I wait for what seems like forever for my dad to answer. I know he’s debating this whole thing internally. He doesn’t want me to grow up. He has told me, time and time again, that he wants me to stay his little girl. “I don’t know, Kenleigh.”
“I told you he wouldn’t go for it, Mom.” My voice strains with emotion as I push back from the table.
“Now, hold on a second,” my dad says, lifting his hand in the air to stop me. “I didn’t say ‘no’. I said ‘I didn’t know’.”
“Please, Daddy?” I ask as sweetly as possible with a flutter of my eyelashes.
“Oh, come on, Mark. At least she’s not asking for a piercing or anything,” my mom chimes in as she dries a dish.
“Well, Dad, you know, if you don’t want me to do my room, a piercing would be an acceptable compromise.”
“Carol, get the keys, and Kenleigh, go get ready. We’re leaving in fifteen minutes,” my dad replies with a shake of his head and picks up the paper again. He murmurs under his breath, “No daughter of mine is getting a damn piercing.”
I jump out of my seat and wrap my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. “Thank you, Dad. I love you.” I let go of his neck and race up to my bedroom to change.
“Love you, too,” he shouts back at me.
Just as I slip my shirt on over my head, my mom knocks twice, then another two times. It’s our code. She slips into my room, shutting my door quietly behind her. “Nice, Mom. Real nice,” I whisper.
“It’s all I could come up with,” she replies with a soft laugh.
“A piercing, though? You know, it’s not a bad idea,” I reply, testing the waters to see if she might really go for it.
“Don’t you dare think about it. Your father would have a heart attack, and I, well, I might be right there along with him,” she whisper-shouts, pointing her finger at me.
“I was kidding.” I laugh while slipping on my tennis shoes. I turn to look up at her and tell her thank you. Sincerity pours out with each word.
“You’re welcome, Honey.”
I stand and wrap my arms around her waist. My mom smoothes my hair down as she runs her hands up and down my back. “I love you, Kenleigh. Never doubt that,” she whispers, kissing the top of my head.
“I love you, too, Mom.”
I wake to warm tears trickling down the side of my face, over my nose, and onto the pillow. Days like today make me miss my parents more than ever. It’s also another reason I do not like to celebrate my birthday. The last day of camp, which also happens to fall on my birthday, has come too quickly. I can’t believe I’m finally twenty, and I don’t even have my parents to help me ring in this new journey of my life. I’m no longer a teenager. Now, I’m a full fledge adult. I sniffle back the tears and take a couple of deep breaths. The sun shines brightly in my room, blinding me as I roll over. A beautiful dandelion with white ribbon and a note lie next to me, catching my attention. Wes. A smile graces my lips. I lift the flower, bring it to my nose, and smell the sweet summer fragrance. Gingerly, I open the note.
I laugh at his note. Of course, he would find out when my birthday is. Tossing the covers off me, I get out of bed and quickly change. I need to brush my teeth, but I’ll forego a shower for now. My feet make quick time as I rush down the steps. Suddenly, the breath’s knocked out of me when I see an all-too familiar person at the table, talking with Mrs. Sandy.
Her chocolate brown hair used to be long, but now, rests on her shoulders. Light green eyes find mine, and a smile spreads across her face, lifting her already high cheekbones. Her olive skin tone matches mine. This is what my mother would look like if she were still alive. Beautiful. “Happy Birthday, Kenleigh.” The woman stands from the table and makes her way to me. I’ve already cried once today. I do not want to do it again, but damn it if they don’t fall unbidden. The woman who is almost an exact replica of my mother embraces me in a tender hug. “Don’t cry, Sweetie. It’s a special day for you,” she coos in my ear.
I return her affection as I wrap my arms around her middle. “I’ve missed you so much, Aunt Brenda,” I reply on a shuddering breath.
