””

“Down, boy! I just refinished this, you little shit.”

Otso the dog

I rarely let my emotions get the best of me, if ever, but I explode like a defective pressure cooker. “Motherfuckingbitch!” I stomp my foot, chucking my work gloves to the ground. Groaning, I throw my head back in frustration.

Explode like a defective pressure cooker

No matter how much you love someone, you can’t save them from drowning. They have to love themselves enough to learn how to swim.”

“Wait,” I say. “What about Maitland?” “He was more than happy to go home early.” She sighs, rolling her eyes. “He’s still not over that cold and you know how guys get when they’re sick. It might as well be the end of life as we know it.”

Some men are baby’s when they are sick

The backyard is decked out with streamers hanging from the trees, barrels filled to the brim to bob for apples, and multiple piñatas hanging from Old Maple. The theme… well I can’t tell what the theme is. It looks like Party City threw up in my backyard.

“Party City threw up in my backyard”

His breath tickles my skin. “I want you, Mara. God, you have no idea how much I want you. How much I’ve wanted you. But I won’t touch you again until you ask me to. When you’re ready to admit what it is that you want, you come find me.”

He loved her enough wait for her

I can’t remember the last time I let myself cry and that terrifies me. I’m unraveling. He’s unraveling me.

He’s unraveling me.

“You keep… flirting with me and while it’s fun and feels good at the moment, it’s confusing. We didn’t reestablish a friendship just for me to become one of your little playthings.”

One of your little playthings

“Okay let me stop you right there.” His voice hardens. “You are not and never will be a plaything to me.” “Then what am I?” “Everything. You’re everything to me.”

Okay not a plaything but an everything

“This is why you and Sasha broke up, isn’t it?” He runs a hand over his face. “Answer me!” “What do you want me to say?” he grits. “That the moment I found out you broke up with Brandon, I couldn’t pretend for one more second that it wasn’t you I wanted the entire time?”

He couldn’t pretend anymore

Her eyes overflow with tears when she says she’d bring an entire garden to my dad’s funeral if she could. Comments like that happen a lot. I learn just how many lives my dad touched. He showed up for people. Made them feel supported by his actions. I have a lot to learn from him.

This reminds me of my dad’s memorial. We had a ton of people show up that I didn’t even know. The church was packed. He touched so many lives.

“I’ve loved you since that kiss outside of Old Maple and I’ve loved you since we both lost the person we loved the most. I loved you then and I love you now. And if you’ll have me… I’ll love you until my last breath.” My tears fall freely now. “You’re the love of my life, Mara, but you’re my best friend too. I like you as much as I love you. I could have a million lifetimes with you and it still wouldn’t be enough. So, take your time.”

There is a saying that goes if it’s ment to be love will find a way back. Or something like that….this part of the book reminded me of this of that quote

“Healing isn’t linear, Mara,” Mitsu says. “Some days it’s five steps forward and other days it’s seven steps back. There’s no finish line. The goal is just to keep stepping.”

Just take baby steps

“It’s the art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold,” she says. “The idea behind it is that even when something’s broken, we can always put it back together. And when we put it back together and embrace those cracks of imperfection, it’s even stronger and more beautiful than before.”

I just love the idea of the broken pottery analogy

I can’t believe the words coming from Alima’s mouth. My brain hurts at the idea that she doesn’t hate me. It’s difficult to accept that the truth of the situation is different from the story I’ve been telling myself in my head. But that’s the thing about truth. Sometimes we mistake our emotions for the truth. Sometimes our truth isn’t the truth at all.

Sometimes our truth isn’t the truth at all.

I’m not surprised in the least when she explains how her new business focuses on providing quality baked goods to those who’ve experienced loss. It’s the first time I realize there can be good things that are birthed out of such horrible situations.

Everything happens for a reason even in the toughest of times. There is a reason why Cat died and it was to change the characters into the characters at the end of the book. This happens in real live too. Not just in books.