Today we were headed to my parents’ for a barbecue and their annual domino tournament. I was excited to bring Emily to the gathering for the first time and have her meet the rest of the Gaston family, and Nina was excited to be able to bring her new boyfriend, Brandon, to the gathering, despite the fact that I was still on the fence as to whether I liked him or not.
Emily assured me that he was a good student and a nice young man, but I didn’t like the idea of my daughter dating any high school boy at all. After all, I knew what they were like. Every time Brandon came by to pick Nina up for a date, I’d give him the third degree about where they were going and when they’d be back. If Emily was around, she’d smile and intervene to give the boy a break, but I wanted him to fear me enough to ensure that my daughter arrived home safe and sound — and on time.
I had just finished shaving when Emily entered the bathroom and gave me the once-over.
“Mmm, you look very good, Mr. Gaston,” she said with a smile as she walked toward the mirror. She looked beautiful in a blue summer sundress with her long blonde hair spilling across her shoulders. I turned, pulled her into my arms, and kissed her deeply. She rested her palms on my chest as we kissed and I quickly felt myself approaching the point of no return, as I always did when she touched me. Emily pulled back a little and whispered, “You smell amazing. Better get ready, big guy, or I’m going to be the one making us late today.”
I grinned suggestively at her as I put my hand on the edge of the towel I had tucked around my waist. She laughed loudly and shook her head as she moved away.
“What? Suddenly I’m chopped liver?” I pouted.
“Oh, I think you know you’re not,” she laughed. “But do you want to explain to your mother why you made us late again?
“No, I don’t think I do,” I grumbled
It didn’t take me long to get dressed, and by the time I joined Emily and Nina in the living room, Brandon had arrived and was pacing nervously behind the couch. We shook hands, and as he looked to Nina for reassurance, I pulled him toward me and slapped him on the back saying, “Son, it’s all good. Relax.”
“Yes, sir,” he nodded solemnly, before letting go of my hand and taking Nina’s. I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, Emily slipped her hand in mind and pushed me toward the door.
“Got everything, Dad?” Nina called, as we walked toward the truck.
“Yep!” I replied.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure!” I said, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Now will you let it go?”
“Okay, okay,” she said, holding up her hands in surrender. “Just trying to be helpful. Don’t shoot the messenger.”
I chuckled as I slid into the driver’s seat and stuck the key in the ignition. Emily shot me a questioning look from the passenger seat, but I just shook my head and waved her off. As we pulled out of the driveway, I was Jake and Kathy standing in their front yard smiling and waving. I offered a quick wave and a smile before I put the truck in drive.
“You’ve got some really nice neighbors,” Emily commented, as she smiled and waved. “We should invite them over for dinner sometime.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said looking away. “Sure.”
“Do you not like them, Blake?” she asked.
“Long story,” I said, glancing up at the rear view mirror and then back at the road in front of me. “I’ll explain later.”
When we arrived at my parents’ house, the driveway was empty, but cars lined the street. When we got out and began to unload the food and beer from the back of the truck, Brian and his friends came rushing out the front door and swept it all inside without a word.
“That’s weird,” Emily said, watching the posse of guys move back into the house.
“C’mon, let’s go around back and see what my dad’s cooked up,” I said, as I reached out and took her hand.
We walked around the side of the house, and as I fl
ipped open the side gate, I could hear voices chattering excitedly. I held tight to Emily’s hand as we rounded the corner. She gasped when she saw the crowd of people standing around my parents’ backyard, sipping cocktails and looking around expectantly.
“Blake, what’s going on?” Emily asked, looking up at me and then back at the crowd. “Why are all of these — Mother? Daddy? Becca? KO? What are you doing here?”
“Ellie and Alan came to see us and asked us to come to the barbecue,” my mother said in a stilted voice. “We knew you might not want to see us, but we wanted to make an effort to see you.”
“But why here? Why now?” Emily asked.
“I think Blake can explain better than we can,” her father stepped forward and hugged her quickly before backing away again.
“Blake, what’s going on?” Emily asked, obviously confused by the entire scene. I nodded at my brother and when he hit play on his phone the first lines of Elvis singing one of the greatest love songs ever filtered through the patio speakers.