“I’m glad you're home and came to see me. I’ll give you a tour of the house,” I say as they remove their shoes and follow me through each room.
My mom makes comments about how I’ve decorated the house here and there, pointing out something she loves. I got my sense of decoration from her and I know she’ll spend a weekend over here with me at some point as we make changes to rooms. I remember my last house when she showed up randomly and we painted the walls in two rooms and completely switched them around. Nothing was left the same and it made me happy because I didn’t know what to do with the space.
“I really love this,” my mom says as we make our way into the kitchen and I lead them to the backyard. “You bought a house with a pool, Taleah?”
“Yeah. Even though I can’t swim, it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the pool. I can sit on the steps in the shallow end when it’s really hot out. Or I can lounge on the chairs around the pool to get a tan. Elara can bring the kids over and enjoy the water instead of going to the public pool like she has been. They can spend the day here and we can have a cookout. You and Dad can come over and use it whenever you want,” I say as she takes a look around at what I’ve done with the space out here.
Rex and I spent a day this week buying patio furniture. I now have a table and chairs outside with lounge chairs around the pool. There’s pool toys for the kids and adults. Rex bought a huge grill and it now sits near the house beyond the table and chairs. I also have a rocking chair because some mornings I love sitting outside with a hot chocolate and listening to nature wake up for the day. I have a swing in the yard so I can enjoy the sun shining down on me like Bhodi and I did when he was still alive.We also planted flowers close to the house and along the fence on the left side of the yard. I’m truly making the space something I love and can be proud of. Somewhere Rex and I can spend time and enjoy ourselves.
“I’m proud of you, Baby Girl. You’re doing so well and I know we don’t have to keep worrying about you when we’re out of town,” my dad says as he pulls me in for a hug. “We’ll always worry because you’re our daughter, but now we can see you’ve found your happiness. What changed?”
“Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Rex lately. He’s here every day and we’re seeing where things go between us. We’re back together again and talked through everything,” I answer them honestly as my parents exchange a look and my dad mumbles something about needing to head to the store for dinner because they’re cooking and eating here tonight.
“Let’s sit in the swing, Sweetheart,” my mom says, walking over and taking a seat as I follow behind her. “Are you sure you want to take a chance with Rex again, Taleah? He broke your heart when you were younger. He wasn’t there when you needed him the most.”
“I know. Like I said, we talked about everything before I even agreed to take things slow with him. He explained how he became broken when they lost their grandma and that’s why he started pushing us all away. He didn’t want to leave himself open to ever feeling that pain again. Then, we lost Bhodi and it completely shattered him. It’s why he made me believe he was cheating on me when he never did. He only walked upstairs with the girl before he left the party after Elara and I did. Did you know he was at Bhodi’s funeral?” I return, looking at my mom as she pulls me into her side like she did when I was a little girl.
“I did know he was there. Your dad and I saw him standing in the shadows. He couldn’t take his eyes off you andalmost went to you more than once. I know Rex has loved you since before either one of you truly understood what it means to love another person you’re in a relationship with. For you, it’s always been Rex. I knew things weren’t going to last with TJ because he could never live up to the memories you carry of Rex. What about how he treated you when you were together before?” my mom asks me, worry lacing her voice as she gently swings us back and forth.
“He was trying to protect me. Bhodi and him saw how badly Elara and I were bullied in high school. He thought if people knew we were in a relationship, the bullying would get worse. I mean it did for Elara when everyone found out she was with Bhodi. Rex didn’t want me to suffer and that’s why he acted the way he did. Am I being stupid by giving him another chance, Mom?” I ask her, wanting her opinion because it truly means a lot to me.
“No, I don’t believe you’re being stupid at all, Sweetheart. When the four of you met at the work party, we all knew you’d end up more than friends. Your bond was immediate and the boys were always watching Elara and you. They couldn’t ever stand to see you cry or hurt in any way. As you all got older, we were just waiting for relationships to be announced. I fully believe if Bhodi were still alive, Elara and him would be married with kids by now. They were extremely different from Rex and you. The two of you needed to grow as individuals and learn who you were before you could come together again. I believe as long as the two of you keep the lines of communication open and don’t repeat the same mistakes of your past, you’ll last a lifetime,” my mom says as she smiles down at me before kissing the top of my head.
“Things are already different, Mom. He’s taken me to the clubhouse to hang out with all of his friends. We’ve had dinner inpublic instead of staying here at the house a few times. We even went for a ride on his bike. He bought a brand-new version of the bike he bought with Bhodi. No other girls have been on it before now. We spent an entire weekend riding with no destination in mind. It was the best weekend of my life, Mom. We’re all about creating memories now and that’s what we did. He didn’t hesitate to put me on the back of his bike. Do you know why he didn’t take me for rides when we were younger?” I ask her as she shakes her head in response. “He wasn’t confident enough to ride with me behind him. That’s why he took those other girls for a ride. He was gaining experience with a passenger so I could ride with him. It makes sense when I think about it.”
