All Those Things I Still Remember

I walked through the aisles of Wal-Mart with Melody. She came to a blur of pink and stopped. She picked out a pink and purple princess dress, complete with a tiara, crown, and a wand. Jimmy waited patiently as she piled her stuff in his arms. I smiled sympathetically at him and he just smiled back patiently. If I were to ever meet a man with more patience, I would have met Jesus himself.

“Okay, Mommy. We can go now, ”Melody decided. I nodded and followed her to a register. She took her stuff from Jimmy and put it on the counter. The elderly lady at the register smiled. “This will be all, ”Melody said formally. I laughed quietly and pulled out my wallet, but Jimmy put his hand on top of mine.

“I got it, ”he smiled. I opened my mouth to protest, but he already handed the woman the cash. “Thank you.” He grabbed the back and handed it to Melody who took it proudly.

“You didn’t have to do that, ”I said quietly. He just shrugged.

“I wanted to, ”he replied simply. I smiled and grabbed his hand, intertwining our fingers. He looked at me and smiled faintly.

“Mommy, can we go get some ice cream? I’m hungry, ”Melody requested. I looked at Jimmy.

“What do you say? It’s the least I can do for you buying her outfit, ”I offered. He nodded, smiling at me. He leaned down to my ear.

“Only if I can hold your hand, ”he whispered. I bit my lip and felt my heart race. I nodded slowly, smiling at him.

“So, are we going or what?” Melody asked impatiently. I nodded and pressed the unlock button. She climbed into the backseat and Jimmy got in the passenger’s seat. I started the car, making sure that everyone was buckled up. I pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the Dairy Queen around the corner. The ride was anything but quiet as Melody began talking about how this girl in her class was going to be the blue and green princess. Apparently, that’s what led her to want to be the pink and purple princess. Jimmy just nodded and smiled, agreeing every so often, but never once letting go of my hand.

“Drive-thru or dine-in?” I asked, turning into the parking lot.

“Dine-in, ”Jimmy said almost at the same time that Mel did. I nodded, pulling into a parking space. I got out of the car and followed Melody into the small building. She walked up to the counter and the guy at the register looked down at her.

“Hello there, ”he greeted with a smile. “What can I get for you?”

“I want… Hmm… I want a cookie dough blizzard, ”she said decisively. He laughed at her seriousness and nodded.

“What about you two?” He asked. I looked at Jimmy who smiled at me.

“Two mint chocolate chip blizzards, please, ”he ordered for me. I smiled at the fact that he knew my favorite flavor. The man smiled and I pulled my wallet out, handing him the credit card. The man gave me my card back, along with the receipt. I noticed that he only charged for the two for Jimmy and me.

“The little girl’s is on the house, ”he smiled. I nodded, thanking him, before grabbing the three cups. I handed one to Jimmy and one to Melody. Jimmy grabbed my hand and we took a seat at a corner booth. I sat between the two, and he held my hand the entire time. When we were ready to leave, we followed Mel out to the car. She turned and looked at me for a minute before shrugging it off and getting into the car. We got in the car and I drove back home. I handed her the blizzard for Mikey and told her to take it to him. She nodded and took off up the stairs. She burst through the front door, and I turned to face Jimmy.

“Well, thank you for going with me to that hellhole of a department store. I fucking hate Wal-Mart, ”I laughed. He nodded, and without warning, he leaned down, kissing my lips softly. He pulled away and smiled.

“Anytime, ”he said quietly. He walked over to his car and opened the door. “I guess I’ll see you later on.” I nodded slowly, still stunned by his kiss. He smiled slightly and waved before getting in the car and driving away. I watched as he drove away. I grabbed the bag from the car and walked up the stairs to the door. I shut the door behind me, setting the bag on the floor.

“Hey, baby, ”Mikey smiled, walking over to me. He kissed me softly, and I returned the kiss half-heartedly. He grabbed the bag and went through it, smiling at the mess of pink and purple. “So, she is going to be the pink and purple princess?” I nodded, smiling half-heartedly.

“You should have her explain why, ”I said with a forced laugh. He nodded and I went back to the bedroom, pulling my shoes off before laying down on the bed. I couldn’t get him off of my mind. A couple of hours later, I made dinner and after Melody went to bed, I went to lay down in my own bed. Mikey shut the door and laid down next to me.

“So, I just had an interesting conversation with Mel…”He started. I could hear a hint of either anger or hurt lining his words.

“Really, what about?” I asked, feeling a little tired.

“She asked me why Mommy was holding hands with Uncle Jimmy, ”he proceeded. I sat up and looked at him. “What was that about?”

“Oh, ”I laughed to myself. “It’s just one of those things, babe. I hold hands with everyone. It’s just something I do. Doesn’t mean anything.” He didn’t seem to believe this. I moved next to him and kissed him softly. “I love you, babe.” He kissed me back.

“I love you, too. I just hope you know that, ”he sighed. I nodded. I knew how much he loved me. It was just a matter of these new feelings for Jimmy that disturbed me.