by J. D. Rivera
“Of course I am! Let’s not ask silly questions like that.” He chuckled.
My dad and I talked for the full thirty minutes before he had to leave. We kept the conversation light, which was exactly what I needed. I really wished my dad could stay too, but he had to work. It would be nice spending some quality time with my mother, though.
A short time later, my mother woke up and started putting on her makeup in the bathroom. “What would you like to do today, dear?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we could go get a pedicure.” My toes looked fine. I just wanted to soak up the massage chair.
“That sounds wonderful. I’ll want my toes to look good for when your father and I go to Destin in two weeks.”
I had totally forgotten, but I wasn’t about to admit it. “Of course.”
The ride to the nail salon was comfortable. I got to drive, and we didn’t really talk about me. Instead, my mom gave me all the gossip on my high school classmates. “Would you believe Rebecca Johnson is marrying Robbie Harper? Her mother has been having a fit! He couldn’t keep himself out of juvenile hall during high school. I think her main concern is her grandchildren acting just like he did, growing up.”
“Wow, Mom, that is crazy. She was such a hateful person back in high school. I wonder if she has gotten a little nicer? He may have been in and out of juvie, but he was always really nice.”
My mother smiled at me. “I’m sure she can’t get anyone else. Nobody wants to marry a bitch.” She gave a little nod.
I couldn’t help but laugh. My mother wouldn’t even say ‘Shut up’. She said it was disrespectful.
I pulled into the nail salon lot and parked. “Do you know what color you want?”
We eased out of the car and met up at the front of the car. “I think I want something sassy. Maybe purple or bright pink.”
I showed her my pink toenails. “Something like this?”
“Oh yes. Just like that. Flowers and all.”
As the massage chairs were relaxing our bodies and the nail technicians were painting our toes, my mom asked, “So, how has the pregnancy been so far?”
“It’s been okay. In the beginning, it was rough. I had severe morning sickness but I thought it was a stomach virus. I found out I was pregnant because I went to the health clinic on campus to get medication.”
“Are you still feeling bad?” She sounded concerned. It had to be hard for her, being so far away and not knowing what was happening with her kids.
“I’m feeling great now. I have my energy back, but I’m eating like a pig. I could eat ice cream all day long.”
“Any weird cravings? I always wanted fried pickles when I was pregnant with you and Chris.”
“Nothing weird, really. I do like putting cheese puffs in my ice cream. The salty and sweet is so good.”
“Honey, that is gross. Definitely a weird pregnancy craving.” She looked disgusted.
I couldn’t help but start laughing.
The nail lady grabbed my leg to stop it from moving.
“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry,” I apologized.
She just huffed and started painting my toes again.
By the time we left the nail salon, it was late, and we grabbed something to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. Afterwards, my mom suggested I take her back to the hotel so we could both get a good night’s sleep. Apparently, she wanted to shop all day the next day.
After I dropped her off and as I was driving back to Jen’s apartment, my phone rang. It was Cooper.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hey, Em. Am I calling at a bad time?”
“No, it’s fine. I just dropped my mom off at the hotel, and I’m driving back to the apartment.”
“Okay. Look, I just wanted to apologize for asking your mom to stay here. I was out of line.”
I sighed. “It’s okay, Cooper. I was mad earlier, but I’m fine now. Look, I’m at Jen’s. Can we talk later? I am exhausted.”
“Sure. I’ll call you later about setting up some houses to look at.”
“Okay but not too many. I want to spend as much time as I can with my mom before she leaves.”
“I’ll just set up a few. Again, I’m really sorry, Emily.”
“Oh, Cooper? I almost forgot. I have another doctor appointment on Monday. Do you want to come?”
“Of course. What time?”
“It’s at one, I believe.”
“Okay. Do you want me to pick you up?”
“That would be great. Bye, Cooper,” I said to rush the conversation to a close. If I let myself, I could stay on the phone with him all night.
“Bye, Em.”
I disconnected the phone. Opening the car door, I noticed that Jen’s car wasn’t home. I was kind of glad. I’d had enough talking for one day. I just wanted to crash for the night.
The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. It was the first time I’d slept well in Jen’s uncomfortable spare bed.
I took a quick shower and pulled my hair into a ponytail. I threw on a T-shirt and jeans, not even bothering to look in the mirror. I was showered and completely dressed in under twenty minutes. That could almost be a personal record for me.
Upon arriving at my mom’s hotel room, I knocked once. She opened the door looking amazing in the cutest shirt and capri pants. I wanted to steal her glittery flip-flops, but our feet were not the same size. I felt frumpy compared to my mother. I should have expected that; she was always trendy.
“You look good, dear.” She gave me a hug.
I could look as though I just got hit by a tornado, and my mother would say the same thing. “Thanks, Mom. You look great too. Ready to go?”
“Yep. Just let me grab my purse.” She grabbed her purse from the bed then quickly walked out the door, letting it shut and lock behind her.
We drove to one of the bigger malls. My mother insisted we go in almost every store.
By that afternoon, as we approached the food court, I was tired and thirsty. “Hey Mom, I’m just going to grab me a water. You want anything?”
