Growing Pains

by Andrew Lippert

  “Thomas broke up with me.”

  Seth suddenly became happy, almost to the point of tears. The prized fish was on the line. All Seth had to do now was slowly reel it in. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “No you’re not. You’re ecstatic.”

  “If I’m so happy, how come you’re not? We both wanted this. Didn’t we?”

  Molly took a moment. “Oh, I’m happy, believe me. I just have to get over the shock. I can’t believe it’s really over, that’s all. I need time to decompress. I have to get used to the idea of being happy again.”

  She collected Seth’s things and placed them into his travel bag.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m packing your things up. We’re going back to your place.”

  When Seth and Molly got back home, they immediately went up to Seth’s room and hit the sheets, where they spent the next 40 minutes making the most passionate love imaginable.

  After it was over, they held each other lovingly.

  “So?” Seth said to Molly.

  “What?”

  “How does it feel making love to me now as a free woman?”

  Molly stretched. “Mmm. It feels amazing, Seth. But I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a free woman.”

  Seth smiled from ear to ear. “No?”

  “No.” They shared a look.

  “What do you think?” Molly asked.

  “Really? You mean it?”

  “I say we make it official.”

  Seth’s face lit up; he could cry he was so happy. All those months of hard work and planning had finally paid off. On January 14, 2014, Seth Zimmer and Molly Featherlite were officially a couple.

  “Oh God. I could cry, Molly. You just make me so happy!” Molly and Seth hugged.

  A couple of days later, Molly posted the news on Facebook. Shortly after that, her sister, Maude, phoned her.

  “Are you out of your goddamned mind? Are you really that stupid?”

  “What?”

  “Have you ever heard of being single? I think immediately jumping into a relationship after one ends is a God-awful idea!”

  “Well, Maude, that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it! Just because your relationship with Fernando is far from perfect doesn’t mean you have to shit all over my happiness.”

  “I just can’t understand how you can swing from relationship to relationship. Let’s see. First there was Andrew, then Jordan. Then there was Francis the ballet dancer, quickly followed by Stephen and James, Thomas, and now Seth.

  “Christ, Molly, when is the whoring going to end?”

  “I am not a whore!”

  “Oh really? I bet you’ve had sex with all of your boyfriends, all seven of them!”

  “Just because a woman decides to have sex with her boyfriend doesn’t make her a whore. A whore has sex because she needs it. It’s called nymphomania, bitch, and I am far from being a nympho.”

  “I’m your older sister, Molly. It’s my job to look out for you, and that’s what I’m doing! And the only advice I can give you is to dump him and be single for a while. Take a break, have a holiday and get away from it all, even if it’s a trip to Mom and Dad’s farm.”

  “I appreciate it. But Seth is different, special and unique, really one of a kind, and I love him. Nothing you say or do will stop me from being with him.”

  “Does Seth work? Or at least going through school?”

  Molly swallowed hard. “He owns his own business.”

  Maude chuckled. “Poor, sweet, naïve baby sister. Wake up, honey.”

  “What now?”

  “That’s just a clever way of saying he’s a freeloader.”

  “He is not! I’ve seen the business license and I’ve seen firsthand how hard he works!”

  “Okay, fine. What’s he bringing home every week? What’s his yearly salary?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “That’s because he’s too embarrassed to tell you he has nothing!”

  “Shut up!”

  “Does he own his own home? Does he drive and have his own car?”

  “No, no and no.”

  “Ah-ha! I rest my case!”

  “Maude, I love you, but you just have to wake up to the fact you can be a really annoying bitch some times.”

  “Whatever, nympho. Listen, I’m going to be in town this weekend. Invite Seth to Oma and Opa’s. I want to meet him.”

  Seth accepted Molly’s invitation, and that Saturday he went over to Molly’s house. They walked down to the living room.

  “Oma, Opa, you remember Seth Zimmer.”

  Seth cleared his throat and politely said, “Hello.”

  Molly’s grandparents stared at him without a word.

  In the basement living room there were two couches. The one on the left was Molly’s grandfather’s. This was the couch he lay on, on a daily basis, from morning until night. The couch on the right was the couch Molly herself purchased, and this was the couch she and her guests sat on. The little comfy armchair in the back of the room by the fireplace was Molly’s grandmother’s chair.

  Molly’s grandparents followed Seth with their eyes as he walked further into the room and took a seat next to their granddaughter.

  “Hey, Opa. Would you mind turning to channel two? There’s a special on Laura Secord.” Molly’s opa changed the channel.

  “Commercial, damn! Do you want anything to drink, Seth? I could use something.”

  “No, I’m okay, thank you.”

  Molly went up to the kitchen.

  Oma looked over at the clock. “Oh, it’s eight o’clock, way past my bedtime.” She got up, walked across the room and stopped at her husband. “I’ll see you upstairs, Markel.” She turned and continued walking.

  “I’ll be up shortly, Mady.” When Markel’s wife was out of sight, he turned to Seth. “So, you’re the director?”

