I know everything he said is true, I haven’t denied to myself that I am not the same man I was before this started. I used to laugh a lot more.
“I hear ya,” I tell him, because it’s all I can manage. I can’t go deep, I will never get used to seeing my father emotional. It breaks me. “I’ll work on getting you those grandbabies.”
“Now don’t go running around town knocking up the first girl you can get your hands on,” he orders. “Find you a nice girl that ain’t gonna have your momma chasing after you with a stick, for giving her some wild daughter-in-law.”
“Alright, Pop.” I smile for the first since this conversation began. “I’ll find a good one,” I assure him with a nod and instantly my mind falls to Sophie. My heart races, and again I have to remind myself that crossing that line would most likely backfire. We went into this as friends and in the end that friendship needs to remain.
Over the years she has become a big part of my life, all those girls have. The twelve of us are always with each other, leaning on one another whenever it is necessary. Each one of thembrings something different that creates the perfect dynamic. It’s a scenario I can’t disrupt.
But even though I know this, I can’t keep my head from creating some illusions. One where she and I are cuddled on the couch, her belly swollen with our child as we talk about names.
I blame my father for throwing out the idea.
I blame him for the fact that now I can’t seem to remember that Sophie and I are nothing more than friends.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Sophie
“I got you something,”my mother says, pointing to the box on the table.
It’s something she does often. With her and my father traveling several times a year, she is always surprising me with gifts from around the world.
“How was Madrid?”
“Beautiful.” Her smile says it all.
My father owns a very successful plumbing company with three locations. He’s spent the better part of his life building it and creating a reliable company many call on. My parents are older than most of the parents of my friends. I was an oops, but a gift they always say. My mother was in her early forties when she found out she was pregnant. They never thought they would have children.
They deserve to travel, they deserve to see the world. And I’ll admit I love the things they bring back for me. I have a piece of the world from every trip they’ve taken and I cherish each one.
Opening the box I move aside the tissue paper and see the gorgeous hand-painted pattern.
“It’s a handcrafted container. I thought it would be perfect to set on your dresser or bathroom vanity. You could put your jewelry in it while showering or when you are ready for bed.”
I am in awe as I lift it and take in all the colors that pop against the white ceramic background.
“It’s perfect,” I tell her.
“I have one too, but you know me, I chose the one with the birds on it,” she says with a wink, hugging me from the side.
“So sit down, tell me how things have been going. What’s new?”
I nibble nervously on my lip, instantly thinking she has to know. But there is no way, is there?
“Nothing’s new really.” The lie feels sour. I keep looking at the pretty colors, doing my best to avoid eye contact with the woman that can always see right through me.
The minute I hear the sound of my gran’s voice, I am thankful for her unpredictable outburst.
“Damn, it’s hot out there,” she hollers, out coming in the back door. “Forget about trying to fry an egg on the Alabama sidewalk, with this kind of heat, those eggs are probably hard-boiled when the chickens are laying ‘em.”
“Hey, Lulu,” I say when she leans in to kiss my cheek. She is barely five feet, a tiny little thing with a whole lot of attitude. She has always been Lulu to me.
She is knocking on the door of ninety years old and refuses to slow down. I love her to death. The complete opposite of my mother she is wild, says whatever is on her mind, and you either love her or hate her, she couldn't care less.
“Morning, sweetheart,” she offers as she passes and takes a seat at the table. My parents bought a small two-bedroom house in Montgomery when they decided to start traveling. Mainly it’s for Lulu to stay in. It’s close to all the cafes, right around the corner from the church they all go to, and within a five-minute drive to the hospital. All on one level, it’s easy for Gran to get around since she refuses to be set out to pasture as she puts it. Her independence is the number one thing and if you tried to take that away from her, you may not come out unscathed. She can be stubborn and for a tiny woman she is mighty.
“It’s warm huh?” I say, hoping that my mother has forgotten all about asking me what's new.
