Just be me.
Do what I want to do.
I haven’t thought about that in more than ten years.
I have no freaking clue what I want to do and who I am if I’m not a mother or a teacher.
“Charlotte? Are you okay?” Jane asks.
The gift is thoughtful and extremely generous, yet my heart races as I imagine boarding a plane to an unknown destination all by myself.
Sage looks at me and then at Jane. “You were right, Jane. I should have waited until after dinner.”
She takes another bite of her pasta, then raises one eyebrow. “Who knows, maybe you’ll hook up with one of the entertainment staff. You know what they say, what happens in St. Kitts, stays in St. Kitts.”
Sage’s innuendo makes me smile. It’s a crazy idea, but maybe not so crazy if I really think about it. It’s only a week. Charlie will love spending time with Anthony, and I get a real vacation.
“Thank you,” I say. “But I plan to just relax. I’ll take some books and read all day long. It sounds perfect.”
“Or you can hook up with the bartender.”
“I’m not hooking up with anyone.”
Sage waggles her eyebrows. “I hope those will be your famous last words.”
I wave her off, but her teasing threatens my resolve. What if I do have a little fun while on vacation? There’s no crime in that. Sage’s right. No more ‘Responsible Charlotte’.
In St. Kitts, I will do everything I normally wouldn’t allow myself to do. I could be ‘Opposite Charlotte.’
2
Charlotte
My suitcase weighs twenty pounds at least, but it has wheels, so I easily roll it down the hallway.
“Are you sure you don’t want to check that?” asks Sage when I reach the living room. She’s lying on the couch, scrolling on her phone.
“Do you know how many suitcases the airlines lose each year? I’m not taking the chance of wearing the same underwear all week.”
She tilts her head and I’m certain a lewd suggestion is ready on her lips, but she presses them together instead.
Looking around, I ask. “Jane’s not here yet?”
“She texted that she’s on her way.”
“Okay, good. I need to stop by the pharmacy to pick up an extra tube of Charlie’s eczema cream.”
“You’ve already packed two. He’ll be fine, and you gave Jane the prescription if somehow he goes through it all in a week.”
It sounds reasonable, but I’m still not satisfied. “Oh, I almost forgot his favorite blanket.” I rush toward Charlie’s room, but Sage stops me.
“He already said he’s not bringing it. He told us he’s grown now.” She smirks. “I think he’s just afraid Anthony will judge him.”
“Me, too. I’ll pack it for him just in case.”
Before I can do that, Charlie walks out of his room rolling a small carry-on Sage lent him. “Ready, Mom?” he asks.
“Um… I just need to grab one more thing.”