  Seth took a moment to realize Molly’s grandfather was talking to him. “That’s me, sir.”

  “What do you do for work that you can afford to dedicate that much time to your projects?”

  Seth swallowed hard. “That’s my job.”

  “What, filmmaking? That is work?”

  “Yes, I own my own business. I have a business license and everything.”

  Markel finally sat up. “Oh, so you make money then?”

  “Yes. I wouldn’t do it for free.”

  “That’s good to hear. So there’s money in it?”

  “There can be.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I’m a relatively small company. I’m working out of my parents’ home, so I have to watch my income.”

  “I don’t like this. What does that mean? You have to ‘watch’ your income! Why?”

  “Because the more money I make, the more I’m going to get taxed. Also more money would mean I’d need to get a bigger location and that means I’d need to hire staff.”

  Markel shook his head disappointedly at Seth. “That’s not a career, that’s just a stupid young punk in play time! What the hell did my stupid granddaughter get herself involved with now?”

  Seth sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t please everybody.”

  “Filmmaking isn’t a career! It’s a hobby. Take me for example. I was a plasterer for almost 40 years. If I would’ve told my father I wanted to be a filmmaker, he would’ve slapped me upside the head!”

  Markel got off his couch and stood over Seth. “Listen, Seth. I don’t like you, and I sure as hell don’t respect you. However, you make my granddaughter happy, and for that reason, and that reason alone, I am willing to put up with you.”

  Molly started down the stairs, and Markel turned away from Seth and headed up.

  “Goodnight, Opa!”

  Molly snuggled beside
Seth and handed him a can of 7-Up. “I know you didn’t want anything, but I brought this in case you changed your mind.”

  “Thank you.” Seth leaned over and kissed her.

  “Maude texted me while I was upstairs, and she’ll be here soon. She really wants to meet you.”

  “Sure.”

  They watched the documentary on Laura Secord, a Canadian heroine during the War of 1812, and as the credits rolled, Maude made her way down the stairs and over to Seth.

  Maude’s first impression of Seth was disgust. What could her younger sister possibly find attractive about an overweight, glasses wearing slob like Seth.

  She reached out and shook his hand. “I’m Maude.”

  “Seth.”

  Maude walked over and sat in Oma’s chair at the back of the room. “Yes, well. You may not know it, Seth, but you’re famous.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. For the past week all my sister has done was talk about you.”

  Molly got up. “Be right back, guys. Nature calls.”

  “So, Seth, please, tell me about yourself.”

  “Well, what do you want to know?”

  “What you do for work, hobbies, whatever you want, really.”

  Seth cleared his throat. “Well, I own my own business.”

  “That much I knew. So did you go to school for business?”

  “No.”

  “So you own a filmmaking business?”

  “Kind of. I make movies, but I also do digital scrapbooking.”

  Maude didn’t look too impressed. “Oh, that’s interesting. So there’s good money in that?”

  Molly entered the room again and things simmered down.

  Over the next month, Maude would try everything in her power to try to convince Molly to dump Seth, but Molly would have nothing to do with it. The film was another three months from being completed. Everything in Seth’s life was really amazing. Before Seth knew it, it was already coming up on his and Molly’s one-month anniversary.

  They decided to meet at Seth’s house. Seth planned to cook Molly the best meal she’d ever tasted. He served fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and white wine sauce, and for dessert, homemade red velvet muffins with vanilla icing.

  He put an awful lot of planning into their one-month anniversary. Not only were they celebrating one month together, but it was also Valentine’s Day. Seth bought a bunch of candles and placed them everywhere in his room. He bought pipe cleaners and handcrafted 50 individual flowers for Molly.

  Molly arrived at seven o’clock, after her shift at the mall. She was feeling a little down, as she often did after work. But after seeing the fantastic meal Seth concocted, she was happier than a pig in mud.

  Molly took a big forkful of the fettuccine and shovelled it into her mouth. Her face lit up, and she was very obviously, overwhelmingly impressed. “Oh my God, Seth!”

  “What is it?”

  “This is the best thing I have ever tasted!” Molly kept shovelling the food into her mouth. “I’m not just saying that because I’m your girlfriend.”

  Molly took her bowl and walked out into the living room, where Mr. and Mrs. Zimmer were watching TV. “Your son is the best cook!”

  Mrs. Zimmer pointed at the kitchen. “I keep telling Seth he should take up cooking.”

  “Seth, your food is like restaurant-quality, babe. You should really consider doing this for a living.” Molly walked back into the kitchen.

  “I have considered it.”

  “But?”

  “But I think I would get bored with it really fast.”

  “Well maybe, but you have to look at the bright side. There are thousands of people out there, and they all have to eat. So you’ll never be out of work and will always have a steady income.”

  Seth looked at Molly and smiled. He got himself a bowl of food, and they disappeared up to Seth’s room.

  They sat on the bed, and Seth reached over to his dresser and gave Molly a folded handwritten card that opened up into the shape of a heart. The front of the card read: “For every happy memory that’s part of my heart today,” and the inside of the card read: “And for all the beautiful things about you I will always love.”