“I’ve missed you, too.” She kisses my forehead just like my mother used to do, and steps back to take my hands in hers. Aunt Brenda holds me at arm’s length as she looks me over. “You have turned into such a beautiful, young woman. You look just like your mother. The only difference is you have your father’s piercing, baby blues.”
I smile at her, because I’m afraid if I say anything, I will completely lose it, and that’s not what I want to happen. “Are you hungry, Kenleigh?” Mrs. Sandy asks from the kitchen table.
“Yes please,” I say, looking in her direction. Aunt Brenda drops one of my hands, but laces her fingers through mine with the other. We walk into the kitchen and take a seat at the table. Now with my composure somewhat composed, I ask, “How did you get here?”
She raises her eyebrows at my question, and I realize how ridiculous I sound. “I am going to assume that you already know the answer to that question. Because, I would hate for you to be implying that I’m old.”
I laugh at her teasing tone. “That nice young man that you’ve been seeing called me, and thought it would be a good idea for me to come up. I drove up last night and stayed in a hotel.”
Wes never ceases to amaze me. His constant surprises make me fall for him even more, but his thoughtfulness steals my breath. I squeeze her hand. “Thank you for coming.”
“Oh… I see you got my note,” Wes says from behind me.
I turn in my seat, catching him standing in the archway that separates the kitchen from the living room. My hand slips from Aunt Brenda’s as I stand. My steps have a purpose behind them as I make my way over to him. Normally, I’m not this brazen with public displays of affection, but no one has ever done something so thoughtful for me. I stop just inches away from his chest. I bring my hand up and cup his cheek. A stray tear escapes when I look into those captivating blue eyes of his. My voice thick with emotion, I try to speak over the lump in my throat. “I love you so much.” Right now, in this moment, no one and nothing else matters but him and me. Everything else evaporates around us. My hand slides from his cheek to the back of his neck as I pull his lips down to mine. My lips mold over his top one, kissing him once, twice, three times before I drop my head to his chest. “Thank you. For this. For my aunt. You have no idea what this means to me,” I whisper before I look back up at him.
Wes tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His thumb rubs back and forth against my cheekbone as he stares at me with such love and adoration shining at me. The warmth of his touch sends a tingling sensation down my spine. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for the one person who means the world to me. I love you, too,” he whispers, kissing me again.
The sound of a throat clearing behind us breaks our spell. I expect my face to feel flush with embarrassment, but it doesn’t. I am not embarrassed in the slightest that I just kissed Wes in front of everyone. I have no reason to be. In all my life, I have never felt the love that he continuously gives me from anyone else. “Your plate’s ready,” Mrs. Sandy says as she places my plate on the table. I lace my fingers with Wes’ as we walk to the table.
“Thank you.” When I sit, I have my aunt Brenda on my left, Wes on my right, and Mrs. Sandy directly across from me. “I’m sorry that I don’t have more time to spend with you today, Aunt Brenda.” And I am sorry. If today weren’t the last day of camp, I would love more than anything to catch up with her. I need to make more of an effort to go home and visit.
Mrs. Sandy waves her hand in the air as I take a bite of some of the best damn biscuits and gravy that I have ever tasted. “Oh, come on, Kenleigh. Your aunt is here. Spend time with her.”
“But it’s the last day of camp,” I argue.
“I know, but it’ll be okay. Bailey will probably hang out with John anyway. She’ll understand. Plus, it’s your birthday. Go have fun. Actually, I insist that you have fun.”
Something’s off. I can feel it. I don’t know what, but I’m sure I will find out. I look from Wes, who will not meet my eyes but squeezes my hand in reassurance, to Mrs. Sandy, who’s smiling at me over the rim of her coffee cup as she takes a sip, to my Aunt Brenda who also wears a smile and pats my knee. “How about we go and get mani/pedis?” My dear aunt is up to something.
“Okay.” I decide to go with the flow.
Then, the impossible happens. “Here, take my truck.” Wes pulls his keys out of his pocket and hands them over to me.
“All right. What’s goin’ on?” I ask skeptically.
