My Dream Come True

I stood at my front door, glaring at it.

“Just open the door, Rose,” I muttered. “You need to get dressed.”

Miranda had called me around noon to have us meet at their house at six. It was five thirty and I still needed to shower and get ready. I huffed.

“Just get your key out and open the door.”

I got my keys from my pocket and hesitated. I bit my lower lip and unlocked the door. I pushed it open and stared in the front entryway.

“Where have you been!? I was so worried about you!?”

“I had to go to work, Ma.”

“I keep thinking you’ll leave like your father….”

“I’m never going to leave you, Ma.”

“And I won’t leave you, sweet pea.”

Bunch of bullshit.

I got in and slammed the front door closed. I threw the keys on the kitchen counter and went to the bathroom to shower. I tried not to think about my mother but it was hard not to. After a quick shower, I blew dry my hair as I rummaged through my dresser with an outstretched arm. Damn corded driers!

I finally got my hair dry and dug through until I found a pair of nice black jeans and a green, long sleeved shirt. It was a bit tight but I had run out of time. My doorbell rang.

“Shit,” I moaned.

I opened the door. Andrew was leaning against the door jamb with a crooked smile and holding a bouquet of purple flowers.

“Aw, you’re sweet,” I said. “Come on in. I’m running late.”

“Okay,” he said and pushed himself off.

He was still in his business suit and I wondered if he came straight from work. He sat at the dining room table, his phone out, while I went and put my makeup on quickly. When I made sure everything was straight, I went back out. I jumped.

Andrew was right outside the door.

“Jesus. You gave me a heart attack,” I breathed.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I was just getting worried. You’ve been back here for a while and….”

I blinked then sighed, holding one of his hands. He looked away.

“I’m not gonna off myself, Andrew,” I whispered.

“Let’s go, we’ll be late.”

“Later,” I corrected, wrinkling my nose.

He laughed, lacing our fingers as we walked through the grass. He had another bouquet of flowers which I assumed were for Miranda. Boy really wanted to make a good impression. I rang the doorbell and she beamed when she saw us.

“Are these for me?” she asked, as Andrew held them out.

“Of course they are,” he said. “You invited me for dinner. It was either this or wine and I think Rose has had enough alcohol for now,” he teased, stepping to the side so I could walk in first.

I stuck my tongue out at him as Miranda laughed, taking us further into the house. It was very homey with flowery wallpaper and old fashioned knick-knacks. It was the kind of house you’d expect an old couple to live in.

Miranda and her husband weren’t severely old. They were both in their 60s and retired. Her husband, Parker, had been in the army for 20 years before retiring to work as a civilian in the auto industry. When his back gave out, he retired permanently. Miranda, who worked as an interior decorator, decided to permanently retire, too. From what I understood, they were traveling a lot when they weren’t helping me with Mom.

“It smells great Mrs. Fuller,” Andrew said, helping me into my chair.

“I hope you like it,” Violet said sheepishly and Andrew laughed.

“It smells great, Miss Anderson,” he assured her.

She blushed. “Please call me Violet,” she whispered and he held her hand.

“If you insist.”

“Hello? Earth to Rose!”

I jumped and looked around. Andrew was waving his hand in front of my face and I laughed.

“Sorry,” I said. “I got lost in my thoughts for a second there.”

“So, how’s work?” Parker asked me as Andrew passed me the bowl of spaghetti.

“Good,” I said and nudged Andrew. “This turd managed to charm my boss.”

Andrew laughed and told them the story. Miranda giggled like a school girl and Parker snorted.

“You have to be creative these days,” Andrew said. “The lines ‘You wanna get out of here’ and ‘Let’s do dinner’ are getting old fast.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Parker agreed. “It was easier back in our day.”

“You mean when they invented the wheel?” I teased and he threw a piece of garlic bread at me.

Dinner was pleasant, not awkward like I had feared it would be. Most of the time, it was Miranda and Parker drilling Andrew with questions. He told them about the law firm he was starting up and how he was glad he finally found a place to stay. I thought back to when he took me to McDonald’s and wondered if I was the reason he stayed.

Don’t flatter yourself, Rose, I thought, taking a long gulp of water. He found a good office without a million lawyers around.

“Now, I know how much you love this, so I thought I’d make it for dessert,” Miranda said and I gasped.

“Lemon meringue pie?” I breathed and she came back, grinning. “Oh! You’re amazing!”

She beamed and cut it up, passing us each a slice.

“Hey, Rose?” Andrew asked and I looked up from my plate.

“Andrew!” I squealed as he wiped some of the meringue on my nose. He and Miranda and Parker laughed. “Turd.”

“Aw, I couldn’t resist,” he said and took a bite. “This is delicious, Mrs. Fuller.”

“Please, call me Miranda,” she smiled.

“If you insist.”

I dropped my fork and looked at Andrew. He looked back, a little concerned.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said quickly. I cleared my throat and picked up my fork. “Yeah, I’m good.”

After dinner, Andrew walked me back to my front door. I looked at it and sighed.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he whispered and I glanced at him.

“I don’t want to go in there,” I whispered back. “She’s not in there to make my life hell anymore. It feels… empty.”

“Do you want me to stay for a bit?” he asked.

“You’d do that?” I breathed and he nodded, smiling and opening the door.

“After you.”

I smiled back and walked in slowly. I touched the corner.

“She tried to hit me with a frying pan,” I said when he was beside me. I laughed a little. “She was drunk and probably high at the time.”

“Come on, Rose,” he said, pushing on my back. “Let’s not tonight, okay? We had a good time and I like seeing you smile.”

I blushed. “Okay. Do you want some tea?”

“Sure,” he nodded, sitting down at the counter on one of the stools.

I felt him watching me and I did my best not to embarrass myself. I dropped the tea bags and sighed, shaking my head.

“Calm down,” he whispered, coming up behind me and putting his hands on my arms. “I know it’s hard being here without her-”

“That’s not it,” I admitted and turned to face him. He was really close to me and looked confused. “I- It’s- I’m not used to….”

“I see,” he interrupted and touched my cheek gently. “May I kiss you?”

I nodded eagerly and he pressed his lips to mine. I inhaled sharply through my nose and he put his arms around me. He pulled me close and I closed my eyes. I got lost in the feel of his lips and the smell of his cologne. I sucked gently on his lower lip and he let me in, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. I hooked my arms around him and stood on my toes. His hand was buried in my hair as he kissed me eagerly.

“I’m staying,” he panted, pulling away suddenly. His eyes were a little moist. “I’m staying, Rose.”

“What?” I whispered, confused.

He put his forehead on mine. “I’ve made my decision but you have to agree.”

“I don’t understand.”

He looked me in the eyes. “I’m Andrew Parrish, Rose Emerson,” he whispered.

I stepped back. “What?”

He nodded. “I’m Andrew Parrish from Silver Lining.” My jaw dropped and he took my hand. “Let’s…. Let’s sit down.”