by Kira Adams
“You’re so kind,” she replies, and a giggle escape her lips.
“My, my, I think I just caught a smile,” I exclaim happily.
“Oh, shut up.” She pushes me out of the way and scurries to the bathroom.
She emerged from the covers, and even though her attitude is foul, she is making progress.
Go Kendall.
“Honey, can you peel the potatoes?” my mother asks, fidgeting more than normal.
“Sure.” I walk over to the refrigerator, taking out the bag and grabbing a bowl from the cabinet. “Is everything okay?” I ask, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
“Everything is fine, Madalynne. Your father just called me last minute and asked to come.”
“Here? For Christmas dinner?” I don’t know why, but the words catch in my throat.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?” My mother eyes me.
“No.” I shake my head. “Just surprised, I guess.” Not completely true; it’s more like I’m worried. I hate getting my hopes up about a reunion only to be let down. My emotions are not to be toyed with.
“Me too, but this is his home and it is Christmas—I think it’s the Christian thing to do.”
“Mom, you’re not a practicing Christian.” I chuckle, peeling the potatoes in front of me.
“You don’t have to be, you just need to have faith.” My mother, always the voice of reason. “Will Parker be making an appearance tonight?” she asks, stuffing the turkey.
“After he’s finished opening presents with his family.”
“What college is Parker applying to?” She continues drilling me, attempting to keep the conversation flowing.
It’s one of the first questions about Parker that stumps me. For something so important, we really don’t delve into that subject often, knowing it could make us or break us.
I shrug, keeping myself busy with the potatoes.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit important? Are you two planning on being together after graduation?” My mother’s direct questions are alarming.
“Mom, can we not?” I snap, instantly feeling guilty when her face falls.
“Madalynne, please call your father and ask what time he plans on stopping by.” She won’t even look me in the eyes.
“Mom,” I try.
“Now, Madalynne.” She is closed off, and it is all my fault.
Christmas goes better than anticipated. My parents appear to be getting along and are even smiling. Parker is charming as always and doesn’t fluster under pressure, no matter what difficult questions my mother fires off at him.
“Give the boy a break, Shannon,” my father finally interjects. I shoot him a thankful glance. “He’ll make those decisions when he’s ready.”
Oddly enough, my mother backs off immediately after my father stands up to her.
Parker and I eat more food than we can fathom and then disappear into my room for our gift exchange.
“Was it just me, or were your parents getting along really well?” Parker points out the obvious.
“Not just you…something is definitely up. They aren’t even biting each other’s heads off. I don’t know whether to be happy or worried.”
Parker chuckles and then plants one on me quickly. “Merry Christmas, babe.” He reaches one of his hands into his pocket and pulls out what looks to be a ring box. My heart hammers at my chest.
“Open it,” he urges, his eyes burning holes into me.
I swallow, unsure of its contents, and do what he says. A small diamond ring is staring back at me. My eyes bulge from my head.
“It’s a promise ring,” Parker says, slowing my heartbeat.
“It’s gorgeous.” I take it out of the small box and slip the ring onto my finger, loving the way it looks, the way it feels. “Thank you.” I tilt my chin upward so he can easily kiss me, which he does eagerly.
He pulls away after a moment of bliss. “What did you get me?”
I know it is a conflict of interest, but I wasn’t sure what else to get him, so I went to Gamestop and got the newest versions of Call of Duty and Need for Speed. I pull out the bag and hand him the games. “Rules are still the same—you still are required to spend time with me apart from playing these games.”
“Yes ma’am.” He is basically salivating at the mouth. I know how badly he wanted the two games. I really hit the jackpot.
He sets the bag down and tackles me. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I giggle underneath his frame.
“You’re the best present I could ever ask for,” Parker says, full of cheese.
“Ditto,” I reply, kissing him firmly and deeply. This cheesy man is my dream man. Lucky is an understatement.
“Ewwww. You’re gross! Get a room!” Mason cries out in response to our parents, who can’t keep their hands off one another.
“Seriously, what he said.” As I dish myself up a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes, Mason and I share disgusted looks.
My father starts laughing. “What’s your problem with me loving on your mom a little? Don’t you know that’s how we made you?”
“Oh my God, you’re disgusting.” I pantomime sticking a finger down my throat.
My mother smooths back her hair with a simple smile. “Don’t be dramatic, Maddy.”
“Dramatic? Mason was just as grossed out as I was. This isn’t an isolated incident.”
My father grabs the salad, scooping some onto his plate. “You guys should just be glad your mother and I love each other that much. You two are lucky.”
Mason scoffs. “Sure. Whatever.” He looks at his watch. “Oh, shit. I’m going to be late.”
“Language!” my father barks sternly. He’s not actually mad; he reprimands us for show. If he didn’t, our mother would be the dictator, and she’s scary.
My brother folds his arms across his chest. “Sorry. I told you yesterday I had driver’s ed.”
