by Claire Adams
“Oh, you know how it goes with your mother,” my dad said. “Always complaining about my driving.”
“If you drove better, then I wouldn’t have to,” she shot back to him.
“If I didn’t have a backseat driver, then I could drive better,” my dad said.
Everyone except for Margie laughed.
Ally and I knew what he was talking about. Our mom had a lot of anxiety when it came to riding in cars. She would freak out about every little thing. It made for some interesting (and tense) family road trips.
There was an awkward silence. I was expecting a few of these. Mostly because I figured my parents would ask something uncomfortable or even grill Justin and me about our relationship. They were bound to want details that neither of us could provide. I hoped it would not come down to that.
I wondered if I should pull Justin to the side so we could discuss details to tell them in case questions came up, but I ultimately decided it was a little too late for that.
“So, Justin, what do you do?” my dad asked, and I could tell he was testing Justin. He was scrutinizing him, and it made me wonder if it had to do with the look he gave me earlier. He was analyzing the situation, which was something he was very good at, and I hoped he wouldn’t catch on to our little game.
“I’m an MMA fighter currently, and a retired Marine.”
My dad seemed to perk up when he mentioned he was a retired marine.
“How long were you in the service?” he asked.
“Four years active duty and four years inactive,” he said.
“Did you have to go to war?” my dad asked.
“I did a tour in Iraq, but it was brief, and there wasn’t much going on. I was going to re-enlist, but when my wife passed away, I had to figure out a different means of income so I could raise Margie on my own.”
“Wow, I’m so sorry for your loss,” my mom said and then looked at me.
“Well, thank you for your service,” my dad said and stood up to shake Justin’s hand again. “You like sports?”
“I love sports,” Justin said.
They started talking, and my mom turned to me.
“I like him,” she said, making sure to lower her voice. “He sure is handsome. How long have you guys been together? And why were you hiding him from me?”
I laughed. “I wanted to make sure things were going in the right direction before I had him meet you guys,” I said. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”
“My daddy loves Anna,” Margie said. She had been standing next to us, obviously listening to our conversation. I didn’t quite know what to say.
“You are absolutely adorable, you know that?” my mom said, leaning down to Margie.
“Thank you,” Margie said. I sensed a shyness in her voice.
“Did you bring any toys?” my mom said to her.
Margie shook her head.
“Well, let’s go see if I have something in my purse.” My mom and Margie went over to her purse where I watched her pull out a pink stuffed bear.
“This is for you,” my mom said.
Margie’s eyes lit up. “Thank you so much!” The two of them started talking about the animal, and I went back into the kitchen to finish up dinner.
“Need any help?” Ally asked me.
“Sure.” I handed her the bowl of salad. “Mix this up and set it on the table, please. There are three different dressings in the door to the refrigerator.”
“Okay,” Ally said and started mixing the salad. “Things seem to be going well here.”
“Yeah, hopefully they don’t catch on though.” I grimaced at the thought.
“You guys look like a real family already,” Ally said to me as I stirred the food around on the stove.
I laughed. “I think so too,” I said.
Ally smirked at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” she said and then placed the salad and salad dressings on the table.
It wasn’t much longer before I was putting plates and bowls of food on the table. I made chicken parmesan and bread sticks with a side salad. It took a lot of work, but it was worth it. I hardly ever cooked actual meals. It seemed like such a waste to cook for just myself.
“Dinner’s ready!” I called out and waited a moment before everyone made their way into the kitchen.
“Wow, Anna. This looks amazing,” my mom said. “Thank you for doing this, but we could have just gone out to dinner.”
“It’s okay, Mom, really. It was no trouble at all. I thought this might be a little more intimate for you to meet Justin and Margie anyway,” I said.
My mom smiled. “You must get that from me.”
“I must,” I said.
Everyone took a seat. Ally at one end, me at the other, Justin and Margie next to me with Margie sitting between us, and my dad and mom sat on the other side; my mom was next to me and across from Margie.
“How old are you, Margie?” my mom asked.
“I’m four,” she said and held up four fingers on her left hand.
I helped Justin scoop food out onto her plate, and then everyone else moved on to serve themselves.
“I don’t think I’ve had this before,” Margie said.
“You haven’t. It’s just like spaghetti but with a piece of chicken,” Justin said.
Margie looked at me. “What if I don’t like it?”
“That’s okay. As long as you try it for me, I won’t be upset. But I promise you; it’s really yummy.”
I caught Justin staring at me as I talked to Margie about the food on the table. I smiled at him, and he mouthed the words “thank you” to me. I nodded at him.
The conversation flowed around the table. Everyone participated, and I pictured Thanksgiving and Christmas just like this.
Ally told a funny story about her roommate. It seemed so foreign to me. Having a roommate and hardly any responsiblities.
“Have you found a new job yet?” my dad asked her. He had always been so hard on us about getting our lives together. I was surprised that Ally wasn’t more settled down by now.
“Yeah, I have an internship,” she said.
