It's a Match!

by Zoë Marshall

  Exhausted from the drive, Sutton decided to bring her stuff in later. She opened the door, and walked through the arcade and up the stairs to her bedroom on the fourth floor. She figured her parents were in the living room, where they always were—but not this time. Sutton was surprised and horrified to see her parents sitting on her bed. She couldn’t read their expressions, but they certainly didn’t look like parents who were excited to see their daughter.

  “Please sit, Sutton,” Scott said sternly.

  “Nice to see you guys too, but I’ll stand, thanks.”

  “We have something to talk to you about,” Justine added.

  “What is it this time?” Sutton’s patience had already worn thin. She thought she might at least have gotten a hug and a nice to see you.

  “Your mother and I thought about it and decided it might be best for you to stay somewhere else during the next few weeks when you’ll be home.”

  “You have got to be kidding me. Why?”

  “You decided to go off on your own and completely disregard our wishes,” Justine continued.

  “What about my wishes?”

  “Irrelevant,” Scott said, in a cold tone.

  “Honey, we just think that as long as you aren’t valuing our help, it’s best you remain independent,” Justine said.

  “Where am I supposed to stay?”

  “You will figure it out,” Scott replied.

  “Get out of my room.”

  “Maybe we can do dinner around Christmas time,” Justine added, in an attempt to appear genuine.

  “Yeah … maybe. Can I at least stay here for a few minutes to figure out what I’m going to do?”

  “Of course,” Scott responded, as if they were doing her a huge favor.

  Sutton’s parents left and closed the door behind them. Tears escaped her eyes as she pulled out her phone to call the one person she knew could make this better.

  Cole’s phone rang several times before he answered. “Hi, Sutton.”

  “Hey.”

  There was a minute of silence before Cole attempted to break the ice. “How have you been?”

  “Okay,” Sutton replied softly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I just got home and my parents informed me that I won’t be welcome here during winter break.”

  “Why on earth would they say that?”

  “You know my parents … disapproval and all that.” Sutton walked over to her bed and laid down on her side, curling up into a ball.

  “I’m so sorry. You’ll come stay with us.”

  “I don’t want to get in the way of your time with your dad.” Sutton hated imposing on people.

  “Nonsense. We have a lot of catching up to do anyway.”

  “Are you home now?” Sutton asked, anxious to get out of her former home.

  “Yeah, we’re about to have a late dinner. My dad actually got a Foreman grill while I was away and apparently has been perfecting his burger recipe.”

  “That sounds great.” Sutton paused for a moment, overwhelmed with emotions. “Hey, Cole … thank you.”

  “That’s what best friends are for.”

  It didn’t even seem like they were best friends anymore—the distance between them was so vast—but Sutton was still very much looking forward to seeing him. “I’ll be over shortly.”

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  SUTTON CRIED ON the drive over, and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot when she arrived at Cole’s door. He opened it after a couple of knocks and they stood staring at each other. He looked at her sympathetically and pulled her in for a hug. The moment his arms were wrapped around her, it was as if no time had passed. She felt a wave of relief wash over her.

  As they released from the embrace, Sutton walked inside and looked around at the little house. It was perfect. It was decorated with strings of multicolored Christmas lights and they even had a small tree, which was covered in tiny ornaments: bells and reindeer and bright plastic candy canes no bigger than her pinkie—all of them still shiny and new. Obviously Ralph had wanted to make this first Christmas break special for Cole. “It smells great in here. Ralph has apparently stepped up his kitchen game.”

  “Well, we haven’t tasted it yet,” Cole replied, with a laugh.

  “I’m sure it will be great.”

  “Is that Sutton I hear?” Ralph shouted from the kitchen.

  “Yes, Mr. Hansen!”

  She walked over to the kitchen and found Ralph wearing a San Francisco Giants apron, covered in splatters of some sort of grease. He rushed over and gave her a hug. “It’s good to see you, kiddo.”

