Last Weekend

by Monica Wang

Richard Burlton

Your kids stop sulking after they agree on a dog; the oldest gives in, says she’s OK not going to the aquarium. All three say they’re OK with the plan, and your partner relaxes, hunches, cat-like. You’re doing this as a family — that’s what counts. No one can help how things went with the loans now, but that’s OK because you won’t bother distant relatives or distant friends or anyone else. Your kids don’t complain that you’re saying “OK” too much.

The four of you spend every waking hour with your new family dog this week. No one wants alone time. Now it’s Friday and tomorrow is pizza & movie night. You haven’t done that in ages, because pizza is a luxury and entertainment is a luxury and you feel bad spending money on luxuries.

Your kids look so happy. You say it’s the only reason you’re crying, the way they look so happy.

Sunday is the big day, but Saturday’s the one you want to remember. Sunday is a big day. Tomorrow is Sunday — where has the time gone? After Sunday, all that’s left of your family will be taken care of by your family dog.

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Monica Wang has fiction in GHLL, Electric Lit, The Temz Review, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, and TaiwaneseAmerican.org’s Chrysanthemum Anthology (forthcoming), among other publications. She grew up in Taichung, Taiwan, and Vancouver, Canada, and now writes in Germany.