“That does make a lot of sense,” she says as we both look over the pool and get lost in our own thoughts. Neither one of us moves from the swing as we let the heat of the day and sun cover us. It’s peaceful and we don’t need to fill the silence with conversation. I didn’t realize I was missing spending time with my mom until this very moment.
Rex got here a little while after my dad returned from the store with dinner for the night. The two of them disappeared outside while my mom and I worked in the kitchen. We made potato salad, pasta salad, corn on the cob, crescent rolls, asparagus, and I baked brownies for dessert. My dad and Rex are grilling chicken and steaks with potatoes on the grill. My dad does this thing where he slices the potatoes really small and then adds a few slices of butter and seasoning. Once they’re ready, he wraps them in tin foil and places them on the grill with whatever meat is being cooked. They’re the best potatoes and he makes extra for me to have tomorrow.
“The meat’s done cookin’,” Rex says, walking in the kitchen and pressing a kiss against my temple. “What do you want me to carry outside?”
“If you want to grab the salads to carry out, we’ll grab everything else,” my mom says as he pulls her in for a hug. “We missed you, Rex. I’m glad we’re getting to spend time with you today.”
“I missed you all, too. I promise I won’t ever disappear like that again,” he assures her while grabbing the salads and a few more things .
My mom and I grab what’s left while leaving the brownies inside for now. I grab drinks for everyone as we head out to sit at the table with my dad and Rex. Rex fills my plate while my dad puts food on my mom’s. They make sure there’s not an empty inch of the plate before taking any food for themselves. I won’t ever be able to eat it all, but Rex will finish it for me.
“Rex, what have you been up to since we last saw you?” my dad asks as we all start eating our dinner.
“I served in the military for eight years. My entire team decided to leave at the same time. We were all exhausted and ready to live for ourselves instead of constantly goin’ out on missions knowin’ we would witness more tragedy than we could do anythin’ about. We’re all in Glendale now. The team I was on started a motorcycle club here in town. I opened a security company through the club. We install alarms, provide security to celebrities and others who call for a team, and we monitor every system we install,” he says while holding my hand on the table between us. “I recently started spending time with Elara again and I’m with Taleah every day I’m in town.”
“It sounds like you’ve been busy, Rex,” my mom says with a smile on her face. “It’s good to be busy. One of the reasons we haven’t slowed down at work yet.”
“Are you going to be leaving again soon?” I ask them because they literally just got home.
“We’re home for a few days and then we’re leaving again. There’s a huge conference we have to attend. I think your parents are going with us, Rex. It will be nice to spend time with them. It feels as if it’s been forever,” my mom answers as she takes a sip of her lemonade.
“I don’t know the last time I saw my parents. Every time they seem to be home, I’m out of town. I’ll have to give them a call tomorrow and go see them before they head out of town again. I don’t think they’ve even met Logan yet,” Rex says before he starts telling my parents about his new nephew and shows them pictures of the kids.
My parents have already met Nadia and David. They love Elara’s kids and truly enjoy spending time with them when they’re in town. My mom gushes over how precious Logan is and about how she can’t wait to hold him. My dad is more reserved, but he smiles while looking at the pictures of the baby. He’s secretly a softie who loves kids.
After dinner, we all help clean up the mess and put away the leftovers. Rex and my dad bring in the firepit we bought and hadn’t gotten a chance to install yet. When they’re done, we grab chairs and sit around the pit with a fire burning. I bring out the brownies and stuff I bought for s’mores. It’s been a long time since I’ve had s’mores and we just happened to randomly buy what we needed a few days ago. Rex actually put everything in the cart when we were shopping for groceries. Now, I’m glad he did.
My dad and Rex talk about his time in the military and what the club does while my mom and I listen to them. We talk every now and then about a new book coming out soon and what I’ve been reading. My mom has a stack of books waiting for her at Fantasy Realm she promises to come in for before they leave on their next trip. She wants to have something new to read on the plane and when they’re at the hotel with nothing more to do. Though, if Rex’ parents are going to be there with them, I don’t see her having a lot of free time. Our moms will spend their time exploring the sights and taking in the local culture. I have a feeling our dads will find a sports bar somewhere or a golf course and that’s where they’ll spend their time. It’s what they do when they’re home together.
By the time my parents leave for the night, I’m exhausted but really happy. We had a great day and night with them and Rex got the chance to explain himself and why things happened the way they did. As we get ready for bed together, I can’t take the smile off my face because it doesn’t feel as if I’m hiding anything from my parents. I would never keep my relationship with Rex from them but they haven’t been home for me to talk to. Rex and I climb into bed and I lay in his arms as sleep pulls me under and I dream of a better future for the two of us than what we ever imagined having.
Chapter Thirty-One