“Nothing,” Wes answers too quickly.
“You’ve only let me drive your truck once. Why are you letting me drive it now?”
“Because it’s your birthday. And because I love you and trust you. Is that enough of a reason for you?”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” I turn my gaze to Mrs. Sandy in hopes that she’ll answer my question, but instead, she snatches up my half-eaten plate of food, and heads into the kitchen.
“Kenleigh, just go have fun,” Mrs. Sandy says as she turns on the kitchen faucet, drowning out my response.
I nod and look at my aunt. “You ready?”
“Whenever you are.”
I scoot my chair away from the table, and look at Wes before I get up. “Thank you,” I whisper, leaning in for a kiss.
“For what?” he mumbles against my lips.
“For this. Everything.” I smile at him as my heart swells with the love I feel for this man.
“Like I said, there isn’t anything in this world I wouldn’t do for you. Now, go have fun, and I’ll see you in a few hours.” He kisses me once more before he starts helping clear the rest of the dishes off the table. “By the way, my manager called this morning and asked me if I wanted to ride next weekend.”
“And what did you say?” I ask, a little nervous and concerned. I’ve never seen Wes ride before, and it would devastate me if something happened to him like what happened to his friend.
“I said yeah. All the proceeds go to charity. There was no way I could turn it down.”
“Okay. Thanks for telling me. Now I have a week to prepare myself for seeing you ride for the first time.” Did he really have to tell me this today? Now, I’m going to worry all week.
“Babe, I’ll be fine. I promise. Now go and have fun.”
“All right,” I reply before looking at my aunt. “Just let me get my purse.”
The massage chair in the nail salon kneads my back while my feet soak in the basin below. My eyes roll into the back of my head as I groan with relief. “I think this was the best idea you have come up with in a long time.” I look to my left where my aunt sits next to me.
“I know. I needed this, too.”
I nod, agreeing with her. “Me, too.”
“How’s camp been going?”
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “Great. It’s just gone by too fast. I can’t believe it’s the last day already.”
“Are you okay?” she asks, sensing something else is wrong.
“I’m just worried what will happen between me and Wes when this summer is over. I’m only here for another two weeks before I have to go back to San Antonio.” I groan, because I sound like a broken record, but I just can’t quit obsessing over this.
“Have you talked to him about it?”
“I’ve tried. Every time I bring it up, he finds a way to evade the conversation. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Well, dropping out of school isn’t an option.” My aunt reminds me that school needs to come first.
“I know.” I lean my head back against the chair and stare up at the ceiling tiles. “This so wasn’t what I was planning on when I came here this summer.”
“Planning on what? Falling in love?” I nod, turning my gaze to meet hers. “Oh, honey!” She chuckles. “No one ever plans on falling in love. That’s why they call it falling. It’s unexpected, scary, fun, exciting. Falling in love isn’t a bad thing. Many people wish for what you’ve found every day.” For some reason, I think she’s speaking from experience.
“Are you one of those people?”
“Yes. But my time will come. I decided long ago to quit looking for love, and let love find me.”
My eyes flutter open, and I just sit here for a few seconds, taking in my beautiful aunt who has given up everything for me. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“When Wes called me, I didn’t know who he was at first, but then he told me about the ranch and who he was to you. It made sense. You know, all of this was his idea.”
“He’s amazing.”
“You must be very special to him to do all this for you.”
“I’m beginning to think I am. Don’t get me wrong. I know he loves me, because he proves it every single second of every single day.”
“And you do the same for him?” she asks. There’s no hint of skepticism in her tone, just genuine curiosity.
“I hope so. I know when I was in high school, I said I ‘loved’ Jarred, and in a way, I did, but not like I love Wes. With us, it’s fun, never boring. He is so romantic, and we don’t fight. It’s just…”
“Easy,” she replies, finishing my sentence.
“Exactly,” I exclaim with a smile.
