Pxxxxxxx picks at the bright violet nail polish. She must remember to remove it tonight, the color irritates her. Clea chose it. It was Clea’s graduation and she’d chosen shades of lilac and violet in tribute to her new school’s colors. Pxxxxxxx wished that afternoon at the nail salon had gone better. Clea was so demanding and difficult with the nail technician that Pxxxxxxx over tipped out of guilt. Her daughter often made scapegoats of service industry personnel but that day her cruelty was criminal.
Today’s lunch is an attempt to diffuse the tension but Clea resumes her list of grievances as if three days had not passed. Pxxxxxxx swallow her words with the dusty gluten mass in her mouth. She reaches for her water-glass, recognizing she will forever have a deficit with her child.
8 min on the F train, 5.20.14
prompt from a commuter’s laminated ID lanyard
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