*again, please don't judge the names. we're being unique here. being brutally honest, I don't use names that I don't like. So if I've used a name, it probably means like I like it. ☺️
b a y l o r
☺
I pull my Jeep off the road, over on the shoulder, putting it in park and leaning my head against the seat. Sienna, my sister, is calling.
"Hello?" I ask, hoping she has good news about her two-year old daughter, Tessa; she's currently fighting for custody. Tessa is our cousin's baby, but her biological mother isn't in the position to take care of her, and her father is in jail.
"Hey," she says.
"Is everything okay?" I ask her; her voice doesn't sound promising.
"Well..." my heart sinks. "Adoption is next week!"
"What?! You're joking!" I say, my heart now soaring.
"No! She's mine!"
She tells me that we're meeting for dinner at Olive Garden that night, and to tell my best friend, Brayson, that he better be there, or she will physical drag him there.
I'm picking Brayson up at 4:30.
☺
When Brayson gets in my car, my heart starts pounding, because it's that cliché story where the narrator has fallen in love with his best friend.
He smiles at me. "So, Tessa is getting adopted, that's awesome!" He sounds happy when he says it, and he's smiling brightly, but something's bothering him. I'm not going to bring it up right now, but I definitely will before I drop him off.
I back out of his driveway and head towards the restaurant.
"How does Sienna feel about all of this?" Brayson asks.
"Stressed, I'm sure; but also super excited! She's raised Tessa since she was born. She literally chose Tessa's name. She's fought so hard for her."
In the beginning, even though Sienna was only 19, Tessa's bio-mom asked Sienna to take Tessa, because she knew that she herself was unreliable. She knew that she would fall back into that habit, that routine... And she did, four days after giving birth. After being sober for nearly twelve months. When she got back on it, she turned into a monster, saying that Sienna stole her baby, and that she hated Sienna's guts; that she didn't care if Sienna or Tessa fell off a cliff. But she still wanted custody. Obviously, the court knew this wasn't the right option, but there almost always has to be a "foster period".
"I'm just so glad that baby girl is going to grow up in such a good family," Brayson says, breathing what seems to be a sigh of relief.
Brayson has been my best friend since I was in eighth grade; as soon as we met, we instantly clicked, now we're in our senior year together.
☺
I pull into the parking lot beside Sienna's white Kia Sorento. Brayson and I get out of the car, walking past the already full tables, going towards the back where my sisters, niece, and parents are.
"Hi!" Sienna greets, looking up from the table. Tessa is sitting with my mom, hitting my dad on the arm with a toy car; she's wearing a cute sunflower dress with yellow bows on her pigtails and matching yellow Converses.
"Ooh, Brayson! I need to talk to you for a second." Sienna adds.
I take my seat beside my little sister, Jolie, who gives me a big smile.
"How was your day at school?" I ask her; she's currently in ninth grade, our other little sister, Laney, is in third.
Jolie shrugs. "It was okay,"
"Cameron chased me around with a rock at recess today!" Laney says, nearly shouting.
"Laney, calm down, sweetie," Mom says, shushing her.
I raise my eyebrows. "Did you tell him to stop?"
"No!"
I nod, looking at Jolie and we both shrug at each other.
Brayson comes back a few minutes later, Sienna at his tail. I look at him, but his face tells me nothing and neither does he. Tessa immediately reaches for Sienna when she comes back, nearly kicking my dad in the face when Sienna picks her up.
We've just finished eating and are sitting around the table now, chatting. Tessa is half asleep in Brayson's arms, squeezing her stuffed animal.
☺
We all move in a pack to the parking lot after paying to say our goodbyes. Tessa is grumpy now because Sienna had to wake her up so they could leave, so she's in the car seat already, the door open as Sienna finishes up buckling her. Sienna does stay much longer, and drives away heading towards her house.
"I'll be home in a few!" I tell my parents. "I've gotta take Brayson home."
They nod, telling me not to be too long.
"What did Sienna want earlier?" I ask Brayson, looking over at him.
He takes a minute to reply. "You,"
"Me? Why me? She could've just talked to me about me."
Brayson looks over at me. "Can you pull over so we can talk?" Sudden seriousness. This is hardly ever good.
I drive for a few minutes before finding an empty parking lot, pulling in, parking, and turning to Brayson.
"What's up?" I ask him.
He takes a deep breath. "Sienna and I were talking about you because I told her that I liked you."
I perk up. "You what now?"
"I like you, Baylor. I have for a while. I guess I don't know exactly when, but I like you." He says, not looking at me.
I unbuckle my seat belt, leaning over and pressing my lips to his.
"I've liked you for so long," I gasp. "I never thought— I never thought you felt the same. I felt hopeless. I felt like a hopeless romantic,"
Brayson smiles, watching as I climb over the center console and onto his lap, putting his hands on my hips.
He holds my chin in his hand, looking into my eyes. "Sienna told me to go for it," he says softly, his eyes wandering over every inch of my face. I smile at him, letting his lips meet mine again.
☺
After I drop Brayson off at his house, I call Sienna on the way back home.
"Thank you," I tell her as soon as she picks up.
"For what?" She says, but I can hear the knowing smile in her voice. I can practically hear her smile get wider. "You're welcome, I always knew there was something there. I saw the way you looked at him, but I also saw the way he looked at you when he thought no one was looking."
I stay on the phone with Sienna until I pull in my driveway, telling her thanks and I love her again before I hang up, turn off my car, and going inside the house.
2/8/2021
