He leans down and is about to kiss me when I move my head aside, placing my lips on his cheek. “I’m sick,” I whisper.
I feel him smile and shake his head before pulling back and meeting my lips with his. It’s not a deep kiss, but his soft lips stay on mine for what feels like an eternity. How can one kiss, one very simple kiss, make me feel like my whole head is clouded with shooting stars?
When he pulls away far too soon, I grin up at him and say, “You should go eat a bag of chips or something while you can still enjoy them.”
He chuckles and pulls me back into another kiss.
***
It’s about a week after our kisses and I’m now returning the favor to Brayden and trying not to say “I told you so.” It’s the day before Thanksgiving, so I have the day off from school. Brayden came down with a “cold” on Sunday, and now it’s strep throat. Let me tell you something: Brayden, while sick, is a big freaking child.
“Annie, I want soup!” he cries out, knowing full well that I’m walking down the hall with his lunch.
“I know, Brayden. It’s only the fifth time you’ve mentioned it,” I deadpan sarcastically, walking into his room with the tray.
He grins sheepishly from where he’s sat up in bed. His hair is sticking up at all ends and his nose is red and puffy. His eyes look droopy too, yet there’s still that smirk on his face.
“Thanks,” he rasps as I set the tray on his lap and sit down next to him. He opens his mouth expectantly and I have to laugh. Apparently it’s my turn.
We slowly empty the bowl and by the time we’re finished, Brayden is getting sleepier and sleepier. “Anna?” he whispers as he lays back down.
“Hmm?” I ask as I move the tray onto his dresser.
“Thanks for being here,” he says as I slide in next to him, happily allowing his head to rest on my chest and his arms to circle my waist. Since he’s sick, I’m not too concerned about him feeling up my flab.
“Of course,” I whisper, placing a kiss on his forehead. I’ve still got a small cough, sniffles, and a hint of a sore throat, but I’m much better than I was. Poor Brayden got infected because of me, but it was his own choice. I warned him enough times.
After spending the day taking care of a sick Brayden, I’m definitely sympathetic toward his mother, who took care of him for the past two days and his entire life before that. How did she deal with him? Every second, it’s: “Can I have a glass of water?”; “Will you grab me the sweater from my closet? No, not that one, dig further”; “I’m warm, will you get me a lighter blanket?”; “I want soup!” Although, it does make sense now that Brayden was so doting while he was taking care of me. It’s how he’s treated when he’s ill.
At my house, both of my parents have worked full time jobs since I was around seven, when my mom went back to work. Until we were around thirteen, Mom would take the day off if we stayed home sick, but eventually that stopped. I’ve grown accustomed to making my own soup, driving myself to doctors’ appointments, picking up prescriptions, waking myself up to take medicine, and getting my own extra layers when I’m cold. Having Brayden do all of that for me was definitely weird.
Once I’m positive he’s heavily asleep, I slowly slip from his grasp and head to the kitchen, where Adrienne is sitting, drinking some coffee. “He’s asleep,” I say, smiling.
She smiles and nods with relief, clearly still a doting parent despite her son’s age. I sit down beside her and we chat for a bit. “So, are you looking forward to Thanksgiving?” she asks.
As we speak, she’s got pies baking in the oven. My mother apparently invited Brayden to spend the holiday with us while I was asleep, and he accepted.
I shrug. “I’m a bit nervous, actually.”
She gives me a concerned look. “Why’s that?”
I bite my lip. “I think they all mean well, but my family isn’t quite as accepting as you guys are.”
I watch as her frown deepens. “How so?”
“Well, for starters, they’re all shocked that somebody as attractive as Brayden is with me. I’m worried that they’re going to mention it while he’s there. I don’t know if you know this, but he gets very defensive for me sometimes. I appreciate it, but I’m not so sure my family will.”
“Why are they so shocked?” she asks, clearly confused.
I blush. “Well, beyond the obvious of my body type, I’ve always been pretty dull. I think they just expected somebody who matched that.”
