MAISIE
“You’ll never guess who stopped by yesterday and had lunch with my mom and I.” I’m sitting at the dining table with Wren as she finishes frosting my mom’s cake for tonight.
“Hmm.” She furrows her brows in question as she concentrates on the cake.
My mom’s birthday party is tonight, so we’re working on last minute decorations as well as figuring out how to bake a cake. I keep reminding myself as long as it’s edible, that’s all that matters.
“Henry,” I say quietly, not wanting to say it too loud.
I’m still in shock at how well the impromptu lunch went yesterday. My mom clearly loves him and though she loves everyone, this one feels different.
“TheHenry that you’re totally crushing on but won’t actually admit to?” she states, still not looking up from the cake.
“That’s a loaded question.”
“Is it?” She finally looks up and I haven’t seen her look this serious in… well, ever. She clears her throat and I stop her before she can talk.
“Are you about to have a therapy session with me again?”
She grins as she starts. “You’re allowed to have fun. You’re allowed to love and get your heart broken. You’re allowed to step out of your comfort zone but you don’t allow yourself to. You're so terrified of the ending that you won't even allow yourself to press start on the beginning.” She stands from where she’s sitting and walks behind me, wrapping her arms around my back. “You barely know him but you’re also not allowing yourself to. This man has already memorized your coffee order, agreed to do this silly little Fuck It List,andliterally spent the day with you cause you weren’t feeling well.” She sighs. “Sometimes things show up when we least expect it to, including people. Just think about that.”
I’m not sure what to say, so I just grab her hands and squeeze them tight to let her know I hear her.
“You love and care so much for others, I want you to allow in love for yourself too.”
“I know,” is all I can muster up to say. She’s right, though, I’ve spent most of my life prioritizing others and their happiness without allowing myself to prioritize my own. “Thank you.”
“Back to this lunch you had,” she walks back to her seat, “how was it?”
I can tell by the tone in her voice that this isn’t silly Wren I know and love, but a genuine question coming from her.
“Honestly? It felt normal in a sense. It was… comfortable and familiar, which was weird since he’d never been over to my mom’s before, but he looked like he belonged.”
“I know you said you’re only friends, but is that what you really want?” she asks, and then adds, “Because personally, I would love for you to climb him like a tree.”
Laughing, I throw my hands over my face, that’s the Wren I know.
“Can I be honest?” I ask.
Wren looks at me in response but doesn’t say anything.
Taking a deep breath, I say what I’ve been scared to. “I like Henry. A lot. But it scares me how likeable and loveable he is, and how much I like being around him. He brings out a side of me that I haven’t felt before,” I confess. “I’m scared that the feeling I have being around him is going to become a natural feeling, something I get used to, and then he’s going to leave. I don’t know if I can handle that.”
“I know it’s scary,” Wren reassures me. “But I think you need to let go of the negative connotation of the what-ifs and start thinking of the positives. Use these next few weeks to just live and have fun, stop thinking about what your feelings will be, and just be in the present,” she says. “And if that happens to be boning Henry Bellwood, then so be it!”
“I don’t know how you can be Dr. Phil one moment, and the next…” I wave my hands in the air, “I don’t know, you just have a way with words.”
“It’s what I do best.” She laughs back.
“I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”
“Your life would still be bright… but duller without me.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” I snort.
“Doesn’t need to, just know I’m happy that we decided to sit at lunch together in school one day and the rest has become history.” She pulls me in for one more hug, ending our little therapy session. “Is he coming to your mom’s party tonight?”
“I’m pretty sure, yes.” And by pretty sure, I am positive, but I can’t let her know that him showing up is all I’ve been thinking about.
