Sweet Curves – Sweet Enough to Eat

“Mom.” He said on the landing dropping my hand and twirling her in his arms.

“Hi baby, it’s been a while.” She kissed Sawyer on the cheek, gently placing her withered hand on her cheek. “My boy is home.” Her gaze locked on mine and I felt the panic rise in my chest. My experience with mothers was not the best, thanks to my own. “And this must be Katie. Don’t just stand there, give me a hug.” She opened her arms and I walked into them willingly feeling the warmth of her embrace.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Dixon.”

“Oh, Honey, call me mom. We are going to be family.” She gave me a final squeeze

before ushering us in the house.

Sawyer’s childhood home was nothing like my own. The walls were cluttered with pictures of him from the age of infancy until adulthood. Pictures of him with chubby hands slapping his mother’s face, a smiling Sawyer at the age of nine missing his two front teeth, a handsome young man at high school graduation wearing a blue cap and doing a cheesy pose with his diploma. Then one of him opening the doors to the gym he finally purchased.

“I know it’s a little much, but I am so proud of my baby.” Mrs. Dixon laughed when she noticed me staring.

“Mom has always gone overboard with the pictures.” Sawyer said, sliding his arms around my waist. “But as stellar as she is with the camera, you need to taste her cooking. Come on.” He grabbed my hand and we walked into a warm kitchen, painted in a light yellow with warm brown cabinets. In the corner was a basic, round wooden table. Placed on top was a chicken casserole and a fresh salad.

“This looks delicious. Can I help with anything?”

“No, sweetheart, you just put your pretty little behind in one of those chairs and scoop

yourself a helping.” When I didn’t move right away she was quick to add, “I’ll be right on over. I am just grabbing some salt and pepper.”

Sawyer pulled my chair out for me, then sat down beside me. “This smells amazing, Mom.”

“Oh hush. I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what Katie can do.” She took my plate and filled it to the brim with food, before placing it in front of me. I wasn’t sure what to do at that moment, so used to the small portions my mother often doled onto my plate.

“What’s wrong, baby?” His mother asked, looking at me worriedly.

“Nothing, it’s just nice. This is something I could get used to.”

“Well, if that wasn’t enough, you just let me know, there is plenty where that came from.” She said with a sweet smile as Sawyer squeezed my hand.

“Thank you. For everything.” I whispered, a little choked up by this loving, kind woman that raised the best man I’d ever known.

After dinner Lucy, Sawyer and I sat in the living room, drinking coffee, eating a decadent chocolate cake and looking at old baby pictures of Sawyer.

“I just can’t wait until those grandbabies come.” Lucy said casually, a smile forming on her lips looking at a chubby sawyer in the bathtub.

“Neither can I.” Sawyer said, gazing at me.

“Is there anything I can do for the wedding? I know that you have your mom, Katie, but since I only have my one boy anything you want me to do, please tell me.”

“Mom, I don’t–” I patted Sawyer’s hand, singling for him to stop.

“I would love if you came with me to pick out my dress.” She looked at me, a smile taking over as

her hand clasped her chest and her eyes softened and warmed.

“Oh Katie, I would absolutely love to.”

Sawyer

“Oh, Sawyer, just wait until you see how stunning she is in her dress.” My mom kissed me on the cheek.

“She’s always been the only beautiful thing I could see.” I caught Katie’s hand and pulled her into my embrace, touching my lips with hers gently, the last three hours we’d spent apart was just this side of unbearable for me.

“Sawyer Dixon?” A squeaky voice called from behind me. I cringed on instinct. “Is that you?”

I swung, Katie’s hand tucked in mine to take in the sales lady at the bridal boutique. Her jet black hair and thickly painted red nails rang a lot of bells, but I couldn’t place the name.

“You remember Nicola Frost from high school, don’t you, Sawyer?” Katie’s voice was quiet at my side, monotone and so lacking the usual warmth that flowed in her words.

“Oh…” I turned my chin up as her eye flirted with Katie’s hand in mine, and then my gaze, a tense look on her plastered plastic face. “Yeah, sorry I’m not great with names, except when it comes to my Katie. I could never forget her.”

Nicola’s eyes swung to Katie’s and squinted, then took in her body pressed close to mine. “I can’t believe Sawyer Dixon is your fiancé.”