  “Good to see you, too,” Sutton replied, smiling warmly.

  “Cole explained your … situation to me, and I want you to know you are more than welcome here for as long as you need. I turned the garage into a kind of guest room, so you’ll have your own space. We don’t want you sleeping on the couch the whole time. I want you to feel at home.”

  Sutton felt a twinge of sadness as she heard the word home. She barely even knew what the word meant. She wasn’t sure she had ever truly felt at home in her life. Home, to her, was supposed to be about the people you shared the space with, not about the actual house itself. And she’d certainly never felt at home with her parents.

  “Thank you, Mr. Hansen.”

  “And stop calling me Mr. Hansen. It’s Ralph to you.”

  “Okay, thank you, Ralph.”

  “No need to thank me. We’re family. Now, are you ready for my burger masterpiece?”

  “I can’t wait.” And Sutton really couldn’t. It was everything she wanted at that moment.

  They sat down at the small dining table and Ralph brought out a plate of burgers. He set it next to a plate of buns and several bottles of condiments. Sutton was starving. She excitedly put a burger together and took a bite. The burger was so overcooked it was basically a hockey puck. She forced it down and said, “Delicious.”

  Cole looked at Sutton, his facial expression displaying a similar reaction. “Yeah, dad. It’s great.”

  “I told you I was going to perfect my cooking skills while you were away,” Ralph replied proudly. “So, tell me about college, Sutton. Are you enjoying it?”

  “Yeah, it’s fun. It’s different, but a good kind of different.”

  “That’s good to hear. How’s your roommate?”

  “I adore her.”

  “That’s great,” Ralph replied, with a full mouth.

  Sutton smiled and forced down another bite.

  “Hey dad, did you meet anybody special while I was away?” Cole asked, sounding anxious to figure out what his father had been up to and if he had followed through with his promise to try to move on.

  Ralph looked down at his plate and was silent for a moment. “No, no one special. There was the one lady at the grocery store, but it turned out she was just being friendly because she works there.”

  “Oh,” Cole replied. It didn’t seem he knew what to say in respond to that.

  “It’s all right, I’ll be just fine.”

  Sutton knew Cole didn’t want his father to be lonely. It killed him inside. He cared about his dad more than anybody. She really hoped Cole believed what Ralph was saying.

  The three of them talked about football and their classes as they finished dinner. After they were done eating, Sutton cleared the plates and began to clean up.

  “You don’t need to do that, dear. You guys go have fun. I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do.”

  And they did. Neither of them had any idea what the other was doing. Both Cole and Sutton had had both a new relationship and breakup without the other knowing. They had been as far away as ever, both physically and emotionally. And they both wondered if they would ever mend their distant friendship.

  Sutton sat down on Cole’s bed and broke the ice. “So, what have you been up to?”

  “Just focusing on football and stuff. And….” Cole hesitated for a moment, then continued, “I h
ad a girlfriend.”

  This took Sutton by surprise and she wasn’t sure why. “Had?”

  “Yeah, it didn’t really work out.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Cole sat down next to Sutton. “Honestly, I’m not really sure. She was pretty perfect. Maybe that was the problem.”

  “I had a similar issue. I actually had a boyfriend as well.”

  “Oh yeah?” Cole asked, raising his eyebrows. “What happened there?”

  “It just wasn’t a good … fit.”

  “Looks like we missed quite a bit in each other’s lives. Look, Sutt—”

  “I know,” Sutton interrupted. She didn’t need Cole to say a word. She already knew what he was going to say. “I guess we just needed a bit of distance,” she added.

  Cole put his head down and spoke slowly, “Yeah … I guess so.”

  “So….” Sutton attempted to change the awkward subject. “What did you want to do tonight?”

  “It’s been a long day. Maybe something mellow?”

  “That sounds perfect. Want to go see a movie or something?”

  “I’d like that. It’s really good to see you again.”

