A Little More Personal

Two weeks passed slowly, and I found myself thinking, on many occasions, Why did I come back here? The town was as dead as I remembered; the people were as modest and open as when I was younger. At least I had something to look forward to: Neil and Deborah's son was coming home, which meant I had someone my own age to visit. The morning of the twentieth dawned clear, beautiful. I sat up on my bed and brushed my hair from my eyes. My parents were already down the hall, judging by the sounds. I shoved the blanket off of me, set my bare feet on the pale wooden floor, and walked toward the kitchen. The walls were lined with photographs of me and my family. My school pictures, snapshots of family reunions, memories from my childhood captured on film.

"Good morning, Taresa. How'd you sleep?"

"Hi, Mama. I slept just fine. Daddy, are you heading over to Neil's today?"

"Yep. That motor ain't gonna fix itself."

"Mama? Would it be okay if I went with Daddy?"

"Of course. Get out a while, have fun."

"Thanks."

I hurriedly ate my breakfast, washed my dishes, and went back to my room. The closet was filled with my clothes, both new and old. I chose a pair of faded blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and white beat-up Nikes; after running a brush through my red hair, I ran back to the front entry hall to meet up with my father.

"Bye, you two. Have fun. Frank, be careful."

I laughed and slid into Dad's rusty old Ford pickup. The engine roared to life once he inserted the key into the ignition; he pulled out of the long driveway and headed down the stretch of road beyond. I rolled down my window, letting the warm breeze whip through the cab. The sunshine was bright and hot against my skin.

"Daddy, when are you going to get a new truck?"

"When this one breaks down past any reparation. Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if maybe I could have this. I mean, I could trade my car in for a new truck for you."

"Baby, don't do that. Keep your car. We'll find you a truck."

"So. . . Neil's been helping you, too, right?"

"Yes, Reece-cup, I ain't doing this for free."

"Good."

"You're just like your mother."

"I'll take that as some sort of compliment."

He chuckled as he turned the truck into another driveway. A man was standing outside by a shiny black car; a woman, presumably his wife, had been stepping into the brick house, but she turned back to greet us."

"Oh, Frank, this must be Taresa."

"Yep. This is. Reece-cup, this is Deborah, and that's Neil."

"Hi. Come on in, dear. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yeah. That'd be great."

I followed her through the wood-paneled halls and into the open kitchen. An island in the middle held a sink, a cutting board, and a pile of envelopes. She reached up into a glass-fronted cabinet and pulled down two glasses. I stood awkwardly in the doorway as she poured us each some tea. She turned around and handed me a glass.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"You're welcome. So why haven't you been around?"

"I was living with my fiancé."

"Your fiancé?"

Even though she'd said it nonchalantly and with an air of disinterest, her blue eyes gave her away.

"I had been dating this guy, John, since I was seventeen. About two years ago, he proposed to me. I was so happy; I said yes. Then on the sixth, we broke up."

"May I ask why?"

"He was conveniently forgetting important dates, like my birthday, and even our anniversary. I realised I'd been letting him get by with it for way too long. So I left him."

"Good idea. It must have hurt."

"Honestly, it hurt less than allowing him to walk all over me."

She cocked her head. "Would you like to come with me to pick my son up from the airport?"

"Sure."

"Neil! We're going to get Jay!"

"Alright. Debby, please drive safely. I doubt Frank wants to worry about his daughter's safety while in your car."

Debbie's infectious, gentle laugh filled the air, as a giggle escaped my lips. The drive to the airport seemed to take very little time, but I assumed it was because of three factors: Deborah's driving, her stories, and her easy-going personality. She shut the engine off in a spot in the six-story parking garage; I followed her down and into the main building.

"Oh, there he is!"

I glanced up and locked eyes with an extremely attractive young man. "Oh. My. God."