“A water would be great. I’ll go find us a table to rest at.”
I paid for two bottled waters and took them over to where my mom had sat down. I put one bottle in front of her as my phone pinged in my pocket. I pulled it out checked the screen; the text was from Ben.
Ben: We still good for tonight?
Me: yes.
I must’ve been making a depressed face because my mother asked, “You want to talk about it?”
I looked up at her. “Talk about what?”
“Whatever that message was about. I know you. Something is wrong.”
Tears started stinging my eyes. I closed them, trying to push the tears away, but instead they seeped out down my cheeks. I shook my head no.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
I opened my eyes to look at my mother. I had to tell her the complete truth. I couldn’t keep something like this from her. “Cooper and I broke up,” was all I could get out before the tears came in full force.
“What? Just now?” she asked, sounding confused.
“No. We broke up a while ago.”
I could see the worry creeping onto her face. “Is the baby Cooper’s? Did you cheat on him and get pregnant with some other guy?”
I almost wanted to cry some more. “No, Mom. We just had some issues and we broke up. The baby is Cooper’s. I’m not a whore, Mom.”
“Sorry. I know you aren’t. Although… everyone makes mistakes. That wouldn’t make you a whore.”
Could my mom be any better? She was the most understanding person I knew.
“So, where have you been living? You know your dad and I would help you with a place to live, had we known.”
“I know, Mom. I’ve been staying with Jen in her extra bedroom. I wanted to tell you but I wanted to have everything figured out before I told you. Which I still don’t, but I couldn’t keep it from you any longer.”
“Well, why don’t we go apar
tment shopping tomorrow?”
“The part about Cooper and me getting a house is true. We’ll get a three bedroom and live as roommates. This way, we can still raise the baby together.”
“That’s a good idea, but what about when you start dating again?”
Do I keep the part about me already dating Ben a secret, or should I tell her? I looked around the food court for inspiration, but of course none came.
I decided I needed to be completely honest. “Well, um, that sort of has already happened. I’m kind of dating another guy from one of my classes. We actually have a date tonight.”
My mom’s mouth dropped open a bit, and she looked shocked. I bit the inside of my cheek while waiting her to figure out what to say.
I finally couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Mom, please say something. I know it looks bad but I need to keep my distance from Cooper. I’m pretty sure the guy will dump me when I start showing.”
“You know that if he gives you a STD, you can give it to the baby,” my mom stated, sounding crazed.
“Mom, oh my gosh, no. I’m not going to sleep with the guy. I’m not that type of girl. I just need to tell myself that I have a boyfriend so I don’t run back to Cooper.”
My mom closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I’m not even going to try and understand you right now, Emily. You are an adult, and I am here if you need me. Just for the record, I think Cooper is a great guy, and I’d love to see the two of you back together.”
I stood up. “Thanks for the support, Mom. We’d better get going. I have to get ready for my date.”
A short while later, I had dropped my mom off at the hotel and was feeling better. It felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders, since telling my mom the complete truth. I knew she wasn’t happy with my choices regarding Ben, but she didn’t make me feel like an idiot or a child.
Back at Jen’s apartment, I burst through the door, racing toward my bedroom. I riffled through my closet until I found a cute yellow sundress. It would look cute with pink flip-flops and my hair pulled to the side in a low ponytail. I showered and quickly shaved my legs. I hadn’t worried about shaving my legs since I had spent the day at the pool with him. I didn’t really care about how gross it was.
I was putting on my makeup when I got a text from Ben.
Ben: Leaving my house. Be there in 15.
Me: Okay. I’ll be ready.
I had just finished styling my hair when the doorbell rang. I walked down the hall, taking deep breaths to steady myself. I wasn’t sure why I was nervous; it wasn’t as if it was the first time we’d been out together. Maybe it’s because this is the first official date.
I opened the door to find a flawless Ben. He was dressed in loose ripped-up jeans and a button-down shirt. The only thing wrong with him was… He isn’t Cooper.
I pushed thoughts of Cooper out of my mind. “Come in.” I stepped aside.
Ben gave me a kiss on the cheek as he stepped by me. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight.”
I looked down at the floor, feeling…ashamed, embarrassed, I wasn’t really sure. “Thank you. You look very handsome.” After saying that, I was finally able to look up at him.
“You ready to go? I thought that maybe we could have a late night picnic in the park.”
“Which park?” I blurted, hoping it wasn’t Cooper and I’s park.
“It’s just a small neighborhood park, close to my house.”
“That sounds wonderful.” I said, instantly relieved.
We were walking from the parking spaces to the park when Ben said, “I’m not really counting any of those times we hung out as a date. This is our first date—to me, at least. I’m really glad you decided to give us a try.”
I just nodded, not knowing how else to respond. I wasn’t really giving ‘us’ a try. I knew we wouldn’t make it. I was in love with someone else. I was looking at ‘us’ as an experiment for both of us.
As we walked up to a small hill, he stopped and removed the blanket from under his arm. “I think this is a nice spot.”