  “It’s really good to see you, too,” Sutton replied, as she felt a giant weight lifting.

  IT WAS CHRISTMAS Eve, and Ralph was cooking quite the feast. Sutton and Cole were a little nervous about it, but were fully prepared to suck it up and enjoy whatever masterpiece he was throwing together.

  Sutton hadn’t spoken to her parents since she got home. It was eating her up inside, but she refused to be the first to call. They had kicked her out, and for no good reason, in her opinion. She wasn’t ready to forgive them. It was just extra hard for her because of the holiday. Christmas had always been Sutton’s favorite holiday. Their Christmas meals were incredible. And they would always sit around the fire and open their giant mounds of presents, while listening to Christmas carols and sipping the eggnog Sutton’s parents allowed both her and her brother to drink.

  Sutton hadn’t talked to Grant, either. They hadn’t even texted each other, but she got the feeling he wouldn’t be interested in seeing her anyway. She didn’t know what she would have done without Ralph and Cole. They had become the family she never truly had. And it made her realize how phony her whole life had been. To the outside world, Sutton’s family was perfect. Refined, wealthy, successful, happy…But appearances could be deceiving. And deceit was really all she knew when it came to family.

  Sutton heard her phone and excused herself from the living room. She walked to the garage and sat on the couch. Her heart skipped a beat and she froze in place as she read the text:

  Hi Sutton. I assume you’re home for break. I was hoping we could meet up for a bit.

  Sutton’s stomach dropped and her hands began to shake. It was Aiden.

  What could he possibly want? Sutton’s head spun. There were so many things she had been aching to say to him for months, but she also wanted to close that chapter of her life. And she thought she had, but her racing heart was saying otherwise.

  Sutton’s response was straight and to the point.

  Why?

  I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and I have realized there were a lot of things I should’ve said … or done … differently.

  It doesn’t matter now. We’ve moved on.

  I know, but I think we could maybe get a bit more closure.

  Sutton was torn. Wasn’t this all she had wanted, for him to realize his mistakes? She wondered if this maybe meant that he had cared all along and she wasn’t sure she was prepared for that. She didn’t want him back. She wouldn’t. But her heart did still ache upon occasion, so maybe this could bring a bit of relief.

  Sutton was not ready to make that decision just yet.

  Maybe after Christmas.

  Just let me know. I’ll be around.

  Merry Christmas, Aiden.

  Same to you.

  Sutton stared at her phone for a moment, reading the texts over and over, wondering how Cole would react to her considering going to see Aiden. Surely, he wouldn’t be happy about it. He was protective, and he probably wouldn’t see any good coming out of it.

  Sutton decided to wait to talk to Cole about it. She would just enjoy the next couple of days with Ralph and Cole and worry about this later. It would at least give her some time to decide if she even wanted to see Aiden.

  There was a knock at the door and before Sutton could answer, Cole walked in the room. “Hey, what are you doing in here? My dad just put out an atrocious appetizer. I can’t even tell what it is. I think ham is involved. You don’t want to miss it.”

  “Okay, I was just checking a voicemail.” Sutton hated lying to Cole, but she just needed a little more time. There would be no reason to even tell him about it if she ended up deciding not to go talk to Aiden. It would only upset Cole, and she didn’t want to do that if it wasn’t necessary.

  Sutton followed him back to the living room and stared at the plate Ralph had presented. It appeared to be ham wrapped in … was that seaweed?

  “I call it … the sea ham experience,” Ralph said with a smile. He seemed incredibly proud.

  “It looks really good,” Sutton lied. She picked one of the pieces up and examined it closely. This was quite different than the bacon-wrapped scallops and goat cheese croquettes she was used to. She took a bite and discovered that, strangely, it was surprisingly delicious. Thank god she didn’t have to lie to Ralph, as she had to Cole. “Mmm…. It’s great Ralph. Thank you.”

  “I’m very pleased that you like it,” Ralph replied, beaming.

