Timing Is Everything
Thanks Mom
"Audrey Mele Kalani, will you forgive me?"
"No."
He pulled back for a moment. "Wait, what?"
"No. I don't forgive you, at least not yet. You really hurt me Tyler."
"I didn't mean to."
"It doesn't matter if you meant to or not. You hurt me. You don't get to decide if you did or didn't." I took a deep breathe. "If you want my forgiveness and my trust back, you'll have to earn every bit of it."
Tyler's concentrated gaze dropped down to the floor. After some time, he stood up from his kneeling position and looked me straight in the eyes. "Whatever it takes to earn it back, I'll do it."
----------------------
"My heart dropped out of my chest when you said no." Tyler says, wrapping his arms around me. "That and I was just about ready to shit myself."
I pulled a disgusted face. "Thankfully you didn't do that."
He rolls his eyes and tries to kiss me but I turn my face. His lips land on my cheek and when he pulls back, he's frowning slightly. Just as I was about to continue the story, he quickly, yet gently, grabs my face and plants a big kiss on my lips.
--------------------
For the past 4 hours, Tyler sat by my side and watched the Lord of the Rings marathon with me and Lexi. The first 3 hours were filled with awkward silences and some small talk. Tyler and I spent the last hour actually having a decent conversation about how our summers went. We skipped the trade and fight portion of the summer and filled each other in on how our families were doing.
Before we heard anyone open the door leading to the garage, Lexi was up and scurrying over, ready to greet them. I stood up from my seat on the couch and slowly made my way to the door with Tyler not too far behind. My mom came through the door with Mason.
"Audrey, honey, could you help m-Tyler? Is that you? Oh it's been so long since I last saw you, how are you?" My mom makes her way over and gives Tyler a hug. "This is quite the surprise! Audrey said you were busy all summer, I hope things have finally calmed down for you." My mother's smile made Tyler's waver for a split second.
"Things have definitely calmed down." He glanced my way. "I came for a surprise visit to see Aud."
"That's sweet. I was planning on making a nice big dinner tonight, you're welcome to join us." Tyler nodded, agreeing to have dinner with us. "Okay! Well I have a bunch of groceries in the car that you and Audrey can get and I'll get started on things! Oh and you two can set up the whole dining room table!" My mom disappeared up the stairs to change into an old shirt and some sweat pants.
"Did your mom just-"
"Yes. She just volunteered you for some manual labor. Over time you'll get used to it...well it's more like you'll just learn to accept it." I told him as I passed him to get to my mom's car. By the time we reached the car, Mason got a third of the groceries out of the car and into the house.
"How much food is mom planning on cooking?" I asked with wide eyes.
"Well since she claims that she has 'animals for children' she's planning on feeding a small army. And Jack called me on the way home, he's gonna be here tonight instead of tomorrow like he originally planned."
"So mom's making a 'welcome home' feast of sorts for her firstborn? And she claims she doesn't have favorites."
Mason just laughed. "Please Audrey, let's be real. We all know who her favorite is." He paused to pick up a few bags before entering the house. "Me."
-------------------
“So Tyler, I heard about the trade.” Tyler flinched ever so slightly as my dad mentioned the trade. “I’m sure planning things for Dallas kept you busy this summer. Boston doesn’t know what they’ve lost if you ask me.”
“Make them regret their decision.” My brother Jack added as he bit into his steak.
“I’m sure Dallas will be a nice change from Boston, when will you be going down? I’m assuming you’ll be driving all of your things down.” My mom asked.
“Actually, I was gonna drive down after I visited Audrey. Get there a little earlier so I can settle myself in.”
“Oh you’ll be driving all by yourself? Oh no, you should have someone with you for that long drive, and then they can help you unpack and help get you settled in.” Before Tyler could say anything, my mom continued. “Audrey can go with you.”
Everyone’s eyes landed on me just as I inserted a mini shovelful of food into my mouth. I must have looked like a frozen chipmunk, with my cheeks full of food. My eyes widen at my mom’s suggestion statement to volunteer me for manual labor.
“She may not look it, but she’s quite strong and very helpful. She always helps around the house; we make sure no one was left out when we tend the garden out back, or the chores in the house.” Garden? Try every plant in this house and in our yard. I looked to my brothers for any sort of help; nothing, but I did get a sympathetic look from Mason, a cheeky smile from Chris, and a little smirk from Jack. Thanks for nothing guys, I will keep this on record for the future.
“You would send me, your youngest child and only daughter, half way across the country to help some guy move into his new house right before I have to leave for school?” Dad don’t fail me now, save me from this. I stare my dad in the eyes as I take a page out of Lexi’s book; I tilted my head ever so slightly to the side while subtly tucking my chin in.
“Some guy?” Tyler mumbles to me under his breath to me. I kicked him under the table in reply.
My dad opened his mouth to say something but my mom beat him to it. “Honey, you’ll be fine. Think of it as a nice vacation before your classes start.” My mom smiled.
"No."
He pulled back for a moment. "Wait, what?"
