#CHAPTER 12: The Call

Arthur & Iris Arthur The moment the phone begins to ring, Iris lunges toward it like her life depends on it. Her finger smashes the ‘decline call’ button, turning the screen dark before I can see the name lighting it up. “What was that?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. Iris lifts her chin defiantly, as if I’ve just asked her to tell me her social security number. “Nothing,” she says. I stare at her for a moment in silence, unsure of what to make of it. She quickly slips her phone into her pocket, and the way her fingers tremble ever so slightly betrays her true emotions. Something is going on with her. She is not only lying to me, but she’s also acting blatantly defensive. And for what? She was the one who took off out of nowhere, leaving our life behind so she could abort our baby. And she’s clearly living off the wealth of that Brian guy and his husband now. I can already see her true colors, clearer than any of those paintings of hers. She has nothing left to