“I meant when you are done with it,” he said.
“Well, more than likely I’ll have a permanent position at the company. The boss thinks I’m great and said that he sees a lot of potential in me,” she said.
“That’s good to hear, dear,” Mom said to her.
The rest of dinner went smoothly. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and I felt like I succeeded. I caught Justin staring at me more than a few times, and I had to admit that it felt good. I felt butterflies every time I caught his eye.
When dinner was over, my parents and Anna went into the living room. Justin and Margie stayed in the kitchen with me.
“Can we help you clean up?” Justin asked.
“Thank you for offering, but I’ve got it,” I said, stacking everyone’s plates.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“We want to help,” Margie said and then added, “Please?”
I knew I couldn’t say no after that.
“Okay, just grab the dishes and come set them on the counter. I’ve got containers for all the left-over food on the counter. Put the food in there. Margie and I will rinse the dishes and put them away.”
“Okay,” Justin said with a big smile. Then the three of us got to work. Once again, we were working in a swift motion, just like a real team, and it felt so good.
Chapter 17
Justin
The dinner Anna cooked was amazing. I knew it would be. She did most of the cooking, but I was glad she let Margie and I help her a little. It made me feel more useful.
I was so nervous before I arrived at Anna’s place that night. I wasn’t sure what her parents would think of me and Margie. I didn’t know if they were laid back or uptight. I was glad to find out they were laid back. It made things easier for me.
The conversation was not at a
ll uncomfortable, though I felt like her dad was questioning what was going on between us. He kept glancing between us with an unreadable expression. I wished I could read his mind, but I wasn’t sure I would like what I read.
After dinner, I sat on Anna’s couch and watched Margie with Anna, Ally, and Millie. She was playing with the bear Millie gave her, and she was talking about all her favorite things. The three women were very engrossed with everything she said.
“And Daddy got me a special Barbie for Christmas last year. She’s so beautiful. She has a pink dress, and it’s so pretty. I’ve never taken it off her. I don’t want to lose it; it’s too special.”
I found that Barbie at Target a few months before Christmas. It was on sale, so I got it for her, hoping she would like it. I remembered how hard it had been to hide it from her. I wanted nothing more than to see the look on her face, but since money was extra tight around the holidays, I wasn’t sure if I was going to have the money to buy her Christmas presents or not. I saved the doll, and though I did get her another gift, a book she asked for, I was glad I found that Barbie. The look on her face when she opened it meant everything to me.
I loved watching Margie play with Anna and her family, because her eyes lit up every time she spoke. She already loved them. She needed more women in her life. I knew they could teach her things that I would never be able to. She needed female role models.
I loved seeing how much they spoiled her. It was also something she needed, something I had always wanted to be able to do for her. Tammy’s family wasn’t really in the picture since her passing, so, unfortunately, Margie didn’t spend any time with them.
I watched as Anna interacted with my daughter, and I couldn’t get over how perfect it felt. That was when I realized I had fallen in love with her. I started to feel this way before that night, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure until I watched the way she was with Margie.
As I was immersed in the scene in front of me, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Tom looking down at me.
“Come with me for a minute,” he said, and I followed him into Anna’s office.
We sat down in the two chairs that were on opposite sides of the desk. It felt a little awkward, like I was interviewing for a job. I didn’t know what to expect. My palms were already a little sweaty.
“Beautiful little girl you have there,” Tom said.
“Thank you. She’s my pride and joy,” I said.
“Then you know how I feel about my girls.”
“That I do, Tom.” It was hard for me to not refer to him as “Sir.” The military taught me to address everyone as “ma’am” or “sir,” and I had found it difficult to let that go.
“How serious are you about my daughter?” Tom asked bluntly.
I looked him in the eye, wanting to make sure my answer was clear. Just moments before, I realized how in love with Anna I really was. Now, I wanted to make sure Tom knew it too.
“I’m very serious about Anna,” I said.
“You know, Justin,” Tom began. I braced myself for a lecture. “When I first met Anna’s mother, I had that same look in my eye. The way you look at my daughter proves to me how serious you are about her. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m letting you off easy. This doesn’t mean I won’t kill you if you mess up and hurt her.” Tom laughed.
I had to admit it was intimidating talking with him about Anna, but I felt better when I realized there wasn’t going to be a lecture.
“Do you like football, Justin?”
I was surprised that he changed the subject so quickly. Still, I didn’t complain.
“Yes I do, sir. I mean, Tom.”
“What’s your favorite team, son?”
“The New England Patriots, of course.” Though it wouldn’t matter when it came down to it, I hoped he was going to say the same thing. It would make things easier if we had the same favorite football team. I also thought it might help keep me on his good side.
“I can already tell you’re a great fit for my daughter. We are also a Patriots family,” Tom said. “I can get box seats through my company if you’d ever like to go to a game.”
“That would be amazing. I would love that!”
“You could bring Margie. It would be a family event,” he said.