"No. I don't forgive you, at least not yet. You really hurt me Tyler."
"I didn't mean to."
"It doesn't matter if you meant to or not. You hurt me. You don't get to decide if you did or didn't." I took a deep breathe. "If you want my forgiveness and my trust back, you'll have to earn every bit of it."
Tyler's concentrated gaze dropped down to the floor. After some time, he stood up from his kneeling position and looked me straight in the eyes. "Whatever it takes to earn it back, I'll do it."
----------------------
"My heart dropped out of my chest when you said no." Tyler says, wrapping his arms around me. "That and I was just about ready to shit myself."
I pulled a disgusted face. "Thankfully you didn't do that."
He rolls his eyes and tries to kiss me but I turn my face. His lips land on my cheek and when he pulls back, he's frowning slightly. Just as I was about to continue the story, he quickly, yet gently, grabs my face and plants a big kiss on my lips.
--------------------
For the past 4 hours, Tyler sat by my side and watched the Lord of the Rings marathon with me and Lexi. The first 3 hours were filled with awkward silences and some small talk. Tyler and I spent the last hour actually having a decent conversation about how our summers went. We skipped the trade and fight portion of the summer and filled each other in on how our families were doing.
Before we heard anyone open the door leading to the garage, Lexi was up and scurrying over, ready to greet them. I stood up from my seat on the couch and slowly made my way to the door with Tyler not too far behind. My mom came through the door with Mason.
"Audrey, honey, could you help m-Tyler? Is that you? Oh it's been so long since I last saw you, how are you?" My mom makes her way over and gives Tyler a hug. "This is quite the surprise! Audrey said you were busy all summer, I hope things have finally calmed down for you." My mother's smile made Tyler's waver for a split second.
"Things have definitely calmed down." He glanced my way. "I came for a surprise visit to see Aud."
"That's sweet. I was planning on making a nice big dinner tonight, you're welcome to join us." Tyler nodded, agreeing to have dinner with us. "Okay! Well I have a bunch of groceries in the car that you and Audrey can get and I'll get started on things! Oh and you two can set up the whole dining room table!" My mom disappeared up the stairs to change into an old shirt and some sweat pants.
"Did your mom just-"
"Yes. She just volunteered you for some manual labor. Over time you'll get used to it...well it's more like you'll just learn to accept it." I told him as I passed him to get to my mom's car. By the time we reached the car, Mason got a third of the groceries out of the car and into the house.
"How much food is mom planning on cooking?" I asked with wide eyes.
"Well since she claims that she has 'animals for children' she's planning on feeding a small army. And Jack called me on the way home, he's gonna be here tonight instead of tomorrow like he originally planned."
"So mom's making a 'welcome home' feast of sorts for her firstborn? And she claims she doesn't have favorites."
Mason just laughed. "Please Audrey, let's be real. We all know who her favorite is." He paused to pick up a few bags before entering the house. "Me."
-------------------
“So Tyler, I heard about the trade.” Tyler flinched ever so slightly as my dad mentioned the trade. “I’m sure planning things for Dallas kept you busy this summer. Boston doesn’t know what they’ve lost if you ask me.”
“Make them regret their decision.” My brother Jack added as he bit into his steak.
“I’m sure Dallas will be a nice change from Boston, when will you be going down? I’m assuming you’ll be driving all of your things down.” My mom asked.
“Actually, I was gonna drive down after I visited Audrey. Get there a little earlier so I can settle myself in.”
“Oh you’ll be driving all by yourself? Oh no, you should have someone with you for that long drive, and then they can help you unpack and help get you settled in.” Before Tyler could say anything, my mom continued. “Audrey can go with you.”
Everyone’s eyes landed on me just as I inserted a mini shovelful of food into my mouth. I must have looked like a frozen chipmunk, with my cheeks full of food. My eyes widen at my mom’s suggestion statement to volunteer me for manual labor.
“She may not look it, but she’s quite strong and very helpful. She always helps around the house; we make sure no one was left out when we tend the garden out back, or the chores in the house.” Garden? Try every plant in this house and in our yard. I looked to my brothers for any sort of help; nothing, but I did get a sympathetic look from Mason, a cheeky smile from Chris, and a little smirk from Jack. Thanks for nothing guys, I will keep this on record for the future.
“You would send me, your youngest child and only daughter, half way across the country to help some guy move into his new house right before I have to leave for school?” Dad don’t fail me now, save me from this. I stare my dad in the eyes as I take a page out of Lexi’s book; I tilted my head ever so slightly to the side while subtly tucking my chin in.
“Some guy?” Tyler mumbles to me under his breath to me. I kicked him under the table in reply.
My dad opened his mouth to say something but my mom beat him to it. “Honey, you’ll be fine. Think of it as a nice vacation before your classes start.” My mom smiled.
♠ ♠ ♠
I have all the big plot points of this figured out but I'm getting waves of writer's block on how to go from major plot point, to minor plot point, to new major plot point. That and I'm being overworked and unpaid but that's neither here nor there.