I couldn’t help responding then. With a smile on my face I typed back:
You’re my boyfriend. Why do I have to pay you back?
Calling him my boyfriend felt quite strange to me, but it also brought with it a sense of joy and contentment.
Fantastic! We have a date then?
I laughed, and sent my reply.
I have to tell my parents about you first. Let’s see how that goes.
The answer was immediate.
Don’t worry. I’ll turn on the charm. They’ll love me.
I was grinning when I answered him.
Very sure of yourself, aren’t you?
His answer made my toes curl.
It’s very hard to resist a man who is crazy about your daughter.
I felt almost light-headed with joy as I headed off to take a shower, and by the time I got out, all I could think about was spending time with Caleb on a beach somewhere, and allowing my mind to roam freely.
I got ready and went downstairs to the kitchen. It was filled with everything that was familiar to me. The pancakes were warming in the oven and both my parents were there. My mom was laughing hard at something, and my dad grunted at me. He was not a morning person. I felt great love for him at that moment. I would always miss my biological parents, but I owed these two kind souls everything. They had taken me in when I was confused and lost and loved me unconditionally.
I sat at the table.
I didn’t want to lie to them anymore, not even by omission. “Mom,” I called.
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and turned to me. “Yeah? Can you believe your dad is adding sardines to a peanut butter sandwich?”
“Oh, weird,” I said.
He sent a scowl my way.
“I … uh … I wanted to say that I’m going on a short trip today.”
The idea was no doubt surprising. I never went anywhere. Ever. I waited for the few seconds it took both parents to process it.
“That sounds great,” my mom said cautiously. “Who are you going with? Sandra?”
“No… um…”
“You’re going alone?” My dad interjected, his voice slightly raised with alarm.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, sweetie,” my mom said at the same time.
“I’m not going alone. I’m going with a… uh… with a friend.”
They turned to look at each other, then turned back to me.
“Friend? What friend?” my dad asked.
“You’re going with a man?” she asked.
I nodded again, and the room was thrown into silence.
“You have a boyfriend?” my mother asked incredulously.
I nodded again. I guess it was safe to say I ruined my father’s peanut butter and sardine sandwich.
35
Caleb
I didn’t expect to meet Willow’s parents so soon, but I was ready. I had been planning this day for twelve years.
I gave myself a clean shave and dressed simply in light tones. A white shirt paired with an unthreatening dove gray suit. I had long understood that I gave off an aura that was dark. It served me well inside, but it was the last impression I wanted to have on the people who had so graciously and beautifully raised Willow on my behalf. I was filled with gratitude and admiration for them and I had big plans for them too. I planned to change their lives so it was unrecognizable to them. New house, new furniture, new bank accounts, and lots of travel, anywhere they wanted to go.
I stood at their door, with a very large bouquet of red roses in hand. Willow answered the bell, a sparkle in her eyes. It made me so glad to see the vibrancy that had returned to them.
Her eyes widened at the bouquet. “For me?”
“No, your mom,” I replied.
She pretended to pout and my heart skipped several beats at how cute that expression was. I quickly reminded myself that she wasn’t the one I was trying to impress tonight.
“What did you get for my dad?”
“What?” I said stupidly. My nerves tightened.
“You got flowers for my mom, what did you get for my dad?”
I blinked. I’d been in prison so long I had not realized things had changed. “I … Am I supposed to get something for him too?”
“I thought you wanted to impress them both.”
I couldn’t believe I had fucked up again. I looked down at my shoes and thought quickly. I had lots of new things that I had not even opened yet, and I could give him one of those. “I’m about ten minutes early anyway. I could quickly go get something for him. Just make up some excuse. I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” I muttered.
As I turned away, her small hand settled around my wrist. I raised my head to meet her laughing gaze.
“Hey, I was only messing with you.”
I stared at her. “Oh. You were?”
“Yeah. You sounded so cock-sure about impressing my parents I decided to tease you. I didn’t really expect you to fall for it. Where have you been living all this while. Under a rock?”