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He hadn’t spoken loudly. But any display of emotion from him was unnerving.
“Must you do this every time?” my mother continued.
“Do what? All I’ve done is say hello. You’re the one who’s been criticizing me since the moment I got here.”
Frank spoke up again. “Lou, we’ve been waiting here for thirty minutes.”
He was right. I had been late. I was giving Sey as much time as I could to get back to me.
But it wasn’t like they hadn’t ever kept me waiting. For example, I’m still waiting on my gift from my thirteenth birthday. There had to be a $0.99 Store around here somewhere.
“You didn’t touch your croissant,” I said looking at the prop in front of them. “Are you going to eat it? I didn’t have lunch.”
Martha huffed in disgust and pushed it in front of me. I know it was a small thing, but this was the first thing they had given me in years. Maybe they did love me.
Tearing into it, flakes from it fell onto my plate and the table around it. Both of my parents watched me like it was feeding time at the zoo.
“So, how is school?” my father asked.
I almost choked. Neither of them had ever asked me that before. I didn’t know what was happening. And as much as I wanted to reply with something snide, I didn’t dare. What if the concern they were showing me was real? What if, despite a lifetime of evidence to the contrary, they actually did care about me? I couldn’t risk ruining that.
“It’s okay,” I said sincerely. “Umm, classes are going well. I have a really cool roommate… Quin. Umm, I have a boyfriend,” I said suddenly desperately wanting their approval.
“I see,” Frank said lowering his eyes.
Had I ruined the moment by reminding him I was gay? I had, hadn’t I? If I would have kept my mouth shut and just said things were fine, he wouldn’t have looked away. I always do this. I always keep talking when I should be shutting up.
“And here he is right now,” I said seeing him open the door.
Sey had come. He was here! I could have cried seeing him. And behind him were five of his football teammates. What was going on?
As soon as he saw me, his eyes lit up. Throwing the door open, he stepped inside.
“Lou!” he bellowed from across the room. His teammates lined up behind him.
“Sey, what’s happening?”
Sey looked back at the guys. When he did, they started singing.
“Wise men say, only fools rush in. But I can’t help falling in love with you.”
As the guys continued what had to be the sorriest rendition of one of my favorite songs, Sey crossed the room to me. Overwhelmed, I looked at my parents. Both were looking down and away. They wanted no part of what was going on and they weren’t hiding it.
I didn’t care. Whatever was happening was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me and I wasn’t going to let them ruin it.
“Lou, I know we haven’t known each other very long. But when you meet the person you know you want to spend the rest of your life with, you know. And if you do, what’s the point in waiting?”
“Wait what?” I said both horrified and delighted.
“Like a river flows, surely to the sea, darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be.”
“Lou, what I’m saying is that we might have just met, but I know you. I’ve known you my entire life because you were the dream I prayed every night would come true. So…” he said getting down onto one knee in front of me and pulling a ring out of his pocket.
“Oh my God!” I gasped.
“Louis Armoury, will you marry me?”
My head spun. Was this real? It had to be. I would never put such horrible singers in one of my fantasies.