My mother nods. “Hurry up. If you’re too late, you won’t get to drive.”
“Can I borrow your car?” he asks frantically, already out of his chair and on his feet.
My father chucks his set of keys at Mason. “Take mine.”
“Are you sure?” He’s shocked because my mom’s car is the one they have been preparing him to take once he has his license. They’ve been planning to get her a newer used car soon. My father’s car is a much different style and larger, but driving can’t be much different than riding a bike, right?
15
“Hey! What did I say, mister? No peeking!” Madalynne’s costume for the New Year’s Masquerade Ball arrived, and she isn’t giving me any hints. It’s a new tradition for our high school, yet a timeless one nonetheless.
“Do I even get to know the color? I mean, I still need to coordinate my corsage, don’t I?”
“We’re not going together.” Madalynne chuckles softly.
“We’re not?” That’s news to me.
“What would be the fun in that? We are going to find each other there.”
“That’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” I reply, dumbfounded.
“They say love conquers everything.” Madalynne smiles slyly.
“So, what do I get if I win?” I ask, pulling her into me.
“Aren’t I already prize enough?” Trap, trap—back away slowly!
I press my lips against hers eagerly. “It’s almost time to play ‘Where’s Maddy?’”
She giggles. “I kind of like the sound of that.”
“You would.” I stick my tongue out at her.
The party fills up quickly as I make my entrance, eyes peeled for my girlfriend. The sea of masks is not helping one bit. I walk further into the school auditorium, craning my neck.
There she is.
I recognize her instantly. There, in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by our peers, she is getting jiggy with it.
I stay hidden in the distance. She still hasn’t seen me, but I am taking every inch of her in, letti
ng it soak into my pores.
She’s wearing a long, elegant beige dress with beads woven all over. Her hair has been pulled up into a fancy hairdo, one with a lot of curls. She looks nothing short of stunning.
After I watch her laugh, smile, and dance through three songs with her friends, a slow jam comes on and I begin to make my way toward her familiar frame.
I stop short when I realize one of her friends from earlier, a male, is slowly rocking back and forth with her. It’s not easy to see, but he poses no threat to me. I continue toward them, lightly tapping the guy on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”
He swings around, coming face to face with me, and then slowly backs away, a cowardly move. It’s weird how people respond to me. Some give up before the fight even begins. I wonder if that comes with the privilege of being popular.
I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her into me. She slides her arms around my neck at the same time.
“I win,” I whisper into her ear, a smile plastered across my lips.
“You found me,” she says quietly.
“Of course I found you,” I reply as we sway back and forth. “I would move mountains just to find you.”
She smiles up at me and proceeds to lay her head against my chest, pulling me closer into her.
I love the way it feels when we are together, like we are two pieces of a puzzle finding their places together.
“You wanna get out of here?” I ask, a rebellious streak brewing inside me.
“Yeah, actually, I do.” She looks around. “I just need to let Kendall know I’m leaving—she was my ride. Give me a few?”
I nod, watching her get lost in the sea of people dancing.
It’s not more than fifteen minutes before she returns to my side and we make our great escape. I’m feeling adventurous, so I offer up a drive to the beach. It’s late and dark and, being January, very cold, but Madalynne agrees without much persuasion.
Thankfully, I store extra blankets in the back of my truck because the last thing I want to do is ruin Maddy’s dress or watch her freeze to death.
I spread the blankets out on the sand and then take a seat next to Madalynne, bundling her up in the thicker blanket. I can hear her shivering, her teeth chattering. I can even see our breath when we talk, but the view of the sky is well worth it. For a while we just sit in silence, watching the loud waves crash against the shore.
The sun is glistening off her face just so, and it glows. She rests her head in the crook of my neck, grabbing my hands in hers and squeezing tight to say ‘I love you.’
Her beauty is captivating. All I want to do is take her right here and now, on the sand. I have never wanted her so badly before. But we are both virgins and inexperienced, and I want our first time to be right; I know Madalynne will want it to be perfect. No matter how perfect the moment seems, I refuse to go there.
“Honey, can you set the table please?” my mother asks softly.
“Sure thing, Mama,” I reply, hopping up from the couch and heading to the cabinets to get the dinnerware.
My mother cooked my favorite meal, pot roast, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob, and while I’m stoked to be able to enjoy it, something tells me this dinner is different. My parents have been acting strange all week. They were out late one night, later than normal, and brought home a packet of some sort, but when I asked what they were up to, they swiftly changed the subject. I have a feeling this dinner is going to be the one where they drop the bomb. Not quite sure what kind of explosive they will be dropping, but I know something is up.
After I set the table, my mother dishes out all the food. It’s only the three of us tonight. My seven-year-old sister Gwen is spending the night at a friend’s house, so it is unusually quiet as we eat my mother’s delicious meal.
After about fifteen minutes of silence, my father finally speaks. “Parker, we need to talk to you about something.”