Reaching over, my aunt takes my hand in hers. “You know, you remind me so much of your mother. Not just by your beauty, either. You have so many of her qualities, Kenleigh. You’re honest, sweet, sincere—genuine. I can see why Wes has fallen in love with you. How could he not?”
Damn it. I am so sick of crying. The sting of tears pricks the backs of my eyes. With a couple of deep breaths, I will them away. If there is anyone in this world I would want to be like, my mother would be it. “Thank you,” I barely whisper around the ball of emotion in my throat.
“Now, tell me about school. How was your freshman year?”
“It was… different that’s for sure.”
“You mean, it wasn’t full of parties, drunken nights, and sex,” she says playfully.
I laugh at her description of college life. “Actually, it was all that, and so much more,” I tease.
“Well, at least you’re experiencing college the right way.”
This right here is what I miss. My aunt and I can joke around about this type of stuff and it’s never taken out of context. We’ve always had an open and honest relationship. She’s known the few times I’ve drank before. She also knows that I’ve never done drugs. Now, telling her about when I lost my virginity? That was a little difficult, but she was glad that I was honest and upfront with her. After I began to deal with my depression in a healthy way, we sat down and had a long talk. My aunt informed me about how worried she had been, and told me that if I ever needed to talk, she would always be there for me. And she has been every step of the way.
“Have you decided on a major yet?”
A blast of cool air hits my feet when the nail technician pulls my foot out of the warm water, and places it on the padded end of the ceramic basin. “I think so. I’ve been asked that a couple of times this summer, and every time, I’ve said I think I’m gonna do nursing.”
“That’s great. I always knew you were gonna make something of yourself. You know, really go places with your life.”
I peek over at my aunt as her nail tech massages her feet and calves. “I know it’s going to be tough, but I know I can do it.”
She nods. “There will be lots of late night studying.”
“Yeah. But I think the whole nursing thing will be a good fit for me.”
“Agreed. You’ve always enjoyed helping other people.”
“And I have you to thank for that,” I reply. If it hadn’t been for her, there is no telling where or how I would have ended up. My dad was an only child, and his parents passed before I was born. My mom’s parents died when I was four. The memories I have of them is vague, but I know I loved them. With my aunt being my only surviving relative,
if she hadn’t stepped in and agreed to take over as my guardian, I would have been given to the state.
“Why do you say that?” Her face is marred with confusion as she looks at me.
“You’re all the family I have left. Without you, who knows where or what I would be.” I keep my eyes trained forward. I don’t want my aunt to see the fear behind them, the fear of not knowing what might have happened to me.
“Kenleigh? Look at me, please?” Her tone is soft and it pulls at my heart.
I do as she asks. My blue irises find her light green ones, and it’s as if I’m having a conversation with my mom. “You’ve had a hard life. Unfortunately, that hard life was introduced to you at way too young an age.” Her eyes turn glossy from unshed tears as she continues. “But that’s life. You lost your parents. I lost my sister and best friend, but at least I had you. We all go through ups and downs. Some are worse than others, but it’s what you make of it. You can let life beat you down or you can stand up to it.” She takes a deep shuddering breath. “Your mom and dad would be so proud of the woman you have become… are becoming. You’ve taken a horrible tragedy and turned it into a positive. I can tell you, when I was in college, my last thought would have been to contribute my time to a horse ranch. To helping kids with disabilities or issues of their own. But not you. You’re so strong and giving. It doesn’t matter if I wouldn’t have been there for you. You would have become this person, regardless. It’s who you are. Who you have always been.”
Her words grip my heart like a vice. I wish I could see myself the way she just described me. I’ve had my issues, and I’ve dealt with and moved on. All I want to do now is give back. My eyes glisten with unshed tears. I swallow the ball of emotion lodged in my throat. “You really are the best, you know that?” I try to lighten the mood. It’s my birthday, a day I haven’t celebrated since I was twelve. I don’t want to cry anymore today. I don’t want a whole bunch of heavy talk. I want to have fun and enjoy spending time with my aunt.
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