invited me.” She says, “I hope that’s fine with you all. I don’t want to intrude on your family dinner.”
“Nonsense. It’s lovely to have you.” Harry says, “Right boys?”
Both smile and nod and mumble uh-huhs.
“Thanks.” Jade smiles and goes back to finish washing her hands.
“Dinner is on the table everyone!” Mom calls from the dining room and we all file in. I take a deep breath before showing Jade to a seat. Here we go.
Dinner goes well. In fact, I am surprised at how smooth it carries on. All that’s left is dessert and I can’t imagine the past hour being ruined in fifteen minutes.
“Give me some of that sweetness, sugar.” Wade bangs his fork on the plate. Maybe I’m wrong. I’m surrounded by savages.
“Sure, Darlin’.” Mom pulls out a spatula and begins carving out a slice of the apple pie. “There is nothing as sweet as apple pie,” she pauses while she deposits a piece of pie on Wade’s plate, “apple pie and Eskimo kisses.” She smiles. Mom and Dad always gave each other Eskimo kisses when they made up after a fight. Then, it seemed ridiculous, now it’s a prized memory.
“Eskimo kisses?” I look up at Jade’s question. She looks confused.
“Eskimo kisses.” Mom declares happily.
Jade pinches her eyebrows together, “What’s different about how Eskimos kiss?”
“You don’t know what they are?” Mom’s shock seems as if the lack of knowledge of Eskimo kisses is a small sin requiring penance.
Jade shakes her head. She leans in with raised eyebrows and waits for mom to divulge the mystery. I smirk to myself. This is ridiculous.
“Well,” Mom smiles, “you bump your nose with someone else’s…”
Jade’s eyes widen, “Oh! Like this—” she grabs my chin and pulls me toward her. She bumps the tip of my nose with hers in a short, abrupt, and slightly painful motion. I grab my nose in defense.
My mom giggles. Harry let outs a bellowing laugh, “No one would look forward to that.”
Jade slightly purses her lip, eyes still wide, her whole face washed over by a hint of embarrassment. It’s one of her rare vulnerable moment and I cherish it. She looks like she needs to be hand-held while discovering the world… and I want to be her guide.
“No, no, no,” my mom manages between giggles. “Connor, show her.”
I’m paralyzed, eyes wide. Initiate closeness? I can barely look Jade in the eyes. The room goes quiet, awkward. Jade peers at me, waiting.
Silence.
“Uh,” I finally say, but even that one syllable breaks.
“C’mon Connor,” Wade moans.
“Yeah. Show me.” Jade chirps.
I nod dutifully like a good southern boy should. I lean in closer to her face, our noses side-by-side, our lips only a tiny space apart from each other. I quickly, but gently brush my nose across each side of hers and sit up, never before exhibiting such perfect posture.
“Yes. Like that.” Mom says, “Perhaps a little more kindly, a bit more finesse, but yes, like that.”
“So like this?” Jade cups my chin again, but leans in slowly, thoughtfully. All I can think about is how her lips seem to be descending on mine, but then she turns her head slightly and brushes her nose against mine softly – one, two, three, four times. It’s prolonged. And sweet. I hold my breath so when she releases me, I let out a small gasp – horrifyingly loud enough for everyone to hear. I can already hear the laughter before it finally collides with the air and I want to disappear under the hardwood floor.
“Very good,” Wade chides, “Well that is as far as Connor will get to losing his virginity. I’m not sure he could survive pretty ol’ Jade here asking him how to butterfly kiss. Maybe, in a few more years, our boy here will be a man.” He slaps me on the shoulder. I despise him. I wish I could turn his apple pie into strawberry shortcake so he would break out in hives from the allergic reaction.
Jade’s eyes shoot up inquisitively and I can almost make out her
“Nonsense. It’s lovely to have you.” Harry says, “Right boys?”
Both smile and nod and mumble uh-huhs.
“Thanks.” Jade smiles and goes back to finish washing her hands.
“Dinner is on the table everyone!” Mom calls from the dining room and we all file in. I take a deep breath before showing Jade to a seat. Here we go.
Dinner goes well. In fact, I am surprised at how smooth it carries on. All that’s left is dessert and I can’t imagine the past hour being ruined in fifteen minutes.
“Give me some of that sweetness, sugar.” Wade bangs his fork on the plate. Maybe I’m wrong. I’m surrounded by savages.
“Sure, Darlin’.” Mom pulls out a spatula and begins carving out a slice of the apple pie. “There is nothing as sweet as apple pie,” she pauses while she deposits a piece of pie on Wade’s plate, “apple pie and Eskimo kisses.” She smiles. Mom and Dad always gave each other Eskimo kisses when they made up after a fight. Then, it seemed ridiculous, now it’s a prized memory.
“Eskimo kisses?” I look up at Jade’s question. She looks confused.
“Eskimo kisses.” Mom declares happily.
Jade pinches her eyebrows together, “What’s different about how Eskimos kiss?”
“You don’t know what they are?” Mom’s shock seems as if the lack of knowledge of Eskimo kisses is a small sin requiring penance.
Jade shakes her head. She leans in with raised eyebrows and waits for mom to divulge the mystery. I smirk to myself. This is ridiculous.
“Well,” Mom smiles, “you bump your nose with someone else’s…”
Jade’s eyes widen, “Oh! Like this—” she grabs my chin and pulls me toward her. She bumps the tip of my nose with hers in a short, abrupt, and slightly painful motion. I grab my nose in defense.
My mom giggles. Harry let outs a bellowing laugh, “No one would look forward to that.”
Jade slightly purses her lip, eyes still wide, her whole face washed over by a hint of embarrassment. It’s one of her rare vulnerable moment and I cherish it. She looks like she needs to be hand-held while discovering the world… and I want to be her guide.
“No, no, no,” my mom manages between giggles. “Connor, show her.”
I’m paralyzed, eyes wide. Initiate closeness? I can barely look Jade in the eyes. The room goes quiet, awkward. Jade peers at me, waiting.
Silence.
“Uh,” I finally say, but even that one syllable breaks.
“C’mon Connor,” Wade moans.
“Yeah. Show me.” Jade chirps.
I nod dutifully like a good southern boy should. I lean in closer to her face, our noses side-by-side, our lips only a tiny space apart from each other. I quickly, but gently brush my nose across each side of hers and sit up, never before exhibiting such perfect posture.
“Yes. Like that.” Mom says, “Perhaps a little more kindly, a bit more finesse, but yes, like that.”
“So like this?” Jade cups my chin again, but leans in slowly, thoughtfully. All I can think about is how her lips seem to be descending on mine, but then she turns her head slightly and brushes her nose against mine softly – one, two, three, four times. It’s prolonged. And sweet. I hold my breath so when she releases me, I let out a small gasp – horrifyingly loud enough for everyone to hear. I can already hear the laughter before it finally collides with the air and I want to disappear under the hardwood floor.
“Very good,” Wade chides, “Well that is as far as Connor will get to losing his virginity. I’m not sure he could survive pretty ol’ Jade here asking him how to butterfly kiss. Maybe, in a few more years, our boy here will be a man.” He slaps me on the shoulder. I despise him. I wish I could turn his apple pie into strawberry shortcake so he would break out in hives from the allergic reaction.
Jade’s eyes shoot up inquisitively and I can almost make out her
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