I casually smooth down my skirt and look down because my head is currently whirling faster than a fidget spinner in the hands of a child. In fact, I can feel every eye on me despite not actually seeing them. Panic begins to rise in my chest, but I close my eyes and focus on deep breathing while someone reads scripture from the makeshift altar. Guilt tugs at my conscience for disrupting the service and for not focusing on the passages.
Another song begins to play.
Suddenly, Finley’s low voice is in my ear. “This one time while I was attending a wedding for a prince of a neighboring country, the priest was in the middle of reading scripture when I sneezed eight times nonstop. The echo through the cathedral was insane, and by the time I stopped, over five hundred people were gawking at me in disbelief as if I could control the monster exiting my body through those sneezes.”
I slap a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing because all I can picture is eight little dark figures spewing out of the sunshine man’s mouth as he sneezed. I envision women clutching their pearls and men shaking their heads in disapproval at the human prince.
Human.
We are all human, and we all do embarrassing, weird things at times. Even in the middle of church services.
With that thought, I lift my head to find everyone has gone about their business, singing the next song. Moving my gaze to Finley, I flash a quick smile and mouth, “Thank you.”
The returning smile I receive is nothing short of heart-stopping. How did this man that I barely know understand exactly how to distract me from my spiraling thoughts?
“And I thought, ‘This is my moment. I can be the hero for once.’” Mason continues to recount what has now become known as MKL sandwich—Mason Karoline Lorelei—among our friend group. We all sit at a rounded table, plates full of gravy, biscuits, grits, and other various southern comfort foods. I opted for a slice of the breakfast casserole with a side of fruit since I had my smoothie earlier.
“Ha, ha. You’re such a stud,” Braxton remarks, unimpressed, before shoveling sausage gravy into his mouth.
Hadley elbows him before taking a bite of bacon.
Karoline rolls her eyes.
And I sit there, using my fork to play with my fruit, placing the melon, pineapple, and strawberries into a smiley face.
“Okay, that’s enough. Change of topic,” Finley says. I offer him a grateful smile.
Lucy speaks up. “What’s everyone’s plans for this upcoming week?”
“Imma have Roy come over and help me with some plumbing issues,” Grandma Netty says as she joins us at our table. She sets her plate down to the right of Finley though thereis no spot there. Finley looks at me with a nervous glance, and then I chuckle when I notice he turns to his PPOs who have been captured in conversation with a couple of the older men.“They aren’t going to help you,” I tease.
Finley swallows but then moves his seat closer to me as Grandma Netty squeezes in with her long, floral dress that looks exactly like something a grandmother would wear.
“I wasn’t wrong earlier, right? She likes me?” This side of Finley, a little worried and anxious over an old lady’s opinion, is beyond adorable. He runs his hand through his hair and releases a breath.
“So, Finley, I see you took my advice and started to court the right twin.” Grandma Netty spoons grits into her mouth as she awaits a response. The table’s chatter about weekly plans has been suspended.
Everyone, myself included, focuses on Finley.
I want to offer him a funny out like he did me earlier, but also, I am curious as to what my grandmother means by her cryptic statement.
After a few seconds, Finley squares his shoulders and smiles. He meets every eye at the table—Hadley, Braxton, Lucy, Karoline, Mason, and lastly, me—before addressing Grandma Netty.
“Yes, ma’am. Turns out I was falling for Lorelei this entire time. Lucy graciously helped me to see that.”
“And are you dating my granddaughter officially?”
Finley laughs and then holds my eye contact. “If she will ever accept my intentions. That’s been the hard part. I’m mad about this woman, yet she’s giving me the race of my life to prove myself to her.”
The table erupts.
“Lorelei! Say yes to the handsome prince,” Hadley says.
“Dude. You’re not doing something right. Try writing her a song,” Mason says.
“Be patient,” Braxton says.
“I’m trying to talk you up to her,” Lucy says. I kill her with a glare.
