“Why do you want to go to
Ireland?”
Gracie stifled a sigh,
remembering at last why she had been so glad when her sister had moved out.
“Because. It’s beautiful, and—inspiring.”
“But you hate the rain. Do you
know how much it rains in Ireland?”
“Oh don’t you have someone else’s
dreams to crush? Why don’t you go tell Aaron how much it costs to get a pilot’s
license or tell Ellie that most princes are creepy, amoral or too old for her,
so the chances of her every being a real princess are incredibly low.” Gracie
scowled, standing. Kim, who was too weighed down with baby-bump to chase after
her, merely smiled maddeningly, and replied with perfect innocence.
“Well I was just wondering. I am
sure you will have a wonderful vacation—”
“Thank you.” Gracie said,
sighing.
“—in the rain.” Kim finished.
Gracie rolled her eyes and made an exclamation of frustration, throwing her
hands in the air.
“There’s just no pleasing you
pessimists, is there?”
“I’m not a pessimist. If anything
I’m twice as happy as you are. I’m just a realist, that’s all.” Kim shrugged,
resting her hands on her belly.
“Well you seem like a pessimist.
And being an optimist doesn’t mean that you’re happy all the time, you know. It
means you’d rather search for the good in things in life.”
“Well, I would rather have low expectations
and never be disappointed, than have high expectations and be disappointed
constantly.”
“And I would rather hope and be
disappointed than live in the mundane satisfaction of knowing that everyone and
everything is destined to disappoint me.”
“Well I guess that’s the
difference between a realist and an idealist.”
“Oh you can’t be serious.” Gracie
said incredulously. “Do you really mean that you would rather live under a
cloud of gloom like that?”
“Oh grow up, Gracie. Watch the
news sometime, why don’t you.”
“They only show all that horrible
stuff to get good ratings. Everyone knows that.”
“But it does happen. ‘All that
horrible stuff’ is life Gracie. That’s the real world.”
Gracie crossed her arms. “I don’t
believe that’s all there is to the real world. Don’t you thing that there’s
some good left in most people?”
“I doubt it. People are liars and
rip-offs, and the sooner you learn that the less likely you’ll be to get taken in
or ripped-off yourself. All people really care about these days is themselves.”
Kim glanced longingly at the plate of sugar cookies on the coffee table. She
grasped for them but she couldn’t sit up enough to reach. “Grab me one of
those, please Gracie?”
“Why should I? I’m just a liar
and a cheat, out to get you. What’s in it for me?” Gracie mumbled satirically.
She pulled a reindeer from the stack and handed it over.
“No, I want a mitten. Please?”
Kim turned her brown puppy-dog eyes on Gracie with full force.
“Okay,” Her sister said
laughingly, surrendering a soft pink mitten. “Is a mitten going to be enough or
do you need a bell and a snowman too?” She grinned teasingly.
“Oh psh. I saw you with that
fudge yesterday. You can’t talk.”
“Well, I guess even if all the
people in the world go bad, there will still be good food.” Gracie sighed, pacing
to the window.
“Oh don’t take it so hard.
Everybody has to figure out at some point that life sucks. You’re lucky you
made it this far.”
“Thanks. I’m so grateful.” Gracie
replied dryly.
“Well be grateful enough to go
grab the Russian tea cakes for me.”
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