Just when I’m drinking, studying for a test, finishing the test. To help curb my appetite, blow off some steam, take a breather. Only on the weekends, Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday too if Monday is a holiday. He says this to me, sharing a drag I don’t want but take anyway because those eyes are so blue and believable. The first time I sleep over, before the sun blinks good morning, he opens the balcony door and lights a cigarette. “I’ll make breakfast,” I offer. It’s a Tuesday and too late for me because I already can’t quit.
Rachel Weinhaus is the author of The Claimant: A Memoir of an Historic Sexual Abuse Lawsuit and a Woman's Life Made Whole. Visit her at www.rachelweinhaus.com.