She sighs and sets her coffee mug down. “You have one of those families, don’t you?”
“What kind of family?”
“The kind where, because you managed to get a gene from some ancestor nobody can remember, you’re the oddball. Your curves are not you being overweight, Anna. Trust me, I was a physician before I quit to look after the kids. Your body type requires the extra weight. It’s not even extra weight. The hips you’ve been blessed with will make childbearing much easier for you. Being stick thin with no curves does not make somebody beautiful. It just makes you colder in the winter. I think that your extra flares give you a very feminine edge, one that drives men crazy. I’m sure you weren’t paying any attention, but there were plenty of eyes on you at the banquet. Nearly all of them appreciative,” She assures me sincerely.
My eyes are wide and my jaw is dropped by the time she finishes. I don’t even have a response. Could it be true? I’ve always heard the term “childbearing hips,” but I never really figured I had them. Did my hips and chest really make me look feminine instead of frumpy? I couldn’t help but blush at the thought of men finding me attractive. It seemed off to me.
“That’s hard for me to believe,” I admit.
Adrienne grins. “I’m sure it is. However, with Evie and I working together, you should feel beautiful in no time. Not to mention, I’m sure my son probably tries to dry hump your leg every time he looks at you.”
My jaw drops and I burst out laughing, thoroughly embarrassed. She laughs with me. “I may be old, but I’m not blind!”
“You’re not old, Adrienne,” I deny, once I’ve finished laughing.
She rolls her eyes. “First, sure I am. Second, call me Ade. It’s what everybody else calls me.” I grin and agree.
We talk for the rest of the afternoon until Brayden comes stumbling in. “Morning,” he mumbles.
I smirk and look at his rumpled pajamas before glancing at the clock. “Yes, at four o’clock in the afternoon, it is a good morning.”
He gently pulls me until I’m standing. I look at him with a confused expression as he moves forward and sits in my seat. Before I can argue, he simply pulls me down onto him so I sit sideways on his lap. He wraps his arms around my waist. I’m in such an amazing mood that I don’t bother protesting and just rest my head on his shoulder while my outside hand lays on his arm.
“Did you sleep well?” I ask, glancing up at the profile of his face.
He peers down at me and grins. “Best sleep I’ve had in a long time. Must have been whom I fell asleep beside.”
I blush a little and glance at Ade, who’s smiling widely at us. “You two are just such an adorable couple,” she gushes.
We laugh and I shrug my shoulder, blushing a bit, before looking up at Brayden. “Are we adorable?” I ask playfully.
“But of course. We’re the most adorable couple in the world.” We decided to just let our families think that we’re together, since it was incredibly awkward to explain what “friends with feelings” meant. And, if it weren’t for me, we’d be a couple anyway.
“You two should stop by tomorrow night, after dinner with your parents, Anna,” Adrienne suggests.
I look up at Brayden hopefully. I love spending time with his family. If only mine were so normal. He grins and nods. “We will. As long as there’s time,” he promises us both. I smile widely as I’m finally starting to look forward to tomorrow.
Chapter Fourteen
Thanksgiving
It is Thanksgiving morning and I can
’t help but feel a little sentimental as I get ready for the day. I pull on my favorite pair of skinny jeans, a loose cream and gray striped top with tight three quarter sleeves, and a teal scarf with large multi-colored flowers. The shoes are the same flats I wore to the banquet.
I remember when I was little and my cousin Molly would spend every Thanksgiving at our house. She’s an only child and just a few months older than me, so we get along like sisters. Her parents divorced when we were just babies, and she and Uncle Gage spent most of their time with us. The night before, we always did these little arts and crafts projects with my siblings. One year, we learned how to make these origami cups and put little “I’m thankful for . . .” notes inside of them as party favors. Another year, we used our hands to make everybody a turkey. Those traditions mostly stopped until last year, when she spent the night and we made an apple pie, taking the extra dough for the crust and making a turkey at the center of it. We were quite proud.
