All that adds up to is me not really knowing what's cool and what's not. I've had very few opportunities to be around my peers."Maybe I should look up what a nineteen-year-old wears to bed,"I murmur mostly to myself.
Mom throws the towel down on the counter."No you can't, cause then your father would be right."
"What is going on here? Right about what?"I push because I'm really freaking confused and my parents talking in riddles doesn't help.
Mom puckers her lips like she doesn't want to answer me, but she finally does."Your father thinks I bought the pajamas on purpose, to make you look older than you are."
I raise one eyebrow in surprise."Did you?"
She goes back to wiping the counter."Maybe,"she mumbles.
I lean forward and catch her hand to stop the motion."Seriously?"I ask with a laugh."Why in the world would you do that? I'm not mad, I'm more entertained than anything because I don't understand the play here."
"Just seemed like you needed a safe option, if you know?"she gestures outwardly with her hands like I should know what that means but I have no idea what she's talking about.
"Safe option?"
She nods,"You know, if you find yourself with a boy."
"A boy?" I deadpan.
"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"
I smile, eating up just how damn uncomfortable my mom is right now. What did she think? That I was going to get a new heart and then go jump right into bed with a guy? I thought she knew me better than that."Every last word."
She sighs as she throws the rag down once again."Okay fine. I thought, maybe you would have the inclination tomaybego out with a guy and if one thing led to another I wanted you to have a safe option to wear to bed if you wanted to you know,maybeput the brakes on something."Her cheeks turn bright red as she fidgets with the towel, waiting for me to say something.
I stare at her in astonishment. It isn't long before I can't contain it anymore, my laugh engulfs the kitchen, it's full and unfiltered. I even have little tears that start to leak out, accompanied by a little hiccup as I watch my mother crunch up her nose. Her lips pucker like she's trying to hold in a laugh of her own, but she finally breaks and joins me.
"You bought me cock-blocking PJs?"I ask in between giant gulps of air. I think I may pee my pants.
"Millie!"she scolds but it isn't long before she's in another fit of laughter with me.
"What? Wasn't that the intention?"
"You don't have to say it like that!"
Her response elicits another round of giggles. It feels so dang good to laugh like this.
"It isn't a crazy thought! As much as your father and I would like for you to stay our little sweet, toothless five-year-old, we aren't oblivious to reality."
My laughter finally slows as I work to get control of my breathing.Wow, that was a good one. My chest even hurts from jostling it so much.
"You can rest easy. There's no boy right now."But my mind immediately goes to Rowan, the mysterious and handsome guy that I met just yesterday. There was something about him that I was drawn to. Maybe it was how handsome he was, or maybe it was the carefree smile that still seemed sad.
Whatever it was, I know that I enjoyed talking to him even if it wasn't until later that I realized just how freaking dorky I came across. I mean, who freaking admits they lost the bingo cards to an over-sixty bingo club and then Vanna White's in front of a stranger?
That would be me. I almost groan out loud, but I manage to hold it in.
"You haven't met anyone? I didn't figure there would be a ton of guys your age at the site, but I thought maybe there would be one or two,"Mom probes.
I shrug,"Maybe, I don't know. There is this one guy, but I probably came off as a weirdo and he'll never want to talk to me again."
"Yeah, but you're a cute little weirdo."
"Mom! You aren't supposed to agree with me!"I answer playfully.
She places her elbows on the kitchen island and folds her hands over each other. She leans down and places her chin on top of her folded hands and bats her eyelashes."Tell me everything."
