The Love of My (Other) Life by Traci L. Slatton Read Free Book Online

inexorably rolling down the other side, picking up speed until it was whizzing downhill. Mrs. Leibowitz was laughing. Her arms were extended and her shawl whipped around her.
    “Oh my God,” I cried. Brian and I both charged after her.
    For a homeless crazy dude, Brian was in very good shape. He reached the wheelchair first and grabbed it at a run, then slowly, adroitly, turning it away from the oncoming traffic of Riverside Drive, brought it to a stop.
    “Nicely done, young man,” said Mrs. Leibowitz, whose cheeks looked a little pink. “I thought I’d go for a tumble.”
    “Inertia, right?” Brian said. “Reminds me of my favorite Star Trek joke. Some physicists sent a letter to the show’s writers asking, ‘How do the inertial dampeners work?’”
    “Mrs. Leibowitz, are you okay?” I asked, panting and kneeling down to examine her.
    “And the writers wrote back, ‘Very well, thank you’!” Brian laughed uproariously.
    “I’m fine, Tessa,” Mrs. L patted my arm. “Your friend was telling me a joke that I don’t get.”
    “He’s not my friend. He’s a crazy street person who’s leaving,” I said. I trotted around behind the wheelchair, so I could discreetly bare my teeth at Brian.
    “You seem like friends,” Mrs. L said. “You seem connected somehow.”
    “We’re not,” I started.
    “We really are.” Brian cut me off to pump Mrs. L’s hand and beam at her. “Dr. Brian Tennyson, nice to meet you, ma’am. You’re a great looking lady.
    Beautiful eyes you have. Wow.”
    If he hugged her, I’d deck him.
    Mrs. Leibowitz giggled and leaned toward Brian, clinging to his hand. “Did you hear, Tessa? He’s cute, and he’s a doctor.”
    “Not that kind of doctor,” I clarified, making shooing motions at Brian. “He’s a physics professor.
    He claims.”
    “Absotively posilutely!” Brian said, squeezing Mrs. L’s hand. “I specialize in macroscopic decoherence.”
    “What’s that?” Mrs. L answered, and was she fluttering her lashes at him? Well, well, Mrs. L, you sly girl. Okay, he’s cute, but still.
    “Imagine, if you will, the velvety—”
    “We’d better get you home, Mrs. L. I want to call your doctor and see why you’ve been feeling so poorly,” I said. I grasped the wheelchair with one hand and slapped at Brian with the other. Then I grabbed his elbow and jerked him over close enough to me, so I could whisper in his ear. “Go away and leave me alone. I mean it.”
    “Not until you give back the skull,” he whispered back.
    “I’m taking care of Mrs. Leibowitz right now, I’m not thinking about the skull.”
    “You have to take care of yourself before you take care of other people. That means giving back the skull, so you don’t go to jail,” Brian whispered furiously.
    But Mrs. Leibowitz interrupted our bickering.
    “I’m getting tired again, Tessa. Better take me home.
    Brian, it was lovely to meet you.”
    ● ● ●
    In the end, after speaking to Mrs. L’s doctor, over her objections, and passing on to her his stern advice to refill her prescriptions and take them as directed, I elected to leave her building by way of the service door in back. I poked my head out and didn’t see Brian, so I tiptoed out and peered around the corner to see him staring at the front entrance. I slithered back out of view and then headed off in the other direction.

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10
The paradox of forgiveness

    From Mrs. Leibowitz’s place, I went to the Collegiate Church. I had in mind that I’d talk to Reverend Pincek, maybe get a little perspective on things.
    That kooky Brian was causing me some perturbations of the soul.
    Blame him, sure; he was an easy target. It wasn’t like my life had been in the crapper for the last three years, and I was now at the point of having some decisions made for me.
    The choir was practicing, the rev singing with them. His pink cheeks were shiny with good cheer.
    Indeed, his whole being thrummed with the joy of music and worship. He was