Hear You Me

“I think this is the first time we’ve had everyone at our Friday night family dinners in over five years,” Julia Reed exclaimed as she set food down on the table.

“I believe you’re right,” Sarah Kanitz agreed. “As soon as the kids realized the opposite sex didn’t actually have cooties we couldn’t get them to come to our weekly dinners for anything.”

Joel looked at Delilah and rolled his eyes. Throughout high school their moms were constantly complaining because at least one person was always missing from the weekly dinners. After many years everyone was finally seated around the Reed’s dining room table even though things were a bit different. Joel’s older brother had his wife and daughter there adding two more people to the mix and the underlying knowledge that Holland was gone was always present even if no one mentioned her. Everyone had a good time though and everything felt like normal as everyone laughed, reminisced, and even argued.

“That is not half!” Delilah exclaimed as she looked at the part of the roll Joel had in his outstretched hand.

“It is half! Both of these halves are the same size.” Joel argued back. There had only been one more roll left and both Joel and Delilah wanted it so they had agreed to split it. They were arguing though because they didn’t agree on what was half.

“If they’re the same size give me your half instead.”

“No.”

“Exactly! That proves your half is bigger.”

“No, I’ve just had my hands all over this half so I don’t want you to get my germs.”

“Whatever. You suck.” Delilah grumbled as she grabbed the smaller half from Joel’s hand. Joel just laughed to which Delilah stuck out her tongue in retaliation.

“Well I’m glad to see some things will never change. Joel and Delilah still fight like an old married couple,” Pastor Reed chuckled and the rest of the adults nodded in agreement.

“We wouldn’t argue if Joel would just admit that I’m always right.”

“You’re almost never right.”

“Whatever.” Delilah retorted.

“Nice comeback,” Joel rolled his eyes.

“Nice comeback,” Delilah mocked in a bad imitation of Joel’s voice.

“I don’t sound like that.”

“Do to.”

“Do not.”

“Do to.”

“Do not.”

“Enough! How about you the two of you take this outside so the adults can clean up in peace,” Julia said in exasperation.

“Are we being sent to time out?” Delilah asked.

“Yes!” Matt, Joel’s dad, exclaimed.

“This is your fault,” Joel said to Delilah as they began making their way to the patio.

“No, it’s yours.”

“No, it’s yours!”

“Ok, maybe our parents are right, we do fight like an old couple,” Delilah laughed.

“That just proves we’re just like the bestest best friends ever,” Joel said in a high pitched voice and a valley girl accent.

“Never do that again. Seriously.”

Joel laughed before taking a drink of beer. “It’s kind of weird having everyone back at these dinners. Mark has a family now and we can drink alcohol. The last time everyone was at one of these I was sixteen and you were fifteen.”

“Then we all started dating and at least one person was gone during the weekly dinners.”

“Yeah, you were usually out with some loser.”

“Hey!” Delilah hit Joel in the arm as he laughed. “I only dated two guys in high school.”

“Yeah, and they were both losers. You also went on dates with other guys and they were all losers too.”

“Well you missed a lot of dinners because you were on dates with Holland.”

“True but you liked Holland – she was your best friend. I never liked any of the guys you dated.”

“You really didn’t, did you? That was always so annoying hearing you talk about how so-and-so wasn’t good enough for me, or weird, or you just didn’t like him for no apparent reason.”

“The guys you dated were either weird or not good enough for you.” Joel argued.

“What about Tyler?”

“Ehh. I guess he was the best one. I still didn’t like him dating you though.”

“Why? You guys played soccer together and you liked him just fine before we started dating,” Delilah argued.

“I liked him as a friend but not as a boyfriend for you. He didn’t treat girls the best.”

Delilah rolled her eyes. “You always have some excuse. I’m never going to be able to get married because no guy will be good enough in your eyes.”

“I can’t help it, Lila. You’re one of the best people I know and you deserve so much. I just want to make sure you’re with a guy who can, and will, give you the world.”

“Well I appreciate it but you’re going to have to eventually ease up, Joel. Your standards for who I date are even higher than mine and mine are pretty high. There are good guys out there for me; you just have to give them a chance. Someday I will find someone and have a relationship like yours and Holland’s. I’m going to go in and get more wine. Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m good.” Joel said and as he watched Delilah walk away he thought, not for the first time, about how everything might have been different if he had called her instead of Holland all those years ago.

“Ok, great. Well Mark is the one driving us there so we’ll pick you up around 6:30. Bye.”

“So we’re picking Delilah up at 6:30 tomorrow?”

Joel looked up at his brother as he walked in the room. “Umm…no.”

“Wait, you asked someone else to go to the soccer pizza thing tomorrow? Who did you ask?”

“Holland.”

“Holland Vanderson? The best friend of your best friend who you’re also secretly in love with.”

“I’m not secretly in love with Delilah. We’re just friends,” Joel argued.

Mark rolled his eyes. “Let me tell you something little brother since I’m obviously older and wiser. You like Delilah but are too scared to do anything about it since you’re best friends. Instead of taking a chance you decided to ask Holland instead.”

“What’s wrong with Holland?”

“Nothing. She’s pretty, funny, and outgoing but she’s not the one you really like. I’m sure you can grow to like her but Delilah is the one who you have deep feelings for.”

“I like Holland. Delilah and I are just friends,” Joel snapped.

“Geez Joel, no need to get so angry. It does sound as if you’re trying to convince me and yourself though.”

Joel threw a pillow at his brother’s head as he walked out of the room. Mark was wrong – Joel didn’t like Delilah, they were just friends. At least that was what he was going to keep telling himself.