Live, Laugh, Love

THERE SHE IS!” My father’s booming voice came from behind me.

“Dad!” I squealed, hugging him tightly.

Rob hugged my mom while I hugged my dad. Then we switched.

“My little girl.” My mom sighed, stroking my hair. “So, where is he?” she asked, looking behind me.

I heard little paw pats across the kitchen floor and I laughed. “Here he is.” I picked up Riley, patting his little head.

“OH!” my mom squealed, grabbing him away from me. “His is the cutest little boy. Yes he is.” She cooed.

Rob and I laughed in unison. Riley usually had this effect on people.

“Now, Ann.” My dad said, joking. “Don’t hog him, let me see.”

“Have you read the latest version of OK!?” she asked me, and I shook my head.

Riley was sitting in his bed in the corner of the room, sleeping.

“No, mom. I don’t read that shit.” My father looked up from his coffee.

“It says that you and Rob are engaged.” I laughed awkwardly. I could see Rob shake his head slowly beside me.

“They’ll write anything in the tabloids.” He chuckled and quickly looked out the window. I didn’t completely understand his expression because he looked away from me too fast. He was acting weird, that much was for sure. But since my parents were here, I blew it off.

“Do you want more of that?” I asked, pointing to my mom’s cup of tea.

“Sure.” She laughed. I got up and grabbed her cup.

“Hey, hon?” Rob said quickly. “Could you go and grab the mail, too? I forgot it on my way in today.”

“Sure.” I said, suspicious. Nonetheless, I walked outside to get the mail.

*Robert*

“Ann, Mark.” I said, addressing them. “I would like permission to marry your daughter. I love her more than anything in this world, and I would love to have her hand in marriage. With your consent, of course.”

*Normal*

I heard their muffled voices in the living room when I came back inside and set the mail on the counter. I filled my mom’s cup full of tea and walked back into the room, suspicious.

“Here.” I said, handing her the cup.

They were all smiling so huge. I chuckled nervously. What the hell had happened when I left?

When my parents had gone and Rob and I were comfortably situated in our bed, Riley on the other side of me, we talked. We talked about our future, about our past. I felt like I was letting loose to him everything I’d ever known and seen, everything I’d experienced as a kid, as an adult.

“When was your first time?” he asked, and I blushed.

“I’m not telling you that.”

“Please?” he begged. “I told you mine.”

I smiled, thinking how interesting that story was. I heard Riley’s soft breathing beside me.

“Should we really be discussing this with our child in the room?” I asked, smiling.

“You’re trying to change the subject.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Tell me, Rachael.”

I sighed. “I was sixteen. He was seventeen.”

“He?” Rob interrupted.

“Kyle.” I sighed. “We were under a bridge by the creek. It was summertime, and he was my boyfriend.”

Rob smiled mockingly.

“He told me he loved me, then, we just kinda… you know.”

“Under a bridge?” Rob asked skeptically.

“Yeah.” I let out a big breath. I winced, remembering how much it hurt at first.

That was probably the most awkward conversation I’d ever had with Rob, and that was saying something.

I eventually drifted off, barely aware of his fingers stroking my face, his eyes staying glued on me.