It’s weird to be older now. Instead of spending the night, Molly will be here later in the afternoon. She’s in her first year of college too and wanted to spend part of the day with her mother, which I completely understand. She’ll be spending the night with me, though, after I get home from Brayden’s. That’s one plus of having siblings—your cousins can spend time with them when you’re gone and you don’t need to feel responsible.
Molly has always been my best friend, but it’s hard to have a best friend who’s always lived at least an hour away. We talk as often as possible, but we never communicate that well over the phone. Plus, we’re both busy with school and jobs now. She’s one of the only people, besides Brayden and Ro, who make me feel normal. I’m a completely different person around her; I’m happy. We get each other like nobody else does, and half of our inside jokes are left over from childhood.
Ro nudges me away from the mirror. She spent the night here so she can get the full experience of a Holden Thanksgiving. Her mother never made a big deal about it, whereas we treat the holiday like a family reunion. Today, everybody on my mom’s side of the family will be here. We’ve got Nana and her boyfriend, Lyle. Uncle Gary, Aunt Jamie, and their four kids. Then Uncle Gage and Molly. I should probably mention that Peter, the oldest of Uncle Gary’s kids, has a wife and two kids. Simon, the second oldest, has a wife and three kids. Plus, us five, and also Ro and Brayden. And, Lena invited Smith. Quite the party.
I look over at her as she runs her fingers through her hair. “Are you ready?” I ask. People haven’t started arriving yet, but we need to be down there for when they do.
She smiles and nods excitedly. “Fo’ sho!” I laugh at the complete lack of ghetto in her as we leave. My bedroom has its own little hallway, kind of. One side is the banister for the stairs. The other has a few of my photographs hung up. I love taking pictures of landscapes, and I’m halfway decent at it too. At the end of the hallway, to the left, is my sister’s bedroom. Right next to that is a linen closet, with my brother’s bedroom across from it. Between the two, the bathroom creates the end of the hallway. If you turn right at the end of my hallway, you see my parents’ room with the steps right beside it. The stairs are steep and at the bottom they curve straight into the living room.
Downstairs, Mom and Nana, who got here last night, are busy doing something in the kitchen and I know better than to ask if they need help. Apparently I’m not alone, since I see my entire family, including Smith and Lyle, lounging in the living room. Just after Ro and I sit down, the first car arrives. We all rush outside to greet Uncle Gary and Auntie Jamie, with Clark and Lori, their two unmarried kids. We give them hugs and introduce Smith and Ro, then help them carry in all the food they brought. Our gatherings are usually potlucks.
Soon after, Peter arrives with his family. And after that, Simon comes with his. The house is completely packed with people when I say my apologies and have to leave. With Brayden being sick, I’m going to pick him up and then drop him off later. Nobody asks why I have to leave, which I’m a little thankful for.
As soon as I see Brayden, I know he’s feeling better. His nose is a normal color again, his hair is styled with a beanie on top, and his eyes don’t look so puffy anymore. Since he’s been taking his medicine for four days now, he’s no longer contagious, which was important if he wanted to come over. I step inside the house and hug him, feeling very happy to see him healthy again. After a quick hello, good-bye, and an “I’ll see you later” to his family, we’re headed back to my house.
We’re laughing hysterically as I pull up the drive and park in one of the only spots open. Brayden, being a typical male, keeps trying to tell me about the loogie he hocked up this morning. Each time he brings it up, I shriek and cover my ears. Maybe it’s not the smartest thing to do while driving, but it’s got us both in stiches.
“You ready?” I ask as we get out of the car and link hands.
“Yep,” he says with a grin as we swing our arms between us.
As soon as we enter my house, the entire place goes silent, all eyes on us. I swallow nervously and lead Brayden further inside. “Guys, this is Brayden. Brayden, this is my family,” I say broadly, not feeling like calling out the names of twenty people.