  “Aww, Seth. That’s beautiful, thank you!” Molly reached into her purse and pulled out her handmade card for Seth. Hers was on folded light-blue construction paper, with three green cut-out hearts with glitter. The inside read:

  Seth,

  You once asked me why I love you. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show you the writings of my heart.

  I love that we help look after each other.

  I love that you and your family are overwhelmingly warm and welcoming.

  I appreciate that you encourage me to contribute my creativity and input into every aspect of the film.

  I love that you encourage me to do what I love.

  I love that you love genuine conversation and spending quality time with each other, without cell phones interrupting us.

  I love how interesting you are.

  I love your handsome eyes.

  I really appreciate that you take time to talk to and understand me.

  I hope you can appreciate the fact that my writing is crooked!

  I love that you have BIG dreams and ambitions like me.

  I love that we are in love.

  Happy Valentine’s Day!

  Love, Molly

  Reading Molly’s card brought tears to Seth’s eyes. He put the card down, wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big, passionate kiss.

  CHAPTER 19

  On April 17, 2014, principal photography of Seth’s film was finally complete, and all Seth had to do now was edit the film.

  He also had to decide what he was going to tell everyone, as he did say he was entering this film into a festival.

  Seth decided to wait until the film was actually in its finished status to worry about it. Nineteen days later, on May 6, Seth received an overwhelming amount of text messages from everyone involved in the film, asking him the status. He figured the film was pretty much complete anyway, so he decided to tell everyone he was going to submit the film tomorrow, May 7, and if they didn’t hear anything back, that meant the film didn’t get chosen. Between May 7 and May 30, Molly and Seth argued constantly about Seth’s future career.

  Molly was really pushing Seth to go to college for the culinary arts. She was pushing him because Maude continually harped on her, and Molly unwillingly started giving in to her sister. After everything Molly and Seth had been through these past months, Molly wanted to make the relationship work. She didn’t just want to walk away, not on Seth.

  On June 6 Seth and Molly were sitting out back at Seth’s house just after another argument, when the back door slowly opened. Mr. Zimmer joined them at the table. Seth stared at his father with narrowed, angry eyes. He knew his father way too well. He was definitely up to something.

  Things between Seth and his father weren’t the best. Mr. Zimmer was pretty much a child trapped in a 63-year-old body. In other words, he was immature and absolutely loved playing mind games. He enjoyed causing big trouble for people. He got some sort of pleasure out of it.

  When Seth’s father sat, Seth got up. He grabbed his and Molly’s glasses. “Would you like a refill?”

  “Please, babe.”

  Seth smiled at Molly and walked inside.

  “Beautiful day!” Molly said to Mr. Zimmer.

  “Sure is.” Mr. Zimmer sat up and moved closer to Molly. “Mrs. Zimmer and I can’t thank you enough.”

  “For what?”

  “For dating our son. You must really love him.”

  Molly smiled. “I sure do.”

  “Seth was so depressed, so unhappy for years after his first relationship ended, we never thought we’d get him back.”<
br />
  “That would wreak havoc on a parent, sure, I can see that.”

  “So, Molly. I hear you actually got Seth off his ass and took him to the college the other day, to inquire about a culinary course.”

  “Sure did. It’s just, at the risk of sounding like a nagging wife, I don’t mind Seth doing his filmmaking business as a hobby or on the side. But what he needs is steady income. He’s a great chef and baker, and I’m trying hard to show him that in order to make this relationship work properly, he has to contribute more than love, charm, kindness and creativity.”

  “I totally agree with you, but I also have to wish you the best of luck.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Mr. Zimmer smiled deviously. “Because with Seth, you really have to kick his ass to get him to do anything.”

  “Really? I haven’t noticed that.”

  Mr. Zimmer chuckled. “Just you wait; you will. Seth is still trying to impress you, he’s still in his ‘woo her’ state.”

  The back door opened and Seth exited the house. “Here you go.” He handed her a glass of iced tea. Seth sat beside Molly.

  Mr. Zimmer looked at Seth deviously before getting up. “Well, I’ve had enough of this heat. I’m going back into the air conditioning.”

  Suddenly Molly received a text message from Maude. You, me, the club tonight. I’m not taking no for an answer. I will come by and drag you out of Seth’s house if I have to. Come home now to get ready.

  Molly sighed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to go. My sister wants to hang out before she goes back home.” Molly could tell Seth was a little disappointed, but being the respectful, understanding person he was, Seth nodded.

  “Okay, you need sister time, that’s fine.” When Molly pulled into the driveway of her grandparents’ house, there was a brand-new Mercedes parked behind Maude’s 2013 black Nissan.

  For a moment she thought she pulled into the wrong driveway, but then she saw Maude looking through the screen door.

  Maude ran to Molly’s vehicle and opened the door.

  “Whose Mercedes is that?”

  “It belongs to someone I really want you to meet!”

  They entered the house. Maude led Molly up to the sitting room. There, sitting on an old 1940s chair, was the sexiest man Molly had ever seen.