  “Yeah,” Cole said. “Who would’ve thought seaweed and ham would go together?”

  Sutton was shocked that Cole liked it. He hated anything that came from the sea. And ham, for that matter. She couldn’t help thinking that maybe she didn’t know her best friend at all anymore.

  “The lady at the grocery store told me about it. I thought I’d give it a shot.”

  “Well, we’re glad you did,” Sutton replied with a smile.

  “So, what did you guys want to do tomorrow?” Ralph asked.

  “Can I cook something?” Sutton asked, anxiously. “I miss cooking so much.”

  “Of course, dear,” Ralph replied.

  “But is the grocery store open today?” Cole asked.

  “It’s open tonight until 8. They know people like us wait until the last minute,” Ralph replied with a little laugh. “But it’s closed tomorrow.”

  “Looks like we need to head to the grocery store right after dinner. What do you guys want to eat?” Sutton asked, the wheels already spinning in her head. She hadn’t had access to a real kitchen in months. Sure, it was a much smaller kitchen than she was used to, but she was looking forward to being able to cook again.

  “Chef’s choice. Surprise us,” Cole replied. Sutton could see the joy in his eyes and she was glad to see her best friend happy again.

  SUTTON WAS CLEARING empty dishes off the table after their Christmas feast when Cole announced he was going to go take a shower. Ralph helped Sutton clear the rest of the plates, and sat down next to her.

  “Is something on your mind, Sutton? You seem quieter than usual.”

  Sutton contemplated telling Ralph about Aiden texting her. She’d always felt comfortable with Ralph, and he had been there to see her go through all stages of the whirlwind, rollercoaster relationship.

  “Yeah, I mean … It’s nothing, really,” Sutton replied softly.

  “Spill it.”

  “Okay…. Well, Aiden texted me yesterday,” Sutton said quietly.

  “That guy? I haven’t heard his name in quite a while.”

  “I haven’t really spoken it in quite a while,” Sutton said, twirling her hair, as she often did when she was nervous.

  “What did he want?” Ralph asked, seemingly genuinely interested.

  “Well, he just wants to talk. I’m not sure what about, really. He just said he had been doing some soul-se
arching or something.”

  Ralph simply replied, “Huh.”

  “What do you think that means?” Sutton asked, hoping Ralph would somehow have all the answers she needed.

  “Well … my assumption is that the kid may have actually grown up a bit and wants to apologize.”

  “I was thinking that might be it,” Sutton said. “But what if he ends up saying things I don’t want to hear? What if he tells me he never cared and was cheating on me the whole time we were together?”

  Ralph patted Sutton’s right shoulder. “Honey, Aiden has always been immature and not really known what he wants, but I don’t think he’d be that cold.” Ralph paused as a single tear rolled down Sutton’s cheek. “Are you going to meet up with him?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m really ready for that.”

  “Is anyone ever really ready for anything?” Ralph asked. He paused for a moment before asking, “What does Cole think?”

  “I haven’t told him yet,” Sutton replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

  “And why’s that?”

  Sutton squirmed around in her chair a bit. Truth be told, she wasn’t really sure why she hadn’t told him. “Things have been sort of … tense … with us lately.”

  “I know you guys sort of lost touch for a while there. I think that’s to be expected in your situation.”

  “It’s still sad.”

  “Of course it is,” Ralph replied. “But you guys seem to be back to normal now, right?”

  “Yeah. I guess I should tell him.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. I just think you’ll feel better after talking to him about it.”

  “Thank you, Ralph.”

  “Sure thing, kiddo.”

  IT WAS THE day after Christmas and Sutton was pacing around Cole’s room, contemplating how to tell him that she’d decided to go talk to Aiden. She had thought about it a lot. She had realized that the anger and most of the sadness had faded away over the last few months, and she knew she was ready. She had no idea what she would say to Aiden, but she thought it was probably better that way.