Regina by Mary Ann Moody

couple
of Grandma Lydia’s elderly friends stepped up to talk about her,
even Mekayla. She dramatically walked to the podium and gave this
long speech about how much of a saint our grandmother was. I was a
little hypnotized by her words but that didn’t last long. If our
grandmother was so good and wonderful, why did she never speak to
me or my family?
    Grandpa was pretty shaken at the service; he
couldn’t stand without dad helping him. I felt so bad for him, his
wife of over 55 years just died and he was visibly heartbroken. His
black suit embellished his height and made him look impressive. I
was in awe of my handsome grandfather and his strength for he
didn’t cry until her coffin was lowered into the ground.
    He kept whispering, ‘I’ll never kiss my Lydia
again’, thru his tears.
    The wake was bigger than the service; I met a
lot of mom’s friends and their kids. Katie was there with her
family. Strangely enough, I didn’t feel so isolated after that. The
wake was held at Grandpa’s house because it was large enough to
accommodate everyone. Dad and I stood by the grand fireplace,
watching everyone.
    Our living room was filled with people
I didn’t know, except for those I met at the party a few days ago.
I felt a little self-conscious not talking to anyone, but it was my grandmother’s wake. I think
it was acceptable to maintain my privacy. My cousins were talking
to people they knew but didn’t bother to talk to me. I wanted to go
upstairs and hide in my room until all these people
left.
    I noted the guy from the party, Steven was
there. Why would he come to my grandmother’s wake? I wondered.
    I felt giddy, like I was dying to see him and
here he finally was. But I was dying to see him. Ever since that
dance at the party, I wanted desperately to see him again before I
left for home. I checked myself. My giddy school girl impression
can’t be demonstrated at a funeral.
    I excused myself from my dad and made my way
to him. Steven’s face brightened significantly when he saw me
coming towards him. He looked so handsome in his black jacket and
pants. His sturdy chest was dressed in a white shirt and yellow
tie. My smile widened as I neared him.
    “It’s nice to see you again.” I teased.
    “You to, Regina.” He emphasized my name and
widened his smile.
    “So you do know my name. And here I thought
you danced with girls whose name you didn’t know all the time!”
    “No, just the beautiful ones.” He said to
me.
    I blushed and looked away. For days I thought
of nothing but this guy and the dance we had together. I yearned to
see him again, and here he was, at my Grandmother’s wake. My mind
started to wonder about his lips. They were so kissable. I began to
ache with yearning, all I could think about was making out with
this guy. I started to feel guilty for wanting to see Steven again.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea to talk to him so much. I don’t
know if Jeff would be ok with this.
    “What brings you to my Grandmother’s wake?” I
asked, trying to avoid the obvious statement he just made.
    “Mrs. Underwood was my mom’s
5 th grade teacher. I didn’t
know she had another granddaughter.” He said with a smile on his
lips and a twinkle in his eyes.
    “Me neither.” I muttered.
    I needed some air, so we walked outside to
the front yard. The country was alive with beauty and I took a
moment to observe the green in front of me. It was a peaceful day.
I inhaled the country air deeply, filling my lungs and clearing my
head in the process.
    “So, if my grandmother taught your mom, does
that make us related?” I joked out loud.
    “In this town, it might.” He laughed.
    As Steven said that, he leaned to my left and
put up his arm against the wall. It was so sexy! Was he
purposefully trying to get closer to me? I could smell his cologne
and felt my knees go weak.
    Trying not to show how vulnerable I was, I
smiled at him and sat in the nearest rocking chair. I crossed my
ankles and put my