X, WorldCon, and Stratford

Sometimes after work Rose, exhausted, went out with Kent for a beer.

Great job, he said of her latest project, the X-shaped mall. Much to her surprise they had loved the design. The X chromosome. Who had it? Rose or Ben? She couldn’t quite remember. She thought she had it. She had designed the mall as X-marks-the spot. Nobody had gotten it. They thought it was a chromosome thing.

Where do you get this stuff? Kent asked.

Science fiction. It was true. Rose was reading science fiction her sister recommended. She and Megan even talked about going to WorldCon in Japan. Rose had looked up all the information. She knew Megan wouldn’t be able to take it--dressing up in costumes--but they had fun talking about it on the phone.

Rose might as well go to WorldCon. Ben wasn’t paying any attention to her. Rose was moving out. Ben hadn’t even noticed that her boxes were packed. She was moving out slowly. She hadn’t told him. He didn’t notice the disappearing furniture and books. She could hardly believe it. What would it take?

I’m so tired, he said in the morning when he came home from the ER.

When are you going back to your office?

In February. I’ve almost made enough money.

Money for what?

For a vacation. And to make up for the time I took off from law for the play.

When do you take a vacation?

I thought we might go to Stratford.

Again?

She was really angry now. How many times had they gone to Stratford? Couldn’t they go somewhere else? She didn’t really care where. The woods. The shore.

Rose cried over the prospect of moving. She didn’t want to leave but couldn’t ask Ben to leave. He needed it more than she did. He worked longer hours and the house was close to the office and hospital.

Rose had already moved Dorrie into the house.

I love it, she said.

The house was gloomy, with horrible carpeting and chocolate-colored walls. How could Dorrie love it? But it was much nicer than her apartment. She had a big room on a third floor furnished by Rose. Dorrie insisted that she did not need the furniture, but Rose wanted her to have it.

The heroin addict, Gabrielle, was also living there. Rose hadn’t been sure about her, but had been impressed by her during the interview.

Yes, I have a teaching job. I’m a T.A. and I’m finishing my dissertation.

On...?

Arabic literature and blogs.

Rose looked at Gabrielle's eyes and could see nothing especially weird or different about her. She seemed sensible. No one would know she was an addict. Gabrelee lived quitely, going to the library and then back to her room to write. Like Dorrie, she was a toothpick. The two needed to eat. But they both looked normal. Rose supposed they could look after each other.

I don’t want any drug dealers at the house. And I don’t want to know anything about your drug use.

That’s easy enough. I buy it at the university anyway. What about my boyfriend?

I suppose you can have your boyfriend. But no drug parties.

Rose was very tired of druggies. She had gone through this with Megan and didn’t know why she was giving this woman a chance. But she might as well give her a chance. .

Dorrie and Gabrielle and two rooms and a kitchen on the second floor, plus Dorrie's third-floor room. Rose would have the first floor to herself. They would never have to see one another.

Rose moved her last box of books to the house. She started hanging up clothes in the bedroom. When she returned to the river house, Ben was there.

What’s going on? Ben asked.