I Like The Way It Sounds
John Was Right
After I showered, I changed into my favorite sweatpants and an old ASU t-shirt that had belonged to Garrett at one point. I threw my damp hair into a messy bun on top of my head and crawled into the mass of blankets.
It was my first time back to Arizona since I’d moved. I could see the sun shining over everything from my seat on the plane and I felt a sense of overwhelming happiness wash over me. This place was home, I’d left the important parts of my young self here. It didn’t matter that I was only 5 (going on 6!), I was old enough to know that there was a reason why my mother had loved it here so much. She was here, everything here was her. My family was here; my other parents, my brothers, my grandparents. I wanted to get off the plane and run and play with John and Ross.
Suddenly, I was sitting in front of my old home, next door to John and Jenny’s house. Daddy and Uncle John were getting our bags from the back of my Uncle’s new white pickup truck and my Aunt was waving from the front door. My brothers were holding up a banner from the guest room window that read “Welcome Home CAITE-KINS!” in the messy hand-writing of a seven year old boy. (I couldn’t read, but that’s what my Dad said.) I waved back to everyone before turning on my heel and marching towards my own house.
As if I’d forgotten the move altogether, I walked up to the front door, opened it and swiftly made my way to my old bedroom, but not without noticing all the changes that had been made. I made it upstairs to the second door on the left – my room. Upon pushing the door open, I found a little boy sitting on the floor playing with action figures in a LEGO fort. Without a word, I walked in and sat next to him; if he was surprised by the strange girl in his room, he didn’t show it. Instead, he offered me a GI Joe and told me his name was Garrett.
“This was my room before my Mommy was bited by a snake and had to went to the hospital. The doctorers sayed that she was allergic to the poison the the snake spitted at her. She died last year and I had to leave. My name is Caite.” I’d said it all in my 5-year-old-(going-on-6!) jargon. But the important thing was that I’d said it. The only people I’d ever spoken to about my Mom at that point were John, Aunt Jenny and my Dad. No one in New York knew anything from my own mouth; Dad had explained everything to the people at school and to Charlotte’s parents. This strange boy had gotten me to spill something I’d kept to myself for nearly a year AND HE HADN’T EVEN ASKED.
He looked at me and a slight frown overtook his innocent face. “I’m sorry, Caite.” Was all he said before he hugged me and held his hand out to me, before leading me into the kitchen. There, we found John explaining to Garrett’s mom that I’d run into the house because I was confused, while Aunt Jenny stood behind him, explaining just why I was confused. Ignoring the confusion, Garrett marched up to his mother and pulled on the hem of her shirt to get her attention. “Mom! This is my new friend Caite, her mom died. So you’re gonna be both of our Moms and Treys mom too!”
I woke up in tears, at the dream that was a picture-perfect memory. Garrett always understood. John was right. I needed my best friend.
It was my first time back to Arizona since I’d moved. I could see the sun shining over everything from my seat on the plane and I felt a sense of overwhelming happiness wash over me. This place was home, I’d left the important parts of my young self here. It didn’t matter that I was only 5 (going on 6!), I was old enough to know that there was a reason why my mother had loved it here so much. She was here, everything here was her. My family was here; my other parents, my brothers, my grandparents. I wanted to get off the plane and run and play with John and Ross.
Suddenly, I was sitting in front of my old home, next door to John and Jenny’s house. Daddy and Uncle John were getting our bags from the back of my Uncle’s new white pickup truck and my Aunt was waving from the front door. My brothers were holding up a banner from the guest room window that read “Welcome Home CAITE-KINS!” in the messy hand-writing of a seven year old boy. (I couldn’t read, but that’s what my Dad said.) I waved back to everyone before turning on my heel and marching towards my own house.
As if I’d forgotten the move altogether, I walked up to the front door, opened it and swiftly made my way to my old bedroom, but not without noticing all the changes that had been made. I made it upstairs to the second door on the left – my room. Upon pushing the door open, I found a little boy sitting on the floor playing with action figures in a LEGO fort. Without a word, I walked in and sat next to him; if he was surprised by the strange girl in his room, he didn’t show it. Instead, he offered me a GI Joe and told me his name was Garrett.
“This was my room before my Mommy was bited by a snake and had to went to the hospital. The doctorers sayed that she was allergic to the poison the the snake spitted at her. She died last year and I had to leave. My name is Caite.” I’d said it all in my 5-year-old-(going-on-6!) jargon. But the important thing was that I’d said it. The only people I’d ever spoken to about my Mom at that point were John, Aunt Jenny and my Dad. No one in New York knew anything from my own mouth; Dad had explained everything to the people at school and to Charlotte’s parents. This strange boy had gotten me to spill something I’d kept to myself for nearly a year AND HE HADN’T EVEN ASKED.
He looked at me and a slight frown overtook his innocent face. “I’m sorry, Caite.” Was all he said before he hugged me and held his hand out to me, before leading me into the kitchen. There, we found John explaining to Garrett’s mom that I’d run into the house because I was confused, while Aunt Jenny stood behind him, explaining just why I was confused. Ignoring the confusion, Garrett marched up to his mother and pulled on the hem of her shirt to get her attention. “Mom! This is my new friend Caite, her mom died. So you’re gonna be both of our Moms and Treys mom too!”
I woke up in tears, at the dream that was a picture-perfect memory. Garrett always understood. John was right. I needed my best friend.
♠ ♠ ♠
I figured I'd give some background info on their relationship to help Caitlin's conversation with John in the last chapter make more sense! Comment, please!