“Thisis your favorite restaurant?” I ask, shocked. She nods. “Sorry, I don’t mean to come off as judgmental, but I am curious to know how often you come here. I know you’re well off when it comes to money, but this place seems very expensive.”
She chuckles, never once breaking eye contact. It’s that small gesture that made my heart want to jump out of my chest. It’s the way she let my words settle around her, almost as if she was enjoying the sound of them. Since first talking to her, I have noticed how laid-back she is. Never in a rush because she seemed to enjoy the slowed pace of things despite the world around her.
“Fortunately, the price is not something I’ve ever had to worry about,” she finally replied. “I wasn’t raised in a super wealthy household or anything, but I learned early on in life that we were doing a lot better than most of the people I grew up with, and I never took it for granted. However, I also never passed up on any of the perks it allotted me. Dining at fancy restaurants was one of them. Not frequently, but at least once a month.”
“So, your parents make bank, I assume?” I questioned, and she half shrugged.
“I mean, they were both able to retire early thanks to me,” she chuckled. “But before that, my dad was a college professor, and my mom worked a high-level government job. So, like I said, we were doing better than most people.”
“I see,” I nod. “I love that for you, though. Not everyone gets to experience luxury in life, let alone from a young age. I cancount on one hand the number of family vacations we went on, and we definitely never went to places this fancy.” I smiled. “But there were times when my mom and I would go on picnics after church on Sundays and have the best mother-daughter days in the world. She’d be up early in the morning to make my favorite snacks, and then we’d pack them up in her car before heading to her church in Clinton. After service, we’d go to the same park to the same tree on the same hill, and stay there for hours just enjoying the breeze and each other’s company.”
I smiled just thinking about the memories from back then. It’d been well over a decade since we had one of our mother-daughter dates, thanks to her deteriorating health, but at least I had things like photos and keepsakes to remember the good times. It did sadden me that we’d probably never get the chance to do stuff like that again, though.
When I turned fourteen, she started to have trouble with her memory. At first, it was little things like forgetting where she put her phone or how to work the dryer, but over a couple of years, it evolved to bigger things like her forgetting me at school, and forgetting to take her medicine, resulting in her fainting and having to be rushed to the hospital because her sugar had gotten dangerously low.
Around the time I was seventeen, she was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As a young adult still growing and maturing, it was devastating. Honestly, it would’ve been devastating for anyone at any age to see someone they love break down because they were so frustrated at having to work overtime just to recall certain memories. My heart hurt for her, and I suddenly went from being protected by her to being her protector in less than two years.
Yeah...it was a lot.
When I went off to college, I’d always felt bad for leaving her behind, especially because my sister didn’t seem as interested inmaking her comfortable as I was. But my mom always told me I couldn’t worry about her all my life. She’s the one who talked me into applying for the school I went to, and did everything she could so I wouldn’t have to worry about her while I was gone. Yeah, she had her days when she couldn’t tell me from my sister when I called to check on her, but there was always that little piece of her itching to make itself known, and she always told me she loved me before the end of the calls.
It’s been almost a year since my sister put her in a care facility, unbeknownst to me. Whenever I went to visit her, it’d take her longer to recognize me, and sometimes she’d flat out tell me that she didn’t know who I was. It was heartbreaking to see, but I still visited her at least once a week. I’ll never understand how Myra could toss her away like that, and it’s another reason why I didn’t have much respect for her anymore.
“Raine?” I look up to see Dawn staring at me, concern in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, uh, yeah, I’m fine,” I nod, quickly swiping the lone tear that fell down my cheek. I smiled at her as best I could. “Just dealing with some big feelings.”
“You thinking about your mom?” She asked softly, and I nodded, trying my best to keep my tears down.
“God, why do I keep crying on our first date?” I chuckled as I wiped my face. “I’m so sorry. I promise I’m not usually like this.” I pause, shaking my head. “Actually, why am I lying? Yes, I am. I tend to get really emotional sometimes. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no,” she shook he head before rising from her seat. She slid into the booth beside me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. “Never apologize for feeling your feelings. Your mom is important to you and, although I only know the basics from what you told me, I can tell that being away from her like this has been a lot, right?”
“It has,” I admit, my breath shaking. I refused to fall out sobbing in this restaurant, so I kept it down as best as I could. “But she’s getting the best care possible, so I shouldn’t be too sad.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being sad, okay?” she assured me. I nod once more, and she hugs me tighter. “If you want to cut this date short and head home, I’ll understand.”
“Absolutely not,” I gasp, pulling away from her. She wore an amused expression as I stumbled over my words. “I-I mean, no, I’ll be okay, I promise. I’ve been excited all day about getting to spend alone time with you, and nothing is going to change that.”
“Oh, so what I’m hearing is that you like me or something?” she teases, and I playfully roll my eyes before giggling.
“I mean, you’re okay, I guess,” I shrug, a smile tugging at my lips. “You’re the nicest celebrity I’ve ever met.”
“And how many have you met?”
“Mm, something smells good,” I say, changing the subject. She lets out an infectious laugh as she shakes her head. I pick up my menu again, pretending to look for what I wanted to order. When I peeked from behind it, I could see her staring at me with that gorgeous smile of hers. It made me blush. “Whatttt?”
“Nothing. You’re just really cute,” she informs me. My breath hitches as she leans forward. My eyes travel down to her lips, and she licks them slowly, causing my gaze to shoot back up to meet hers. “You see something you want?”
Yes, you.
I close my eyes, trying not to let my thoughts run too wild. I usually wasn’t the type to fold so easily when flirted with, but it’d been way too long since I’d gotten laid. Honestly, it’d been a long time since I’d even gone on a date. The last time I did, me and the woman I’d gone out with didn’t even make it back to her apartment. We ended up in a parking garage not far from the movie theater we’d been at. I mean, I’m not complaining, butthere was something inside of me telling me that Dawn wasn’t that kind of person, at least not on our first time.
Raine, get it together! Why are you thinking about sleeping with this woman so much?!
“You zone out a lot,” Dawn chuckled as she sat back against the booth. “You good?”
“I’m…I’m fine,” I nod, sighing. She continued to stare at me, and I groaned, covering my face. I could hear her giggling at my misfortune. “Ugh, stop staring at me like that! It’s already bad enough I’m so damn attracted to you, but you make me want to drag you into the nearest bathroom and-”
