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I look at the generous helpings of every sort of comfort food. It’s been so long since I was allowed to eat unsupervised, my mouth is watering while my stomach gnaws on itself, ready for the delicious-smelling meal being laid out.
“Well, I mean, I love to dance. I’ve always wanted to teach. Maybe,” I say, hesitating on a shrug before going on, “like, a little dance school for kids or something? I don’t know, I’ve never really thought of what I would want.”
“Well, you’re going to need to do a lot of that now.” Merrick takes my hand, pulling it to his mouth and kissing my knuckles.
“Man.” Margaret gives him a smile. “You do go from zero to a hundred in the blink of an eye.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” his father chimes in. “I knew the minute I set my eyes on Belinda here she was mine. She was a girl from another town, passing through, but I knew. I knew when I saw her with her parents, having a picnic in the park, when I was a deputy and—”
Merrick’s mom puts her hand over her husband’s, blushing a little. “They’ve all heard this story before, you don’t need to tell it again.”
“Well, Kezia hasn’t heard it. Have you, dear?” He looks at me and I shake my head. His father is just an older version of Merrick. His size is not as thick, but his eyes are the same and the shape of his face is eerily similar.
“I’d love to hear the story.” I answer feeling warm and embraced by it all.
“See?” He smiles at his wife, and for a moment they just stare into each other’s eyes. “Like I was saying, I knew right away. Took her father aside and told him I’d pay for them to spend the weekend right here in town at the Millington Inn which is still just down the street, so long as I could treat them all to dinner that night. I think he was maybe expecting a hamburger and fries or something, on a deputy’s salary, but I made a deal with the best restaurant in town to have a five-star meal. The owner was a friend, gave me a month to pay it off.”
Merrick’s mom laughs. “My dad said he’d never seen so much food in all his life. He didn’t eat again for two days. How many courses was it?”
“Seven. And I spent the whole time trying to catch your eye.”
“You already had it, my love.”
Merrick’s dad nods. “The rest was history. Within a month, we were married, and we’ve barely spent a night away from each other since. If I could have married her that first day, I would have. I just knew.”
“Same here,” Merrick agrees and I’m melting inside. How can this be my life? Family and friends surrounding a table of food, all in my honor? Just to meet me?
“Well, eat up,” Margaret says. “Here, Kezia, these are Rodney’s famous chicken dumplings. They’re a house favorite…”
“Although we’ve never tasted them.” Summer interjects but I barely hear.
I wince back as Merrick reaches for the serving dish, pulling it toward him. “Sorry, I should have told you when I called this morning, Kezia has an allergy to poultry…chicken…turkey. Also eggs. We need to be very careful.”
Margaret goes silent, her face dropping, and I’m immediately uncomfortable again.
“I’m sorry. It’s fine. I usually eat lots of vegetables and rice.”
“It’s okay,” she says, but her voice is strange and even her daughter looks at her questioningly.
“You okay, Mom? That’s so odd…” Summer adds giving me a quizzical look but before I can ask what’s odd, her mom pushes her chair back and I’m suddenly embarrassed.
“Yes.” She says the word but it’s clear she’s not okay. “Can you excuse me for a minute?”
“Anyway,” Summer looks at me. “As I was saying, it’s a coincidence…my mom and I are both allergic to poultry too. What are the odds?” The chirpy goth unicorn girl smiles on a shrug, then passes me a bowl of salad.
Her sudden departure does nothing to dampen everyone else’s mood, so I take scoops of the green beans and a large serving of salad to start. As we eat, Margaret returns, but she’s quiet and keeps glancing my way when she thinks I’m not looking.
“I’m so full.” I finally put my fork down as Merrick and his parents have a heated debate about the latest need for a new stop light a few blocks up Main Street.
“Where’s the rest room?” I lean over, whispering to Summer, who points to the back left corner of the now-packed diner.
Merrick grabs a handful of my rear end as I stand and I turn red, looking around the table, but no one seems to care. “Kiss me first.”
“Do you hear everything?”
“Yes. Now kiss me.”
I lean down and do as he says, my heart feeling as full as my belly as I work my way through the crowded diner. Everyone eats and laughs, and this is the world I was never a part of before, but finally, I have hope.
