Nervous

Daddy blushed. “Time has been extremely good to you, Meredith.”

“Why, thanks.”

I laid the blanket over the next table and said, “I’ll just use the blanket as a tablecloth instead of someplace to sit. We can have lunch under the shelter since it looks a bit overcast.”

“That’s fine,” they both said in unison. Then they made eye contact and broke out in laughter.

“I didn’t cook,” I confessed. “I’m not even that good at making sandwiches so I took the easy way out. I had my favorite deli prepare a scrumptious selection for us.” I started pulling items out of the basket and putting them on top of the blanket. “Let’s see. We have an array of fresh fruit: strawberries, grapes, and assorted melons. Then we have some panini sandwiches with roasted chicken, peppers, and chipolte mayo along with macaroni salad and freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies.”

“Oh my,” Daddy said. “My mouth is watering just thinking about digging into that.”

We all sat down and got reacquainted as a family. It was a good and bad experience. It was all good until we got to the part about Jude, which led to the Thanksgiving Day episode, which led to the hooker, which let to bad memories of the divorce and everything that came with it and after it.

The afternoon ended with Momma and Daddy both in tears. For a change, I was the only one who was acting strong. I comforted both of them; one in one arm and one in the other.

There was a shocker, though. Momma asked if she could take Daddy back to his hotel to check in instead of me. He had left his car at my place and she said that she would bring him to get it after he’d gotten his key and was settled in. The next morning, Daddy’s car was still out in front of my apartment building, which made me wonder. When I came back from the eight o’clock church service, it was gone.

34

jonquinette

“Now make sure you don’t peek,” Mason whispered in my ear as he led me down the landing of our apartment building. “You’ll ruin the surprise.”

“I’m not going to peek.” I was so tempted to mess with the makeshift blindfold that he had made from a necktie, but I just took baby steps so I wouldn’t fall on my behind on the way down. “Won’t you give me a little hint though?”

“No, no hints. You women are so strange. You get excited about surprises but then always want to know what they are before they are given to you.”

I giggled. “Human nature, and I don’t think that reaction is limited to women.”

“You may have a point.” Mason stopped at the bottom of the steps and I could hear him fumbling around with a set of keys as he unlocked his apartment door. “I guess, in retrospect, I could have just blindfolded you once we got in front of my door since there was no surprise on the steps.”

We both laughed.

“I was thinking that but I wasn’t about to say anything. It’s cool. It just adds to the experience, almost falling down a flight of stairs to my death.”

Mason kissed me on the cheek. “You’re too funny.”

I heard his door creak open and he led me inside his place.

“You realize this is my first time in your place? It’s not like I’m going to recognize if something has changed,” I informed him.

“I know this is your first time here and that’s a shame. But all of that is about to change because I plan to invite you over more often.”

“I might be late from time to time because I often lose my car keys.”

Mason was silent for a minute and then started laughing. “Like I said, you’re too funny.”

He removed the blindfold and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the lighting. When they did, I was floored. “Mason, I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything,” he replied, taking my hand and walking farther into his place.

His apartment was awesome. He had it laid out in all dark leather tones complemented by animal patterns. But that’s not why I was so shocked. Mason had the entire place decorated like it was Valentine’s Day. He had several vases containing red and yellow roses placed around his apartment with a handmade banner hanging over the dining-room entry that said, Happy Valentine’s Day, Jonquinette!

He chuckled and said, “I’m not the best at making banners and my letters are crooked, but it’s the thought that counts.”

“I can’t believe you did all this. It’s nowhere near February.”

He kissed my hand gently. “I wanted you to know that come what may, I plan to spend Valentine’s Day with you next year. I’m committed to making this work and I will stand by you, through thick and thin.”