“Everything okay, Bri?” Mom asks.
“Yeah, fine,” I answer softly, then clear my throat. “Of course,” I answer with more conviction.
“You could tell me anything if you wanted, you know?” My mom attempts to remain casual but I see right through it. She’s worried for me.
“I’m totally fine,” I answer her for the third time, but this time is more convincing.
“Good, good,” she answers and then returns to her computer.
I sneak a glance at her while she’s studying her screen. My mom looks older than I usually picture her. I know, obviously, that my mom is older than she was when I left for college, but I guess I didn’t realize how quickly time was passing until I came back to town. The last four years seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. The breakup with Asher feels like it was seconds ago, not two years. There are soft wrinkles around her eyes and grays are peeking out from her dyed hair. The women in my family all look alike, my sister included.
I nearly turn around and head back to my seat, but my phone lights up with a text in my hand and my body freezes.
Asher: Hey, about tonight.
My heart races thinking he’s going to bail.
“Is that him?” My mother’s voice is calm and knowing. All I can do is nod and then she clarifies, “It’s Asher?”
“How did you know?” I ask.
She smiles at me, knowing, and for a moment she looks just the way I remember her from my childhood days. “Because I know you, baby girl.” My mom rises from her seat and walks past, gently slapping her file folder against the back of my head. Then she leans down to kiss my forehead.
“Mom, I’m working,” I grumble in a joking way. “That’s, like, harassment or something.”
My mom laughs, delighted at my joke, but leaves me be. Even though I’m the one intruding since this is her office.
I text him back: Are you still able to make it?
I’m very much wrong about him canceling. It’s something else entirely: My mom asked if you wanted to come for dinner.
With my brow raised, I slowly make my way back to my desk. It’s not until I’ve lowered myself into the chair that I’m able to process it.
That house was practically my second home. His mother was like my second mother. Then it was shut down cold turkey. I haven’t heard a word from either of them since Asher broke up with me. Not that we talked regularly. It was only really when I was over his house before. Which was anytime we weren’t at my own house.
Everything is different now, though. It would be our first dinner at his house since the breakup.
I answer with my gut instinct, although I feel nothing but anxious about it: Sure. I’ll bring a bottle of wine!
Asher starts to type, then stops. He starts again. Stops.
There’s a long pause.
I sit forward in my seat, eyes glued to the phone waiting. It’s so strange. He’s usually quick with his replies and doesn’t need a lot of time to think. I scroll back to figure out if I’ve said something wrong. I don’t think I did. He was clearly hurt during our conversation last night, but we went ahead with our plans.
It takes three more minutes for his answer to come.
Asher: I’m looking forward to it. I don’t understand why it took that long to answer and just the fact that I am reading so much into this and overthinking everything makes me second-guess everything.
Asher
I’m anxious as all hell as I open the door, but the sight of her numbs all of that. She’s always been able to do that to me. I don’t know how. It’s just when she’s smiling at me, even if it’s a nervous one as she holds out a bottle of wine, everything’s going to be all right. I just know it will be.
“Hey there,” I say and almost add “cutie” as I take the wine from her. The bottle is heavy; it’s a red but I don’t check to see what kind it is. I have to bite my lip from telling her she looks cute as hell.
“Hey there yourself,” she says and a blush creeps up her cheeks. I fucking love it. She’s still into me. She can’t deny that. “Are you going to let me in?” she jokes with a feminine laugh and I step aside, widening the door for her to enter.
Her hair sways as she walks in, all done in shiny waves. It reminds me of before. All of this feels like it was before.