The Light in the Wound by Christine Brae Read Free Book Online Page A

being spread about my mother.
    “Of course, Jesse. Isabel, it would be great if you could join us for dinner,” she said warmly and without hesitation.
    “That would be lovely, Mrs. Cain. Thank you for inviting me.”
    Mrs. Cain insisted I ride back with her while Jesse drove separately in his car.
    “Isabel, how is your mother? I knew her from my high school days. I used to see her at parties and would read about her in the society pages. Your mother is beautiful, and you look just like her.”
    “Thank you, Mrs. Cain. She’s doing well. She’s really busy with her dress shop and Grace is occupying most of her time these days.”
    “Ah, yes, your youngest sister. I hear that she is growing up to be a healthy little girl.”
    Where in the world were these people getting all their intel on my family?
    We finally arrived at Jesse’s house. The car pulled into a tiny one-car garage that had a tall set of stairs leading to the back of the house. Jesse ran toward the car to make sure he was the one to lead me inside. We followed his mother as she opened the door to us. There was such a welcoming vibe in his home that I immediately started to relax. The structural layout was long and narrow, quite small and compact. The kitchen, dining room and living room all shared the same space, and my first thought was that the area was smaller than my mother’s bedroom. Jesse excitedly pulled me up the stairs to meet his brothers and sisters. He shared a bedroom with three younger siblings and they all had smiles on their faces as he introduced me to each one of them.
    Jesse’s father was a stern military man who expected nothing but the best from his children. His mother was meek and quiet in front of his father, something I did not expect when I met her earlier at the game. The first dinner I had with his family felt more like an interrogation, but that was understandable. His father gushed about my grandfather being a self-made man, talked about his businesses, wanted to know whether I was planning to work for my grandfather when I graduated. Jesse was a bit embarrassed by all the questions, but he just held my hand and smiled at me throughout the conversation. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and they were genuinely happy to meet me. His sisters were a bit on the shy side, but I could tell that they truly adored their older brother.
    That dinner with his family was the first of many dinners we shared through the years that Jesse and I were together. Jesse’s father and I would share a closeness that I never had with my own father. We also spent many nights at the table talking about my family, my sisters and my parents. His father showed an unaffected interest in me and my plans for the future. He quickly erased all of my reservations about my mother’s reputation and how that might influence his perception of me. Those times were precious to me, and to this day, I think of him with so much fondness in my heart.
    Meanwhile, Alex and I developed a friendship that was comfortable and easy, due to the fact that I was at the Polo Club most days after school. He was funny about calling me randomly, and we would go back and forth with an easy banter. It was nice having someone who was a part of the group that I used to hang out with when I was younger. Sometimes at night, my phone would ring and it would be him with silly one-minute updates:
    “Hello?”
    “Hi Isabel, it’s me, Alex. Just wanted to let you know that Lizzy didn’t clear that last jump at today’s event. I saw how you killed it the other day. Great job!”
    “You saw me? Where were you?”
    “Watching you.”
    “Shut up.”

 
     
    “First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity.”
    —George Bernard Shaw
     
     
    Three months after we met, Jesse and I finally went to see a movie.
    We held hands as he led me through the dark theater and walked me up to the very last row right below the projector. The movie house wasn’t full, but I was