I unlock the door, something apparently they don’t do here because, well, they know everyone, and besides, who is going to break into your house? “Hi,” I greet when I open the door and my father steps in, hugging me with one hand before kissing my head, just like he did when I was a kid.
“Hey,” he replies, looking around, “is the coast clear?”
“She’s in the bedroom.” My voice is low as I look to make sure she isn’t nearby. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is set up,” he confirms and then smiles over my shoulder. “Hi,” he says, and I look over to see Sofia walking into the room. She comes over and gives my dad a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“You ready?” he asks, and she nods her head.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” she grumbles as she grabs her phone and puts it in her pocket. We walk out into the glorious sunny day, her hand slipping into mine. “This is going to be so much fun,” she says sarcastically and even my father laughs.
“Where is Zoe?” Sofia asks.
“She was with your mother and aunts this morning. They were showing the girls how to bake something, but then I think I heard there was some sweet tea involved.” He shrugs. “So no one eat those cookies.”
We all laugh as I open the back door of the truck for Sofia to get into it. I step in and kiss her before I close the door and hop into the front passenger side. My foot moves up and down with nerves, today is a big day in more ways than I can put into words. When we are close to her grandparents’ farm, I spot what seems to be over a hundred cars. “Holy shit,” Sofia squeaks from the back. I glance at what she is looking at and see that my uncles Matthew and Max are riding horses with Casey and Reed. “Why aren’t they using a saddle?” she asks and my father laughs.
“It’s not manly enough.” My father looks back at her. “When your father got on the horse by grabbing onto its mane, well, Matthew tried and almost kicked himself in the face. Max fell on his ass. It took over ten minutes to finally get on the horse.”
My father stops the car next to the four men and I press the button to open the window. “Hey,” I say, giving them the chin up. “What are you doing?”
“We’re barebacking,” Max states, and I cringe.
“Never say that again.” I shake my head.
“You know, your balls are going to be in your throat.” My father leans over me to tell them.
“We are fine,” Matthew says, wincing, “go away.”
My father pulls over and parks the truck. I get out and look over to see the four of them trotting somewhere in the distance, and I wonder if they have everything set. “What’s wrong with you?” Sofia asks as she comes over to stand next to me. I look at her. “You look like you are going to throw up and then someone is going to kick you in the balls.”
“It’s the other way around,” my father jokes, slapping my shoulder, “first you kick him in the balls and then he throws up.”
“I’m fine,” I lie to her. I’m not fine. I’m the opposite of fine. I feel like I’m going to throw up, and I am not sure how much longer I can hold off without either vomiting or spilling the secret.
“We need to get you some smelling salts,” my father mumbles to me as he walks ahead of me toward her grandparents’ house. I’ve been here before on a Sunday, and if I thought my family Sunday dinners were loud and crazy, I have to give it to Sofia’s family. Everyone is here, every single time. Kids run around in the distance, the older kids riding horses and racing. The adults sit around, scattered throughout the big backyard at the round wooden tables. Her grandparents sit at one, just looking out at everything they’ve got.
When I walk into the yard, it’s the same, except this time the people are double as I look over and see my aunts sitting with Sofia’s aunts, the whole table of women laughing at something. My uncle Evan and Justin stand behind them as they just shake their heads.
“Go say hello to Charlotte and Billy.” My father nudges me toward the table where Billy and Charlotte sit, but this time they are with my grandparents.
“There they are,” my grandfather Cooper says, getting up and walking over to us. He opens his arms for me, and I give him a hug. “You get more beautiful every time,” he declares, looking over at Sofia and hugging her as well.
“Takes after my wife,” Billy states, getting up followed by Charlotte and my grandmother.