Learning How to Swim
Patience is an Unmastered Virtue
“Are you sure you want me to go with you? It’s kind of a family thing,” Steven told me, helping me shrug my jacket on. He pulled on his hoodie, grabbing my hands and staring into my eyes.
“I want you to go... I can’t face her alone,” I whispered to him, burying my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, telling me he hoped it would be alright.
“Separate, you two,” my father teased, smiling apologetically. “We don’t need to give your mother a heart attack.”
Steven apologized, smiled at my father and pulled me outside. “How do you know they’ll let me in?”
“They told my parents I might want to bring someone I trust,” I mumbled, getting in the car as he opened the door for me.
“You trust me?” he asked, smiling as he slid in beside me.
I smiled a little. “Yeah. I do. You’ve always been there for me ever since we met.”
“Yeah, I suppose I have. So you know that I would never try to hurt you?” I nodded. “Good.” His hand fell on mine and I slid into the middle seat. “I only want to protect you.”
“I know,” I told him, leaning against him and resting my head on his shoulder. “Things just get so crazy sometimes. I’m kind of nervous.”
“Worried?”
“No,” I mumbled, wishing I was.
“Don’t sweat it. It’s a horrible feeling anyway. I’m worried right now—for both of us.”
“Like last night?” I asked, grinning as he put a finger to my lips.
“Now it’d be even worse if your parents caught you saying that!” he told me, laughing.
“Saying what?” Dad asked as he hopped into the driver’s seat.
Steven grinned, but I smacked his arm. “Oh, just that I think Alyssa is breathtaking.”
I giggled and my dad laughed, starting up the engine. My mom got in, refusing to look at me. I glanced over to Steven to see him staring at me, the softest look on his face. I smiled, trying to make him laugh. But he was concentrating on something. Me?
I gasped when his lips pressed to mine suddenly, a bit awkwardly. I mean, it was nice—very nice, might I say?—but it was probably an inappropriate place for that.
“Alyssa!” my mother gasped, turning to look at me. I stumbled for words.
“Sorry,” Steven whispered, smiling sheepishly. “I hate waiting.”
I smiled nervously, apologizing to my mother as did Steven. She groaned and turned back to the road. My dad turned and winked at Steven.
“Way to go, Quigg,” I muttered, grabbing his hand.
He pulled my hand to his heart, saying, “One of my flaws." He grinned boyishly. “One of the many.”
“I want you to go... I can’t face her alone,” I whispered to him, burying my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, telling me he hoped it would be alright.
“Separate, you two,” my father teased, smiling apologetically. “We don’t need to give your mother a heart attack.”
Steven apologized, smiled at my father and pulled me outside. “How do you know they’ll let me in?”
“They told my parents I might want to bring someone I trust,” I mumbled, getting in the car as he opened the door for me.
“You trust me?” he asked, smiling as he slid in beside me.
I smiled a little. “Yeah. I do. You’ve always been there for me ever since we met.”
“Yeah, I suppose I have. So you know that I would never try to hurt you?” I nodded. “Good.” His hand fell on mine and I slid into the middle seat. “I only want to protect you.”
“I know,” I told him, leaning against him and resting my head on his shoulder. “Things just get so crazy sometimes. I’m kind of nervous.”
“Worried?”
“No,” I mumbled, wishing I was.
“Don’t sweat it. It’s a horrible feeling anyway. I’m worried right now—for both of us.”
“Like last night?” I asked, grinning as he put a finger to my lips.
“Now it’d be even worse if your parents caught you saying that!” he told me, laughing.
“Saying what?” Dad asked as he hopped into the driver’s seat.
Steven grinned, but I smacked his arm. “Oh, just that I think Alyssa is breathtaking.”
I giggled and my dad laughed, starting up the engine. My mom got in, refusing to look at me. I glanced over to Steven to see him staring at me, the softest look on his face. I smiled, trying to make him laugh. But he was concentrating on something. Me?
I gasped when his lips pressed to mine suddenly, a bit awkwardly. I mean, it was nice—very nice, might I say?—but it was probably an inappropriate place for that.
“Alyssa!” my mother gasped, turning to look at me. I stumbled for words.
“Sorry,” Steven whispered, smiling sheepishly. “I hate waiting.”
I smiled nervously, apologizing to my mother as did Steven. She groaned and turned back to the road. My dad turned and winked at Steven.
“Way to go, Quigg,” I muttered, grabbing his hand.
He pulled my hand to his heart, saying, “One of my flaws." He grinned boyishly. “One of the many.”