Afternoons

weddings are for moms

"Oh shit.."

I let myself fall next to Eleanor who was panting just like me. I turn to face her and she had a smile on her face.

"I'm not getting out of this bed," she mumbles.

"Same."

I spoke too soon.
There was banging on the door. Who could it possibly be?
With a huff, I get out of bed and grab a robe, wrapping it around my body. I was very surprised when I opened the door.
I thought I bought this house in order to get away from her.

Yes, that's right. Eleanor and I bought a house. We needed our own little space with more privacy. I have no idea how we ended up in a farm though.

"Carmen?"

"Don't call me that- yes, it's me. This is some place, yes?" She lets herself enter my home. She begins to walk around, looking at every wall and space. I just know she is judging.
She always is.

"Excuse me? What are you doing here?" I ask confused.

She stops in her tracks and turns around to look at me. She looks me up and down.
For fucks sakes, she is judging me in my own damn house, how polite. I just want to push her out the door and tell her how sick of a mom she has been and-

Stop! Pause..

Now let's hit rewind and go all the way back to June's birthday party. That was about 3 months. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday, how could I not? I got engaged that day...

We were all sitting in the living room. Everyone was crammed in there. We were joking around, speaking about anything that came to mind while the kids were out in the back playing. Somehow my life got brought up. I already knew what was to come.

"Alex didn't want to attend college." True.

"She doesn't want kids." True. I figured that people actually engrave in your mind that you have to have children. And if you say you don't want any they shoot you back by saying shit like, "you'll change your mind," or "just wait," maybe even, "that's what I used to say, look at me now."
I can't help but look at them in annoyance. I also noticed that Eleanor would always fake smile at them as if mocking them. Both, her and I still don't plan on having children ever. We don't want to be moms.

"She always wants to do things her way," also true, who doesn't?

And the most striking to me, "she doesn't want to get married." Now that is...false.

Well, how could they know? This was the game of 3 truths one false. They just couldn't get to the one that was false.
Mom, of course, was the one to bring it up. She doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut and apparently her legs either.

"Is that true, Alexina? You don't wanna get married?" I remember one of the blondies asking while she smacked loudly on her gum. Her voice was irritating. I kind of wanted to seal her mouth shut with that gum.

I glared at her but never answered her. Another blonde laughed.

"No marriage?" All these questions and comments were coming from everywhere and everyone.

It was too overwhelming. Yeah, I always want to do things my way so that's how I did them. I always go against whatever other's say so that's exactly what I did.

I had no ring on me but I still got down on one knee. I grabbed my girlfriend's hand and I asked her to marry me. Right then and there, with no shame and much joy, actually. Everybody stood quiet.

Once I was done, I got up and looked at my mom dead in the eye and said, "you aren't invited to the wedding, just to be clear."

I then left...