It was lovely, but the real beauty was the sky. The park was located at the edge of town, where there weren’t as many lights, and the night sky was lit up with millions of stars. I gazed up at them. “It’s breathtaking.”
“It is.” He said but when I looked at him, he was staring right at me.
Uncomfortable, I took the picnic basket out of his hand, trying to ignore his sweet comment. We sat down, and I unloaded the basket. He had brought a ton of fruit, cheeses, deli meats, yummy bread, and ginger ale accompanied with two champagne glasses. I had to laugh at that one.
“I figured since you can’t drink the real stuff, ginger ale would be a nice substitute,” he explained.
“Thank you. This is all very nice. I love it.” I said as I grabbed a strawberry.
“I’m glad. I wanted to make an impression on you.”
“Oh, did you now?” I took a bite of strawberry. Juice ran down my face, but I quickly wiped it away.
“Yes, I did.”
We fell into an easy conversation, covering random things about ourselves that we hadn’t already discussed.
I was using Ben’s arm as a pillow as we lay in silence staring at the stars. I felt his head turn, and he brushed some hair out of my face.
He leaned over me, his gaze darting between my eyes and my lips. “I’d really like to kiss you, Emily. Is that okay?”
Was that okay with me? I wasn’t really sure, but saying no to the guy I was dating seemed wrong. I nodded.
He leaned down, giving me soft kisses. As my eyelids fluttered shut, I tried to make the most of his kisses. He wasn’t a bad kisser; he just wasn’t Cooper. I tried to push thoughts of Cooper away and enjoy that a hot guy was kissing me.
After we pulled up at the apartment, he threw the car in park and hopped out. I started to open my door, but he grabbed it and opened it the rest of the way for me.
“Oh. Thank you.” I got up out of the car.
“You’re welcome,” he said. We started walking toward my door. “I had a really nice time tonight. Will there be a repeat?”
“I had a nice time tonight too. A repeat would be great.” I slid the key into the deadbolt and turned. I opened the door, then turned to face him
He leaned in, giving me one more kiss good night. I opened my eyes, and we both stared at each other.
“Good night, Ben.”
“Good night, Emily.”
Banging on the front door woke me up. I immediately jumped out of bed, wearing my usual nightclothes of a huge T-shirt and panties. I scrambled around until I found some shorts. I quickly pulled them on and rushed to the door. I didn’t even check to see who it was.
My mom and Chris were standing at the front door.
“Hey. What is going on? Why are you two banging on my door?”
He pushed past me. “Well, since Mom is in town, I wanted to spend some time with her too.” He dropped on the couch. “Mom wants to go check out some museum.”
Mom came in and sat in a chair. “I thought it would be fun for the three of us to spend some quality time together, and it’s been ages since we all went to a museum. Probably since y’all were in elementary school.”
I walked over to the couch to sit beside Chris. “Okay. Which museum do you want to go to?”
“Oh, I don’t really care. Just pick one.” She said with a grin.
I picked the science museum. There is a ton of different things to do there. I could escape my life and have fun with all of the different exhibits.
Much to my amazement, the science museum wasn’t full. That must’ve been because it was a Tuesday morning. I immediately started looking around at all of the different things for us to do. I could tell Chris would have rather gouged his own eyes out than be here; he was constantly checking his phone. My mom looked happy but not really impressed with the museum. I found an exhibit that demonstrated how an earthquake was supposed to feel and ho
pped on it and left Chris and my mom behind.
When I found my mom again, she was staring at a family of four, watching how the family interacted with each other. “Look at that family. I love seeing the father playing with his two kids.”
Oh. Now I got why we came to a museum. She wanted me to be around families so I could see what I would will be missing by not being together with Cooper.
“Mom, what are you trying to say exactly?” I wanted her to admit why we were there.
She smiled. “I’m not saying anything, honey. I’m just observing that cute family.”
I couldn’t bring myself to look over at the family. Instead, I walked over to the echo tube and screamed into it. I figured I’d just let my frustrations out that way. I listened to my echoing screams and then repeated, four maybe five times. I felt much better afterwards.
We made it home by three o’clock. My mom stayed to watch a movie with me, while Chris couldn’t leave fast enough. We settled on the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Every time we watch the scene where the girl talks to her old dog in the coon dog cemetery, both my mom and I turn into blubbering messes. I don’t understand why I cry at that part every single time, even though I’ve watched the movie probably twenty times.
It was times like that one when I loved being around my mom, Just being around her and not having to talk. It comforted me on some level.
After the movie was over, we commented on the movie, and I took her back to the hotel. On the way there, she didn’t try to talk me into taking Cooper back; we just made comments about the movie. After I dropped her off, I was just driving around, wondering what to do, when I saw Chris, Cooper and two girls leaving a restaurant. My heart sank. This must be how Cooper felt when he saw Ben and me talking at graduation.
I was stopped at a red light and watched them walk across the parking lot together. One of the girls kept talking to Cooper, but he was looking straight ahead. It didn’t even look as if he wanted to talk to her, but I couldn’t know for sure. I knew he would move on eventually, but it was really hard to watch even if I was the one that had caused it.
