I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

“Jared, she’s such a nice girl,” my mom gushed as soon as we were inside. Eric went up to his room, and undoubtedly Marcus was at some girl’s place for the night, so I could visit with my family.

“Mom, we’re just friends,” I stubbornly repeated, and she raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t say she was more than your friend,” she pointed out.

“But you implied it! Please just drop it, okay?”

“So you like her as more than a friend,” Eric asked, raising an eyebrow as a dare for me to deny it. It was ridiculous; we’d only been hanging out for a few weeks, but I had to admit I did kind of like her.

“Maybe? I don’t know, she’s cool, but she’s my friend. She’s like the only friend I have outside of hockey from around here, I’m not losing that,” I told him, and he gave me a quick hug.

“Things will happen the way they’re meant to. Don’t worry too much about it, but personally, I think she might like you too,”

“What? Really?” I asked, surprised. Eric was good at this kind of stuff.

“Really. She didn’t get totally scared off meeting all of us,”

“That’s a good point,” I nodded. My brain was stuck on the feeling of hugging her; of holding her in my arms, the way it felt like she was supposed to be there; like she fit me.

“Earth to loverboy?” I snapped out of my thoughts, feeling my cheeks turn red again as this time it was Tanya teasing me. It could be worse, I repeated to myself, it could be Jordy visiting and then my life would be hell.

“Ask her out! Come on, would it kill you?” she asked, rolling her eyes.

“No, but it might kill our friendship. I’m cool with things the way they are, okay? Can we please just leave it at that?” I begged her, and after a moment she sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Oh all right, but then I’m telling Jordy you’re being a chicken-shit and won’t ask a girl out,” she threatened me, and I groaned. I don’t know which of the two would be worse; being rejected or teased for life by my older brother.

“Please don’t,”

“I don’t know…” she teased me, and I groaned again.

“Fine! Maybe I’ll ask her if she wants to hang out sometime, will that satisfy you?”

“You know I won’t be satisfied until you find yourself a nice girl,” mom cut in, walking back into the living room with a cup of coffee and tea for Tanya.

“Mo-om,” I complained. I didn’t know why me finding a girl was such a big deal for them; Jordan was still single and nobody seemed to care all that much.

“I just think you could use a nice girl in your life,” she explained, and then gestured to Eric. “Look at Eric and Tanya, don’t you want that too?”

“Well I think I’m a little young to be practically married,” I rolled my eyes, and Eric chuckled. “And yeah I do but it’s not the main thing in my life right now. Why can’t you spend your time trying to find Jordan someone? He’s older than me,” I reminded her, and dad let out a snort.

“If any poor girl is stuck with him for too long she’d go crazy. Jordan’s nowhere near ready to settle down and grow up, you know that better than I do,” he said, and even though he was right I couldn’t help but laugh. Jordan was one of those “Date her once, and if she’s good lay her twice” kind of guys. I’d never really understood the way he couldn’t seem to be happy with any girl for longer than a couple of weeks; and if she wasn’t sleeping with him he wasn’t staying with her. Not that my parents knew that part.

“Still, I think he needs a nice girl in his life more than I do; at least I can behave like an adult,” dad just shook his head, but didn’t deny what I was saying.

“Don’t give me that look; I’m not the one giving you a hard time,” he reminded me, and as I turned to mom she shook her head.

“Don’t even think about it Jared John Staal,”

“Fine,” I sighed, and while we all visited I couldn’t help but to let my mind wander to Kassidy, and wonder if she’d felt the same way I had when she’d been in my arms.