“Thank you. That would be so much fun. I know she’d have a blast at a game.”
I felt a sense of relief. We had some things in common after all. I knew that helped Tom feel more comfortable with me.
We talked about our favorite highlights from the past season, the things we noticed that were strong points and weak points within the team, and how proud we were that they won the Super Bowl.
I knew this whole thing was supposed to be pretend, that Anna and I weren’t really dating, but I wanted it to be real. I wanted to be with Anna, and having her father approve of me was a great feeling.
We talked for a few more minutes and then went back into the living room. I looked around, noticing Margie and Anna weren’t anywhere in sight.
“They’re in the kitchen getting dessert ready,” Ally said, answering my unasked question.
“Thanks,” I said. I walked into the kitchen and asked, “Do you guys need any help?”
“No, Daddy. We got it,” Margie said and did a thumbs-up at me. Anna laughed.
“Will you take the plates to the table, please?” Anna asked.
“I guess he can do that,” Margie agreed. Anna and I both laughed this time. Sometimes, Margie could be so adult-like, and it was the funniest thing.
“I’ll do it. Let me know if there is anything else you need help with.”
“I will,” she said.
I loved that she wasn’t afraid to put me to work. Asking for my help made me feel more welcome in her home and in her life.
I grabbed the stack of plates she had placed on the counter and the pile of forks next to them and brought them over to the table. I put a plate and fork at each seat instead of just leaving them in the middle.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said. She and Margie were holding different desserts. Margie was carrying a tub of vanilla ice cream, and Anna was holding a pie. It looked homemade.
“That looks amazing. Did you make that?”
Anna nodded. “It’s my great-grandma Ethel’s famous apple cherry pie.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had or even heard of an ‘apple-cherry pie,’” I said.
“That’s the point,” she said with a wink. She placed the pie down in the center of the table and took the ice cream tub from Margie. She placed it beside the pie and said, “Thank you, Margie. Will you go get everyone and tell them dessert is ready?”
“Yes!” Margie said and ran off to the living room.
“No, running!” I yelled after her. I heard her feet slow down a bit, and I grinned.
“It’s fine,” Anna said.
I leaned into her and gave her a kiss.
“What was that for?” she asked with the most beautiful smile on her face.
“Just because,” I said, though there was more I wanted to say. I longed to tell her how I really felt, but I was too scared. I didn’t know how she felt about me, and I didn’t want to ruin anything by telling her too soon.
“Thank you,” she said and kissed me back lightly.
We sat down just as everyone came over to the table.
“Is this great-grandma Ethel’s pie?” Ally asked.
“Of course. I wouldn’t want any other one,” Anna said.
She cut a slice of pie for each of us, and Millie put a scoop of ice cream on each one. I went in to take a bite, not knowing what to expect since I had never tried a pie like this, and I was blown away by the flavors.
The crust was a perfect flaky pie crust, and the filling was tangy and sweet. The mixture of the two fruit fillings was surprisingly good. I decided it was my new favorite.
“Wow. This is great, Anna,” I said.
“Thank great-grandma Ethel,” she said with a
laugh.
“My grandmother had been making pies one day in her kitchen. She made an apple pie and a cherry pie and had one more pie crust. She only had half the amount of each filling and on a whim decided just to mix them so she wouldn’t have to waste any ingredients. And thus, her famous apple-cherry pie was born,” Millie explained.
“I’m glad she almost ran out of ingredients,” Margie said. Half of her pie was on her face and we all started laughing. “Will you teach me how to bake?” Margie asked Anna after taking another bite of her pie.
“Of course, sweetheart. Maybe your daddy can drop you off here sometime, and we can have a girl’s day. We can bake and watch movies.”
“Yeah!” she said.
The conversation moved on to all the crazy things that great-grandma Ethel did in her later years. I found it so interesting how close their family was. Mine wasn’t very close. I had my mom and dad, but other than that, I didn’t really talk to my family much.
After we finished our desserts, Anna’s parents and Ally decided it was time to leave.
“It was so nice to finally meet you, Justin,” Millie said to me. “It’s too bad Anna hid you from us for so long.”
I looked at Anna. “Yeah, I guess she wanted to see how serious we were first. It was nice to meet you, Millie.”
She gave me a hug.
“Nice to meet you, Justin,” Tom said to me.
“Likewise,” I said and grabbed his hand for a handshake.
“See ya around, Justin,” Ally said.
“Bye, Ally,” I said.
Anna hugged her sister and her parents and then turned to me when they were gone.
“Thanks for doing this,” Anna said.
“You’re welcome. They seem really nice,” I said.
Anna smiled at me. “Do you guys want to watch a movie?”
“Yeah! I don’t want to go home yet!” Margie yelled.
Anna and I laughed.
“What movie would you guys like to watch?” I shrugged, and she got down with Margie. “Do you want to pick out the movie?”
Margie nodded her head with excitement and Anna led her over to her stack of DVDs.
“I don’t have many family movies, but I have Netflix.”