by Kelly Risser
The first night without Mom, I ate dinner with my grandparents. Grandma Mary made us fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. The food tasted delicious. I could tell that my grandparents tried hard to make things comfortable. Grandpa Jamie was rarely even home for dinner. He usually got back after sunset.
“So, Meara,” Grandma Mary asked. “What do you like to do for fun?”
“I read, shop, listen to music, you know, the usual things. Oh, and I like emailing and texting friends, blogging, and posting pictures. ”
“Oh?” Grandma Mary’s eyes widened a bit. I think she was searching for something to say. She finally settled for, “That’s interesting.”
I bit my cheek to keep from laughing. I hadn’t seen my grandmother use the computer yet. I think it was a bit out of her comfort zone.
“I see that you and Even seem to be getting along.” She said this nonchalantly, but I knew she was fishing for information.
“Yes, he’s nice,” I answered blandly, taking a bite of my chicken so I didn’t have to say more. I chewed slowly.
“You should have seen the repairs they made to my boat. She hasn’t looked that good in years.” Grandpa Jamie winked at me as he took another bite of potato.
“Have there been any more problems with tourists?” I asked.
“Not since that last group,” he said. “And they got a hefty fine. I don’t think they’ll be making trouble again soon.”
Thankfully, Grandma Mary did not bring up Evan again. She asked about my friends, school, and life in Wisconsin. I answered these ‘safe’ questions happily, probably going into more detail than necessary…my grandfather stifled a yawn one or two times. After dinner, I was so relieved to be excused that I offered to do all the dishes. Grandma Mary looked pleased. They both settled in the den—Grandpa Jamie to read the paper and watch television, and Grandma Mary to work on crossword puzzles.
When I finished the dishes, I told my grandparents I was going out to get some fresh air. My coat hung in the front hall. I was putting it on and backing out the door when I ran into something solid.
“Oomph,” it said.
I turned; it was Evan.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Hi, Meara. How are you?” he asked in a teasing voice. He leaned in and whispered. “It’s customary to say ‘hi’ before you ask people questions.”
“Hi, Evan. How are you?” I mimicked the singsong tune he used, adding. “Why are you lurking on my grandparents’ porch?”
“I’m not lurking!” He held up a bucket of tools. “I brought these back for Jamie. I won’t be at work tomorrow, and he’ll need them.”
“Oh,” I said, stepping to the side. “Come inside then.”
“Thank you.” Evan stepped past me and went into the den. “Hi, Jamie. Where would you like the tools?”
“Hall’s good,” Grandpa Jamie said. “You could have brought those back on Thursday.”
Evan gave me a quick look. I smirked at him. Too late, I realized that my grandparents watched our exchange with interest.
“Where are you off to?” Evan asked.
“Just going for a walk,” I said. “Want to come?”
“Sure.” He turned back to my grandparents. “Have a nice evening.”
“You too, Evan!” Grandma Mary called. She smiled at us sweetly. “Have a nice walk.”
The sun was setting, and the air had cooled from earlier in the day. So far, summer in Nova Scotia was colder than Wisconsin. I was glad I wore my coat.
“Do you have a destination in mind?” Evan asked.
“No,” I said. “I just wanted to go out. What do you think?”
“We could take the path down to the water.”
“Okay. Lead the way.”
Evan took my hand, and we walked down to the water’s edge. The water was almost calm. The waves lapped, rather than beat, against the rocks. The almost-black water shimmered in the golds and reds of the setting sun.
Evan released my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“Where are you going tomorrow?” I asked.
“Halifax,” he said. “Hockey practice with the new team.”
“You start already? I thought hockey was a winter sport.”
“We play inside,” he said. “So, we can pretty much play all year.”
“I’ve never seen a hockey game.”
“You’re joking, right?”
I shook my head, and Evan’s jaw dropped. “You’re coming to my next game then,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. “When is it?”
“Third Saturday in August. I can’t remember the date off hand.”
“That’s a few weeks away,” I said. “Just let me know.”
The vibrant colors of the setting sun dulled to a deep maroon. The blackness of the water took over, and gulls cried overhead.
“Do you want to head back to the house?” Evan asked.
“I’m good,” I said. “Do you need to get going?”
“No hurry.”
We sat on the rocks, our hips touching. I found small stones and tossed them into the water, listening to the soft plop. I was amazed by the stillness. Soon the stars appeared above, and a sliver of moon. It was dark and quiet.
“I’m glad you stopped by,” I told Evan shyly.
He nudged me with his shoulder. “Me, too. Even if you scolded me at first.”
“I didn’t scold you.”
His fingertips grazed along my jaw as he leaned in to kiss me. I snuggled against his side. When the kiss ended, I rested my head on his shoulder, shivering slightly.
“C’mon,” he said. “Let’s head back. It’s getting cold.”