“Hi,” he beams happily, giving a wave. I chuckle and have to bite my lip. Most people would be slightly intimidated by so many strangers; not Brayden though, he’s just happy. He reminds me of a puppy sometimes.
There are a lot of questioning looks coming at us and, before I can say anything, Brayden lifts our linked hands and announces, “We’re dating.”
I blush deeply, caught somewhere between embarrassment and longing. I wish it was true, and that we weren’t just saying it for our families’ benefit. But it’s my own fault. And, as each day passes, my reasons for distance become weaker and weaker.
My entire family looks shocked, except for my immediate family, of course; they already know. Everybody begins murmuring, one voice coming in clearer than the rest: “How on earth did she get him?” I’m not sure who said it, since most of them sound the same, but I’m embarrassed and try pulling my hand away from Brayden.
He doesn’t let me, though; he continues holding me tight. Taking the first step, he leads me toward my sister and Smith, acting as though we aren’t being stared at. Then, suddenly, as though they’d never taken a gaping pause, everybody starts moving and talking again.
“That was so awkward!” Lena gasps, giggling.
I sigh. “Way worse than I thought it’d be. I mean, what was with that?”
We both shake our heads before quickly introducing Brayden and Smith. It’s a little funny to think that they’re nearly the same age. Until I met Brayden, I thought Smith was so much older than me. I guess things change when you have feelings for somebody.
Ro walks away from the video game she was playing with Matt and Clark. That’s one thing about Aurora—she’s got no problem sitting down for an intense session of Call of Duty. In fact, she enjoys it. I’m definitely not the type of girl to be into army games. I always liked games like Crash Bandicoot on the PlayStation.
We all sit in the corner talking until Nana announces that the hors d’oeuvres are ready. They’re basically just little snack foods that we stuff ourselves on so that none of us manage to eat much of the actual dinner. Then the adults always act surprised at the amount of leftovers.
I offer to get Brayden and me some pizza pockets while he grabs the drinks. It’s a good system to avoid juggling the “buffet line,” as we call it. Sitting back down beside me, Brayden swings his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side, making me smile. Then a thought occurs to me. “Do you want me to go get you something softer to eat? I’m pretty sure Nana made her wild cherry Jell-o,” I offer, wondering if his throat was up to pizza yet.
He grins. “You’re worried about me!”
“No!” I protest, blushing.
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I should be fine. My throat mostly stopped hurting last night.”
I
nod. “That’s good. There’s a lot of food,” I giggle.
We spend the rest of the time talking about random things, making each other laugh as we ignore the people around us. Well, we don’t ignore Ro. The last thing I want is for her to feel like a third wheel. That’d be awful.
After everybody is finished eating, we all head outside for an intense game of touch football. This year, however, I sit out with Brayden since neither of us are feeling up to running around. We perch under a large oak tree off to the side of my yard with a large, thick quilt keeping us warm. For some reason, Brayden insists that I sit between his legs so that my back is resting against his front. I have to admit; it is a lot warmer like this than if we were beside each other.
“Be sure to tell me if you’re getting uncomfortable,” I say, glancing back at him.
He just smirks at me and wraps his arms around my body, resting his head on my shoulder. Secretly, I’ve always wanted to sit with somebody like this. I just never thought it’d happen. I’m in heaven.
After a while of sitting in silence, Brayden randomly says, “You have such a pretty house.”
I smile and look over at it, taking in the view of our large yard and the forest surrounding it. It’s quite the image. “I love it here. It’s going to be hard when I decide on my major.”
I feel his arms tighten a little around me.
“What made you decide to stay at home this year and go to community college, instead of heading off to a four-year university right away?”
“When all that stuff happened my senior year, my grades plummeted and it would have been hard for me to get into a decent school right out of high school as a result. So my parents thought it was a better idea to stay home for at least a year, get some of my basics out of the way, and get my GPA up for schools I really want to go to.”
“Any idea where that’ll be?” he asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve applied to a few different places.”
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