I'm Nothing Without You

I awoke to the sound of laughter erupting from the kitchen downstairs. I yawned and stretched my arms over my head and let them fall heavily back onto the soft bed.

“Kale, stop it!” Aunt Rae shrieked loudly. I could hear the soft thuds of their feet running up the stairs and I sat up on the bed quickly.

“Shhh, we’ll wake her up.” Kale whispered loud enough for me to hear. I glanced out the open bedroom door and saw him pull her into his arms. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you, Rae.”

She smiled and leaded into his kiss, “I love you too, darling.”

It wasn’t but a few minutes after that Aunt Rae glanced into my room and noticed I was awake. She smiled and stepped over the threshold with Uncle Kale trailing not too far behind.

“Did we wake you?” She asked with an apologetic tone.

I shook my head and swung my legs over the side of the tall bed. My legs dangled over the side, barely missing the soft carpeted floor. “I’ve been awake for a while.”

Kale wrapped his arms around her waist and she leaned back into his chest. “Well, dinner is almost ready so get cleaned up and come on down.”

They both retreated down the stairs, once again leaving me alone. I hopped off the bed and walked into the connecting bathroom. I glanced at myself in the mirror and smiled at my reflection. My hair was half out of the pony tail and hanging messily down my back. I took my hair down and quickly braided it to the side. I rinsed my face off with warm water and patted it dry with the fancy blue checkered towel by the sink.

I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Instantly I was hit with the scent of roasted chicken and green beans. My mouth watered as I watched Aunt Rae place the last plate on the small wooden table clothed in a white lace table cloth.

She noticed me standing against the wall and she smiled brightly at me. “Would you like water or iced tea?”

“Tea, please.”

She nodded and disappeared behind the fridge door. Uncle Kale walked up behind me and placed his big hand on my shoulder. “We’re really glad to have you here, Cam.”

I smiled at his sincerity and we both sat down at the table.

Aunt Rae placed a tall glass of golden brown tea in front of me and we all piled food on our plates.
“So, Cam. How was Kara today?”

I smiled slowly swallowing the chicken I had just placed in my mouth. “She was really nice.”

Uncle Kale nodded. “She is a great girl, has a really nice family too.”

“Do you know them well?” I asked, shoving another piece of meat into my mouth.

He nodded. “They are like family.”

Aunt Rae smiled at me and said, “Hopefully you can meet all of them tomorrow. We are having a small get together for Kara’s father, Rob’s birthday.”

I stayed silent, remembering what I had heard before I fell asleep that afternoon. I couldn’t have heard the name Brendon, he was still in North Carolina. I must have heard Matt wrong…
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After dinner, Aunt Rae suggested that I take a walk around the neighborhood to familiarize myself with the area. I had agreed, grateful that I had some time alone.

I slipped on my grey vans and walked out into the warm summer night. The sun had gone down during dinner and the lights from the city shone in the distance. I watched as the lights danced across the horizon and I smiled to myself at how beautiful Vegas was. Aunt Rae and Uncle Kale lived in a suburb on the outskirts of the city and I was glad to be away from the bustling streets.

I skipped down the steps and onto the sidewalk. I glanced over at Kara’s house and noticed a figure standing on the porch with their body leaning against the railing. The figured looked to be a man, slightly tall in stature. He turned around to face the street and instantly his eyes landed on me. I couldn’t make out his face but I could still see the mop of shaggy brown hair.

It can’t be…

I walked closer to the man and he quickly turned around and retreated back into the house. I crossed my arms over my chest and slowly made my way back onto the wrap around porch. I sat on the swing that was hanging quietly on the side of the house and brought my legs up to my chest. In the distance, heat lightening danced across the sky. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking in the beauty of this night.

“Camellia?” A familiar voice questioned from beyond the porch. I squinted my eyes against the bright porch light and slowly the figure came into view.

My voice caught in my throat and I blinked a few times to make sure what I was seeing was real. “Brendon.”