“Is that so?” He leans back in his chair.
“It is.” I mimic his move, trying not to let him see how fucking nervous I am. “How long will you be in town?”
“I’m not sure yet,” he evades. “Haven’t decided.”
Sofia laughs at him. “He’s leaving after dinner.”
“That’s too bad,” I tell him, and he just stares at me.
“And why is that?” He sits up straight, his finger tapping the counter in front of him.
“My family is coming down on Saturday for my hockey game, and Sofia will be coming to meet them.” I put my arm on her chair. “If you were here, I would love for you to meet them.”
He looks at me, the two of us almost as if we are playing chess. Except I don’t know how to play chess, but something says he does, and he usually wins. “Count us in,” he declares, looking at Sofia. “I’ll be back Saturday with the parents.” He pushes away from the island. “I’ll call you later,” he tells Sofia and kisses her cheek, nodding at me. “See you Saturday.”
He turns to walk out of the house, and only when the door slams shut does Sofia turn her glare to me. “Now you’ve done it.”
“Done what?” I ask, feigning innocence. “I just invited him to a game.”
She shakes her head. “You have no idea what you just did.” She closes her eyes. “He’s going to bring my parents.”
“Good,” I reply, cutting another piece of meat. “Our parents can finally meet.”
“This is a nightmare,” she huffs. “It’s going to be a nightmare.”
I laugh. “What’s the worst that can happen?” Even with the words out of my mouth, I know I don’t even want to answer that question. All I know is that push came to shove and I had to show her I meant business.
sofia
“You have a delivery,” Addison says, walking into my office. I look up from my computer screen and see she is carrying a crystal vase of flowers and a square white box in the other hand. “They smell wonderful,” she notes, putting the vase at the corner of my desk, the smell of roses fills the office. “And this is for you.” She hands me the box. “I wonder who they are from?” She winks at me.
“Yes, I wonder,” Clarabella says, walking into my office. “What does the card say?”
“I have no idea,” I reply, looking at the white box in my hand with a big light blue satin bow. I pull the sash as it falls away from the box. Opening the box, the white card is on top of the tissue paper.
My name is written in the middle of the card, and I know that writing. Taking the card out, I read what he had written to me.
I loved you before. I love you now. I will love you always.
M.
My heart speeds up, my stomach gets tight, there is a mix of emotions I’m going through, and it feels like I’m on a merry-go-round that has yet to stop but is going full speed around. “Um,” I deflect, not sure I can repeat what is on the card without my voice quivering. I don’t even bother looking up at them when I hold the card out.
I don’t know who takes it until I hear the gasp. “Oh my,” Addison says, and I blink away the tears in my eyes. I see her hand it to Clarabella, who looks down at the card, her eyes going as big as saucers as she turns back to look at me.
“What’s in the box?” she asks, and my hands tremble as I pull the tissue flap open on one side and then on the other.
A frame sits in the middle of the box with three picture slots. Before, Now, After are the headings under the three picture slots. I am not the one gasping when I look down at the first picture in the box. It was taken on our first night out four years ago. Matthew is looking at the camera with his hat on backward smiling, and my face is turned to his side in profile and is filled with such a big smile that my eyes crinkle at the sides.
My eyes go immediately to the next picture taken late last night after we finished cleaning up my kitchen and putting away the food my grandmother sent. He was telling me about how nervous he was with my grandfather and also telling me he’s going to put white hockey tape on top of the Ring camera. He had me laughing so hard, I had tears in my eyes. He pulled me to him and kissed my lips before he whipped out his phone. I had no idea how the picture even came out because as soon as he took it, he put the phone down, and then picked me up and took me upstairs where we took a bubble bath together.
“Is that?” Clarabella asks, leaning over. “Pictures?”