I look up at him cautiously, over my plate. “Yeah?”
“Your mother and I went to see an army recruit the other day,” he replies, in between chews.
“Don’t you think you’re a little late in the game to be joining the army, Pop?” I laugh but stop myself midway, realizing he may not think it’s as funny as I do.
“Son, don’t you think it’s about time you got serious about your future?” my father asks sternly, eyeing me.
I look up at him sheepishly. “Pop, it’s my senior year, and I have less than six months until I graduate. Do you think maybe I could take some time to appreciate the fact that I made it through the last four years before buckling down and getting serious?”
“Parker, I know there is no convincing you to go to college. Your mother and I gave up on that dream long ago. And to be quite honest, the military is the last route we would want you to take—you’re our only son left—but I don’t see any harm in trying to prepare you for the real world. Once you graduate, you are going to have to move out, and without a degree, landing a decent-paying job will be difficult. That’s why your mother and I went to check out an alternative for you.” My father pulls his napkin out from his collar and sets it on the table next to him.
“You’re serious?” I look back and forth between the two of them.
My mother stands quickly, grabbing the mysterious manila envelope I’ve seen them carting around, and then plops it down right in front of me. I open it, slowly, not sure how to feel about this intervention.
I am surprised to find information and brochures on every facet of the military, not solely the army: the reserves, the National Guard, the navy, even the air force.
“The last thing I would want to do is lose you to some war in the Middle East,” my mother says. “But you know your father came from a military family, and we see a lot of honor in fighting for our country, so we support it.” She smiles back at me. “Now, all you have to do is your homework.”
Overwhelmed is an understatement. “May I be excused?”
“Sure honey, I know this is a lot to digest,” my mother replies softly as I slide my chair back and exit the room with the manila folder. I run up the stairs and into my room, closing the door behind me. I drop the folder on my desk without a second glance. I’m honestly not 100% sure how I feel about their suggestion. I mean, sure, I’ve toyed with the idea of joining the military after what had happened with Bo. I forgot how fixated on that dream I had become.
When Mason passed away last April, it halted my plans; I knew the dangers of being in the military, and while I had been prepared to face them, Madalynne was not as prepared to let me. His death shook both our families’ worlds to the core. I was as close to him as humanly possible, but I had to stay strong for Madalynne. His death was almost the complete destruction of our relationship, but I never gave up on her, just like she hadn’t on me. We took it day by day, but eventually we were able to help each other grieve and move on.
I’ve been dating her for three and a half years now, and the idea of leaving her alone to deal with her parents’ crap, especially after all we’ve been through, is unappealing to say the least.
“Dude, what the fuck is up with your girlfriend?” Topher asks, patting me on the back for good measure.
Shrugging, I take a sip of beer. “She marches to the beat of her own drum. I can’t control her.”
Topher looks at me like I have two heads. “Are you kidding? She’s committing social suicide. You know that right?”
“Since when have you cared what anyone else thinks?” Even though he’s a year older than me, he respects me because I challenge him.
“Ciera Nelson, seriously? I’m pretty sure we all care what people will think if they see us with her.”
Shaking my head, I take another drink off the cold can. “One of the reasons I fell for Maddy is because she doesn’t follow the pack. If she wants to be friends with the biggest loser in school, more power to her. At least someone is doing something about it.”
Topher glares back at me. “You’re just sayin
g that because you’re pussy-whipped.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. At the end of the day, you’re letting this affect you more than it should.”
He groans, walking away. While he doesn’t always make the best decisions and isn’t always the nicest, he still has a heart somewhere in there…even if I’m one of the only people who have witnessed it.
16
It’s the oddest thing, but ever since Christmas dinner, my parents have been getting along better than I’ve seen in a long time.
A few weeks after the holiday, my parents announced a plan for my father’s return. It has strangely been smooth sailing.
“Honey, I’m making your favorite,” my mother chirps from the kitchen. “Stuffed green peppers!”
“Yum.” I smile and then turned my attention back to the television. Stuffed green peppers was always Mason’s favorite meal…I just never have the heart to correct my mother. In fact, lately, I’ve been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian. I really like the way it makes me feel when I cut meat out of my diet, healthier, stronger.
There is giggling coming from the kitchen, so I peek my head around the recliner. My mother is standing at the stove and my father’s arms are wrapped around her waist. He is kissing her behind her ear and no doubt whispering sweet nothings to her.
I turn my attention back to the television. My parents have found a way back to each other, and I am happy.
It’s the end of January, and Kendall’s birthday is all I am allowed to focus on. She invited half the student body and chose a Hawaiian luau theme. Her parents must have dropped at least ten thousand dollars.
Even with an insanely expensive party thrown in her honor, she is still hung up on Dylan missing it.
I spend the entire day occupying her mind and time to ensure her birthday is not ruined.
After most everyone has partied themselves out and gone home, I finally get up to leave.
