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She doesn’t say anything, but keeps staring at me.
“Please…just tell me what I need to do to fix this…” I plead. She glares without a word.
After another few agonizing minutes, she turns away and walks up the stairs. I stand, rooted in that spot, unable to move. She comes back down moments later and without even looking I know what she is doing. I slowly turn my eyes to watch her walk to the door, with her suitcase in hand. She hesitates on the doorknob, before thrusting it open.
“Madeline…Mads please…”
“I wish we could have had a day like today weeks ago,” She says dryly and walks out the door.
My heart goes with her.
TWENTY-SEVEN
MADELINE, THEN
We spend the rest of the day with my parents, talking, laughing and looking at photo albums my mom brings out against my will. I watch Elliot become more and more comfortable in my childhood home as the hours go on.
I endure too many embarrassing stories from my parents.
“Remember the time when you were thirteen and you tried to do a cartwheel on the beach?” My dad asks, his voice already shaking in laughter.
“She was trying to impress the lifeguard!” My mom chimes in.
“Mom!” I scold, then drop my head in my hands. I hear Elliot’s laughter next to me.
“Yes, she started to do the cartwheel, so confident, but then a kid ran by and knocked her over by accident,” My dad laughs.
“She was lying in the sand when a wave crashed into her and knocked the wind out of her. She was rolling around screaming that she was dying!” My mom has to stop because she is laughing too hard.
“You definitely got the lifeguard’s attention, just not in the way you wanted,” My dad adds, which makes my parents completely lose it.
Elliot can’t hold in his laughter anymore, and looks at me with second hand embarrassment mixed with love. “That’s adorable,” He comments with a smile.
“You guys are the worst!” I yell over their laughter before standing and tugging Elliot up with me to go to the kitchen. My mom made chili and cornbread for dinner so we make plates and return to the living room to watch American Ninja Warrior on TV.
“I think I could do this,” I say through a mouthful of cornbread while watching a crazy fit woman complete the obstacles. All three of them laugh and I glare at them.
“Honey, you wouldn’t even make it to the first obstacle,” My dad says which makes him and my mom double over in laughter.
“I think you would trip before you even started,” Elliot says softly with a smirk, which only makes my parents laugh harder.
“Elliot, my man,” My dad laughs.
“You all suck!” I yell and my mom throws a pillow at my face.
We all go to bed shortly after, with Elliot staying in the guest room. My mom tells him that he can stay with me in my room if he wants but the comment makes Elliot turn bright red and he mumbles something unintelligible before excusing himself to use the restroom.
I use the bathroom after him and find him waiting for me outside the door to say goodnight. He pulls me into him, looking down the hallway quickly before kissing me. “I’m going to sneak into your room tonight,” I whisper against his lips.
He pulls back. “Don’t you dare,” He says sternly with his eyes wide. “I’m trying to be respectful but you’re killing me, Mads.”
I laugh and try to keep kissing him. We hear a thump come from downstairs which is probably my mom getting ready to come up. He kisses me quickly and mumbles that he is locking his door.
The next morning, we decide to go pumpkin picking before we need to drive back to campus. I am so excited since Elliot has never been before.
“You’ve never gone with anyone?!” I push. We sit in the back of my parents’ car as they drive to the local farm.
“No…that can’t be too surprising,” He answers.
