I sharted in class today.
or
My roommate ended up with breast implants after getting drunk and losing a bet in Thailand. He’s currently raising money to get them removed.
The idea was ingenious because the students would stop to write something then smell the amazing food and decide to order.
Landon had five specialty sandwiches on the menu, and I worked hard to memorize the ingredients of each.
The best part of the first day was when the lunch crowd died down, and Lilith came by in the late afternoon. Her nanny had picked her up after school and brought her down to check out the truck.
Landon leaned out of the window. “What can I get for you, Sassypants?”
“That is seriously the scariest picture of Rana I have ever seen.”
“You don’t like it?” He laughed.
“No, I meant scary close to how she looks.”
“Oh, good. I agree.”
“Can I see the inside?”
“Of course, you can,” I said.
The nanny stayed back reading a book on the grass while we entertained Lilith inside the truck for a bit.
Landon’s mood always seemed to brighten when Lilith was around. I think she reminded him of being a kid, an innocent time in our lives, especially given that she looked like my younger self.
“What can I make for you, Miss?”
“I’ll take a Fickle Pickle, but I want to help make it.”
“Okay. Rana’s gonna grab us the ingredients, and I’ll let you make it yourself.”
I stood back with my arms crossed, watching as Landon guided her through the process.
“I don’t know, Landon. I think Lilith might be vying for my position as your assistant.”
He looked over at me and winked. Watching Landon with her gave me a serious warm and fuzzy feeling. I knew he would make an amazing father someday, that is, if he wanted kids; we’d never discussed it. Up until very recently, I was pretty sure I would never have another child.
One thing I knew for certain was that Landon would always look out for Lilith. She didn’t realize it, but the handsome goofball helping her make that sandwich was someone who would always have her back, just like he had mine.During a visit with Lilith a few weeks later, I was completely blindsided.
I probably never realized how much I needed Landon until that afternoon when I literally ran from Lilith’s house to the university.
Landon was closing the truck down for the afternoon when I’d arrived on campus.
He immediately recognized that something was off. “What’s wrong, Rana?” Dropping everything, he ran out of the vehicle and held me. “You’re shaking. Did someone try to hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
“I was with Lilith and…” I sucked in some air.
“What?”
“She started talking to me about how she often wonders where she came from.”
He took me in his arms. “Oh, baby. I’m sorry.”
“I knew this day would come, but I still wasn’t prepared for it.”
“I know you weren’t.”
“I’m realizing now that I can’t do this. I can’t pretend to not know anything and lie to her face. I’ve gotten really lucky up until now, but I just don’t know how to fake it. It just seems cruel.”
“How did you handle it?”
“I barely did. I feel like she could tell something was wrong with me. I listened to her, nodded a lot. It was awful. I pride myself on being open and honest with her. But this is the one thing I can’t talk about, not until they give me permission.”
My breathing was becoming choppy really fast. Landon knew I was prone to panic attacks. He continued to hold me tightly until I calmed down.
“Hop in the truck. Let’s go home. We need to talk about some stuff, and it can’t wait.”
“I can’t handle anything more today, Landon.”
“It’s not anything bad—at all. I promise. It’s just a long overdue conversation, and it relates to what happened today.”
He finished the last of his cleaning up as I sat there in a daze.
Sitting on the truck floor, I closed my eyes as Landon drove us back to our apartment.
Once home, he disappeared into the bathroom. When I heard the water running, I realized he was drawing a bath for us.
Landon stripped down before undressing me. As many times as I’ve seen him naked, the beauty of his inked physique never ceased to make my jaw drop. After he led me into the warm water, Landon got in behind me and pulled my body into his. Leaning my head against his chest, I had never been more grateful to have a night off from my dancing gig. I was in no mood tonight.
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
“I know. But I’m hoping that what I’m about to say to you might make you feel better.”
“What is it, Landon?”
He wrapped his arms around me tighter under the water. His low voice was soothing as he spoke against my skin.
“I told you that before I left California, I started seeing a therapist, but I never went into detail about any of the epiphanies I had before moving here. It never seemed like the right moment to bring it all up…until today.”