“Well, how about after dinner we come back here and watch all the John Hughes movies and eat pie?”
“I could get behind that,” she tells me and slides on hersock-covered feet over to me. “I—” Angie is cut off by the knocking at my door. “Are you expecting anyone?” she asks nervously and I feel my own heart free-fall to my stomach.
“No,” I say to her as a rapid succession of knocks follows. “Stay here,” I tell her and kiss her on the forehead. Our time to tell our families runs out every single day that we’re together. Every call, every text, every knock at my door could mean they’ve found out. I’ve done an okay job avoiding my mom’s inquisition regarding my love life during Sunday dinners, but I can only hold her off for so long until she takes matters into her own hands.
Checking the peephole, I see it’s just Carter and open my door to him.
“I thought you were one of my brother’s,” I say in lieu of a greeting when I open the door for him and let him step inside.
“I’m in love with him,” Carter blurts out and I look at him like I already knew this as I lead us back into the kitchen, where Angie is standing nervously. When she sees it’s Carter, she relaxes.
“Hi, Carter,” she greets with a smile.
“Oh. Hi, Angie.”
“What’s going on?” she asks, as she looks between the two of us.
“He’s in love,” I say and place my hand on his shoulder.
“I mean, I knew that when you two came over here for dinner months ago. Is this a newer development for yourself?”
Carter turns to look at me as if I know that Angie knows how to read minds.
“When are you two going to realize that women pick up on clues a lot easier than men?”
She says that while looking at me, and in that look, I know we’re on the same page. We just haven’t uttered those three words. And I wonder—if Carter hadn’t knocked on my door, was she ready to say it? Because I’ve caught myself a handful of times from blurting it out, scared that she wouldn’t say it back.
But now. With this look she’s giving me. I know she’s as ready to say those words as I am.
“I have heard that,” Carter says sheepishly and looks my way. “So, I should tell him?”
My mouth opens and closes like a guppy, and Angie walks over and gently moves me out of the way so that she can talk. “What did I just say about women being able to pick up on clues easier? Is Miles in town?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect. My advice is not to make it a grand affair. I believe those should only be reserved for proposals. Are you positive of his feelings for you?”
Carter nods. “Yes.”
“Okay. You can either be really symbolic and romantic by recreating your first date. Or you can do it very casually, like if you’re watching a movie or cooking together.”
I watch as my best friend absorbs the words of the girl I’m more than deeply in like with, with an intensity as if she’s giving him the answers to a test. But is love a test? Or is the relationship the test and love is the grade?
Once Angie finishes talking Carter down from his spiral over his love realization, I walk him to the door.
“So, have you told her you love her yet?” he asks, purposefully keeping his voice down.
“No,” I say and open the door, “I think she was about to tell me before you knocked on the door.”
Carter winces and steps into the hallway. “Sorry, buddy.”
“No worries.”
“Thank you.”
“That was all her.”
He peers past me toward the direction of where she is. “Yeah. You have yourself a keeper. See ya later.”
