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“I can’t let that happen.”
“You think your momma would like her?” She asks with a small smile.
Smiling back, I assure her. “Momma would love her!”
Sitting back in her chair she asks, “So, whatcha gonna do?”
“Mrs. F, at the moment I am just going to go with baby steps. She just wants to be friends right now and as scared as she is of relationships she would probably move to New Zealand to get away from me if she heard me saying the “L” word. I don’t even want to think about how bad she would freak out. I can’t go full throttle or I am afraid I’ll push her away. For now, friends, and we work our way to more from there.”
“It sounds like your connection is pretty strong and I hope it doesn’t take her as long as you think it might. It’s good that you respect where she’s coming from though. Remember she’s a momma now and we are fierce when it comes to our babies, so you have an extra mountain to climb, but I know you’ll make it to the top.”
“Thank you. You don’t know how much you guys mean to me and it means so much that you all flew out here to see the house. You know this should have been mom’s house. I tried to have it built with all the things she had dreamed of. There are little things, like the big sink in the laundry room that always make me think of her.”
“Honey, the fact that after losing three people you loved in a matter of months, you didn’t do what a lot of young people would have done and blow through your momma’s life insurance and your savings that you worked so hard for. Honey, that’s a big deal. And it’s somethin’ your momma would be so proud of. This house is beautiful and I hope that someday soon it’s filled with your own family and all the love that you deserve.”
She stands and pretends that she’s getting rid of non-existent wrinkles in her shirt, picks up her little chair and returns it to the corner I put it in just for her. I can tell she needs this moment to collect herself so that the tears that were filling her eyes don’t fall, and I give her that. Truth is, I need it just as bad as she does.
“Now, give me a hug and go get your work out on. I plan on hitting up as many food carts and yummy restaurants as possible while we’re here so you are gonna need to burn some calories. I love you, kiddo. Now go on and get.”
I give her one more little squeeze and a kiss on the cheek before I let her go.
“Love you too, Mrs. F. Thanks again.”
It’s Saturday night and we’re all sitting around the fire pit in my back yard talking about the day. Devon and Gabby joined us today and the seven of us—well eight if you count Frances—had a great day. After stuffing ourselves Friday on food carts and late night funky flavored ice cream at Salt and Straw, we decided to take it a bit easier on the calorie intake today. We took the Fanuas to see Multnomah Falls since this is an obligatory must see for first timers to Portland. The drive through the Columbia River Gorge is beautiful and the falls are the added bonus at the end of the forty-minute drive. After getting in all the mandated photos that Mrs. F and Kate insisted on we headed to Wachlella Falls Trailhead for a nice little two-mile hike. We spent the rest of the day hitting other local stand outs, and taking in as much of the outdoors as possible. It’s late September, but the weather is still great and we’re trying to soak up every bit we can.
As I look at everybody important to me, outside of my work brothers, I am completely at peace . . . almost. There are two little ladies I would love to add to this group and then it would seem as though everything was right in the world. As if reading my mind, Liam decides it’s time to bust my balls.
“So, Devon . . . did J tell you I met Emily yesterday?”
“No, he did not.”
“Well, I did. She was coming out of spin class at The Gym when we got there.”
“Told you Devon, she is hooked! I knew once we got her there she would love it. Besides I teach the class, so you know she loves it.” Gabby gives D a wink and then motions to Liam to carry on.
“Did you embarrass our boy?” he asks, hopefully.
“Nope, I was on my best behavior. Don’t want to make things any harder for him. He can do that all on his own. Besides, I’ve heard about her for so long now that I was surprised to actually be meeting her. She really is a real person. Who knew?”
I flip him off from across the fire and he just shrugs.
“Dang, I’m sure that’s not the way she would have wanted to meet you Liam. All sweaty, no hair and make-up and a mess after working her butt off. Of course, she doesn’t need hair and make-up. That girl always looks good. It’s just not fair,” Gabby says, speaking the truth.
Kate throws a marshmallow at her, from what’s left of our roasting earlier, and says, “Who’s talking? You are perfect! You could be Kelly Rowland’s twin for God’s sake! I don’t want to hear it, Gabby!”
Before Gabby can reply Liam breaks in with, “She’s not playin’, D, you done good. I can’t believe she liked you way back when you were just a scrawny little kid. You know how lucky you are, right?”
“Yes, I do Liam. Yes, I do.” Devon answers and leans over and kisses Gabby on the cheek and she mouths ‘I love you’ to him.
“Anyway, back to lover boy and Emily over here. Gabby, you’re right she didn’t need any make-up, but I could tell she was embarrassed. I haven’t decided if it was meeting me all sweaty or seeing J for the first time in person since she drunk texted him. Of course, I really think it’s because she’s in love with this idiot over here. I can’t account for her taste in men but she seemed like a sweet girl in the few minutes I talked to her. What’s your take, D?”
“She really is a sweet girl, Liam, and I think she’s crazy about this idiot over here too.”
“Uh, guys. I’m sitting right here. You can stop talking about me like I’m not here,” I interject to no avail. They just carry on. Even Fiona.
“Oh, I wish I had gone to The Gym. When Liam told me he got to meet Emily, I was so jealous.”
“Honey, I think it’s best that you didn’t meet her. If she’s as frightened as the boy says she is about relationships . . . you would have scared her to death. You probably would have been taking her measurements so you could start on the wedding dress. The poor girl doesn’t need all that.”
