might need your foot to get around… and having your foot up someone’s ass…”
We laughed and chatted until we could no longer ignore the crusted dishes in front of us. By the time everything had been cleaned and put away, the moon peeked through the clouds. Silence passed between us as we swung on the porch swing.
“I miss them.” It was obvious to whom he referred.
“You want to go visit them tomorrow?”
“I’d like that,” he responded.
“You remember our neighbor’s dog that used to poop and pee on your skateboard every time you left it outside and Mom kept saying you needed to start taking care of your possessions?”
He grunted, annoyed. “Yeah, I hated that mutt.”
“Whatever happened to it?” I asked out of curiosity. “The mutt, I mean.”
“I have no idea.” He emphasized the word no with a bit too much mischief.
“No!” I exclaimed, my hand over my mouth. “Did you, like, kill it or something?” When he didn’t answer, I poked him harder. “Muskles?!”
He chuckled. “No, I just convinced the owner if I ever caught his dog near our house again, he and his dog would be fetching their missing balls.”
“No, you didn’t.” I couldn’t help but laugh, hard. I had tears in my eyes and my stomach hurt. We were interrupted when we heard the doorbell.
“Were you expecting someone?” I asked Joshua, opening the front door, still laughing hard.
I froze in place when I found Dean standing before me, hand running through his hair, with his signature cocky lopsided grin.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as three more people walked up the stairs, talking and laughing.
“Who is it?” Joshua called from the kitchen.
“The Jensens,” I yelled back. I hugged Cassie, Dean’s sister. “What ya doing here so late?” Suddenly, concern hit me like an edgy, creeping thief. “Is everything okay?”
I looked from Cassie to Dean to their parents.
“Everything is fine, killer.” Joshua walked into the room, grabbing Cassie in his arms, dipping her and kissing her like he hadn’t seen her in a century.
“Eww,” both Dean and I said in unison.
“John, Sandy,” Joshua said with a handshake and a hug. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked, walking back to the kitchen without waiting for an answer.
Oh, something’s up all right.
Drawers and cabinets opened and shut with loud thuds. Silverware made loud clunking noises. It sounded like pirates were taking over the kitchen.
“Would someone like to tell us what’s going on?” Sandy asked, eyeing her daughter.
“That’s my cue,” Cassie said, pointing a finger in air. She left the room and reappeared with Joshua and dessert a few minutes later.
Cheesecake, strawberries, and whipped cream. Yum!
“First, dessert,” Cassie said. She and Joshua methodically handed out our succulent treat and stood next to each other, holding hands, looking nervous and shifting weight from one leg to the other. Joshua gently squeezed Cassie’s hand.
“We have some news.” Cassie looked at Joshua with a soft smile. “Joshua and I are getting married on New Year’s Eve!” Her eyes glittered with excitement as the room burst into excited congratulatory voices. “In Nafplio, Greece.” She turned to me. “And I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“Dean, I would be honored if you would be my wingman,” Joshua said. Dean bumped his fist in acceptance.
Hugs and laughter filled the room. Cassie looked at me, waiting for my response. Coming out of my stupor, I sprang out of my seat and jumped up and down, squealing like a five-year-old that just got approval to eat all her Halloween candy.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…” I hugged and danced with her, humming the da-dum-da-dum.
With everything that Joshua and I went through over the past year and half, this was exactly what we both needed. What he needed.
The rest of the night, our house was filled with music, laughter, dancing around, and stories about Joshua and
We laughed and chatted until we could no longer ignore the crusted dishes in front of us. By the time everything had been cleaned and put away, the moon peeked through the clouds. Silence passed between us as we swung on the porch swing.
“I miss them.” It was obvious to whom he referred.
“You want to go visit them tomorrow?”
“I’d like that,” he responded.
“You remember our neighbor’s dog that used to poop and pee on your skateboard every time you left it outside and Mom kept saying you needed to start taking care of your possessions?”
He grunted, annoyed. “Yeah, I hated that mutt.”
“Whatever happened to it?” I asked out of curiosity. “The mutt, I mean.”
“I have no idea.” He emphasized the word no with a bit too much mischief.
“No!” I exclaimed, my hand over my mouth. “Did you, like, kill it or something?” When he didn’t answer, I poked him harder. “Muskles?!”
He chuckled. “No, I just convinced the owner if I ever caught his dog near our house again, he and his dog would be fetching their missing balls.”
“No, you didn’t.” I couldn’t help but laugh, hard. I had tears in my eyes and my stomach hurt. We were interrupted when we heard the doorbell.
“Were you expecting someone?” I asked Joshua, opening the front door, still laughing hard.
I froze in place when I found Dean standing before me, hand running through his hair, with his signature cocky lopsided grin.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as three more people walked up the stairs, talking and laughing.
“Who is it?” Joshua called from the kitchen.
“The Jensens,” I yelled back. I hugged Cassie, Dean’s sister. “What ya doing here so late?” Suddenly, concern hit me like an edgy, creeping thief. “Is everything okay?”
I looked from Cassie to Dean to their parents.
“Everything is fine, killer.” Joshua walked into the room, grabbing Cassie in his arms, dipping her and kissing her like he hadn’t seen her in a century.
“Eww,” both Dean and I said in unison.
“John, Sandy,” Joshua said with a handshake and a hug. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked, walking back to the kitchen without waiting for an answer.
Oh, something’s up all right.
Drawers and cabinets opened and shut with loud thuds. Silverware made loud clunking noises. It sounded like pirates were taking over the kitchen.
“Would someone like to tell us what’s going on?” Sandy asked, eyeing her daughter.
“That’s my cue,” Cassie said, pointing a finger in air. She left the room and reappeared with Joshua and dessert a few minutes later.
Cheesecake, strawberries, and whipped cream. Yum!
“First, dessert,” Cassie said. She and Joshua methodically handed out our succulent treat and stood next to each other, holding hands, looking nervous and shifting weight from one leg to the other. Joshua gently squeezed Cassie’s hand.
“We have some news.” Cassie looked at Joshua with a soft smile. “Joshua and I are getting married on New Year’s Eve!” Her eyes glittered with excitement as the room burst into excited congratulatory voices. “In Nafplio, Greece.” She turned to me. “And I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“Dean, I would be honored if you would be my wingman,” Joshua said. Dean bumped his fist in acceptance.
Hugs and laughter filled the room. Cassie looked at me, waiting for my response. Coming out of my stupor, I sprang out of my seat and jumped up and down, squealing like a five-year-old that just got approval to eat all her Halloween candy.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…” I hugged and danced with her, humming the da-dum-da-dum.
With everything that Joshua and I went through over the past year and half, this was exactly what we both needed. What he needed.
The rest of the night, our house was filled with music, laughter, dancing around, and stories about Joshua and
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