So Hold Our Vows

the first date <3

Samantha {15}

I couldn't suppress the grin that'd held my lips captive all afternoon.

Mama had known immediately. I'd made my way into the passenger seat after school, trying (and failing) to smother my smile.

"Hmm, anything interesting happen today?" Her eyes were glinting at mine with a sparkly knowing. My mama knew everything, and you couldn't even get mad at her for it. She was just always right. And kind. Mama was a lot of things, but in her soul, she was kind. I knew there was no teasing behind her question.

I opened my mouth to answer, but my face flushed red instead, and I rolled my eyes, putting my face in my hands.

"Luke asked me out." I mumbled through my hands. Mama didn't say anything. I turned my head to peek at her through my fingers. Her grin matched mine.

"And? Did you tell him yes or just turn red and hide?" Now she was teasing me. I sat up as she pulled out of the school parking lot and shook my head, my hands grabbing the air in frustration.

"You know I said yes! Luke is like-well he's just. Like." I huffed. "Luke is really great. I really like him."

"Awe, honey, I'm so excited for you! Do you know what you're gonna wear? I was thinking your nice boots with your white hat and, well, you'll need sleeves probably for where you're going, and then-" She was talking a mile a minute, from the time we hit the after-school-traffic in town until we finally broke free onto the open roads that led to our house.

"Wait, Mama." I interrupted her idea about wearing leggings under shorts (a horrid idea, one I hoped she'd forget).

She took a breath.

"How do you know where I'm going? I don't even really know where we're going." I told her. Luke had just asked if I'd wanted to get dinner with him "somewhere special."

Mama laughed.

"Oh, honey, Grace called me this morning asking how much of a discount she could get on a bouquet."

I didn't get it at first. We pulled into our long driveway, and it wasn't until we'd made it all the way down the mile-long gravel drive and Mama'd put the car in park that the light bulb turned on.

"HE'S GETTING ME FLOWERS?!"

Mama was laughing again as she got her purse from the backseat.

"I'm not telling youuuuu." She sang on our way up the front porch, and she didn't stop singing all through the house.

I shook my head, ignoring her singing and the blush growing stronger on my face and neck, instead opening a cabinet and grabbing one of the sugar cookies I'd made with Daddy last night. Mama'd made her way to the back of the house by now. She wouldn't be in the house for long, probably needing to go back to the flower nursery she ran in town.

Thinking of the shop made me grin again at the thought of Luke buying me flowers. He seemed really set on trying to do everything right. Not that there was a specific way these things needed to be done.

I shook my head again as I closed the door to my bedroom and flopped facedown onto my bed, still smiling. Luke had always been so sweet, but ever since summer ended this school year he's been...extra great.

And of course, he's always been cute. Even when we were little and gross and in elementary school, Abigail would tease me about having a crush on him. I'd stick my tongue out and tell her she was wrong, and she'd stick her tongue out back at me and sigh until she was laying on the ground, lamenting why Luke and I couldn't just be soulmates like her and Oliver.