AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I went into the kitchen with mom, who had brough lunch. It was in one of her old wooden picnic baskets and it really brought back memories. I suppose that I was happy to see it, happy for the memories that ran through me because of it. It had been a long time since I’d seen that basket, years maybe, and it took me back to the exact picnic that we had. I was smiling when mom asked what was going on with them two.
When I looked back and saw Frank and my dad, they were still just assessing each other. Dad was asking Frank questions about where he served and with who. They had already gotten that out of the way and then they were talking about the military. I knew that it seemed strange, but I was relaxed by the talk. I was used to hearing old war stories from my dad and his friends. They had always intrigued me, and I was glad that they had something to bond over. Maybe this visit wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. But what happened if my parents really liked him and then something happened? It’s not like I was sure that I wanted to be with him. What we were doing was spontaneous and just to feel good. There were no real plans that I knew of.
It wasn’t but an hour later that we were having brunch that mom brought, and the two guys were getting along famously. They were getting along so well that I felt a moment of irritation. I didn’t know why, maybe because it was quite obvious that my father wanted a son. Mom liked Frank as well, he was great, that’s why I had fallen for him too. When the men went out to smoke a cigar, something I’d never seen Frank do, I wished that I could be out there with them. I wondered what they were talking about.
“Don’t worry, dear. It will be fine.”
I looked at mom and asked her what she was talking about. Mom motioned to the door where they’d gone. “You don’t have much of a poker face, dear. This is your first real boyfriend, isn’t it?” she asked with meaning and I’m pretty sure even though we’d not talked about it, I think she knew that I’d never been with a man before. Frank was my first and I agreed that he was my first.
Mom sighed and looked off for a time. “I am envious of your time together. It will be magical and something that you’ll never forget. I know that I didn’t.”
I was now questioning everything. What did that mean? Why did I always think that they were always together? I didn’t like thinking of my parents with other people. It was weird and I didn’t even like the momentary thought.
“You loved someone more than daddy?” I finally asked, awed at the idea of it.
“Not more, let’s just say that it was different.”
14
Frank
Iwould have thought that it was a set-up, the coincidence too great, but when I saw Amber’s reaction to her parents being at the door, I knew that I just had to roll with it. I wouldn’t say that I was the best person to deal with parents, I’d be the first to say that I’d never done it before, but Amber’s parents were different.
Her father was a retired military man. He’d done what I was doing, though I had a few more years. He retired after twenty and Charlie had helped me to see what it would be like. I can’t say that I was disappointed in the least bit. Life seemed to be pretty good on the other side.
Evelyn looked like an older version of Amber, and she was still beautiful. It gave me a glimpse at what Amber would be like as she aged, and I can’t say that I was disappointed. I was not, in the least bit. She was gorgeous and she had an easy way about her.
By the end of the visit, I felt closer to Amber and her parents. It made me think that somehow, we could work this out. We could be together. I didn’t know how it would look, I forgot for a time why I had come to begin with. It was the next day when that reality came back to sit on my chest and make it so that I couldn’t breathe.
Amber was up making breakfast when I got downstairs. I said something about her domestication, and I swear I thought I was going to wear what she made. I looked at the plate when it was served to me. There was some kind of tomato, pepper and onion concoction with over easy eggs on top. I didn’t know what it was, couldn’t pronounce it when she said it, but it tasted great.
“I never would have thought that this would be good.”
She scoffed and thanked me for my faith in her. I didn’t know what shakshuka was, but it was good. I think my faith was restored in Amber. I was smiling, feeling good, but the reminder of what we were supposed to be talking about hit me and I didn’t like the feeling at all. I knew that we had to finally have that talk though.
As soon as I mentioned any of it, Amber’s face fell, and I could tell that she wasn’t interested in talking about it. I didn’t want to talk about it either, but with the added information, it was no longer a choice.
“What is so important to tell me that you would ruin this moment, Frank?” Amber wanted to know. She definitely wasn’t too happy about it either. I could feel her annoyance and I sighed, letting her know that I didn’t want to have this conversation either. I found the current situation tenuous just like she did.
“Another two of my friends from a military crew are dead, Amber, that’s what.”
The shocked look in her eye told me that I had been a bit too callous about it all. Why did I think that she should be able to handle such news staunchly? It was a lot for anyone, but I knew that Amber was more delicate than most. I had gone about it all the wrong way. I was very thankful that I hadn’t given her the name of one of the dead. If she found out cavalier that Jesse was dead, I don’t think she would take it very well at all. I needed to wind her into that.
“I am so sorry, Frank. Are you okay?”
I sighed with her question, felt bad about how I acted. Why was she constantly showing me my faults without even trying to? I wanted her to see that there was something more to the deaths, that she was in danger too, but all she was worried about was me and my feelings.
“Yes, I’m fine. I haven’t really had time to process it yet. I needed to get to you first.”
She still wasn’t seeing the connection, which she should, since she was the one that had thought all along that it was something more than accident that got us hit with a truck after the funeral. She was like me, stuck in that moment of happiness and Amber didn’t want to let go of it. Once she figured it out, then her moment of happy haven was gone, and she wouldn’t know what to think. I didn’t want to help her figure it out. I wanted her to stay in ignorance just a little while longer.
Amber prompted me to answer her about what I meant. “Why did you have to get to me first, Frank? I don’t get it.”
“I just wanted to make sure that you were okay and that nothing happened to you, that’s all.”
She squinted her eyes at me comically, like she wanted me to know that she didn’t believe me. I finally spilled the truth with her scrutiny. There was nothing more that I could do. I could see now that I had to tell her.
“They have gone after some of the people’s family. I don’t have family, but they could know about you, and I can’t let anything happen to you. They already got my roommate, and I won’t let them…”
