Consider Yourself Lucky

Seven

I finish the last half of my dinner and feel better as we get sucked into discussion about my childhood. Here come the embarrassing stories and pictures. I offer to clear the table and as I take all the dishes to the sink, Grandma goes to the living room and comes back in with the photo albums. Here we go.

"Adelaide, I hope you don't mind if he sees your baby pictures."

"Oh, I am intrigued. There's no turning back now." As I wash the dishes, Grandma is flipping through the pages of the albums. Pointing to this picture and that picture, explaining what I was doing in each of the moments that were captured. When I finished cleaning up, I sit back at the table with them and take a trip down memory lane. There are pictures from when I was first born, birthdays, first days of school, random pictures of me outside playing in the dirt or on my swing set we used to have in the backyard. We got all the way to my first day of high school pictures when I noticed how interested Collin was in my childhood pictures. I want to know how he was as a kid. I want to know if he used to play "Knights" or "Cops and Robbers" with his friends. Did he have friends? Did he have a best friend? Where are his parents? Siblings? All the questions just flooded my mind.

"What was your childhood like?" He seemed shocked as if nobody has ever asked him that question.

"Uhh, I don't remember much of it. If I had to guess, I would say it was a normal childhood? I don't remember anything too traumatic happening, so I am assuming that is a good thing." How does someone not remember their childhood? It had to of been boring. I've never met someone who doesn't have at least one good memory of being a kid.

"Do you have any siblings?

"Nope, only child. My parents worked a lot, so I had to entertain myself most of the time. I had a dog; I do remember that. He was a beagle named Buster. I don't remember what happened to him though. I miss him sometimes." Will I ever meet his parents? He's met Grandma twice already. I'm curious as to what his backstory is.

"Have your parents seen the flower shop yet?" He looks flushed in the face. His face is paler than usual.

"No, they passed away a couple years ago."

"That makes you a candidate for my club. The dead parent club." Stupid. Insensitive. Why did I say that? Not everyone uses dark humor to cope. I feel embarrassed now.

"I'll join as long as I get to be the vice president, assuming you're the president already." He does get dark humor.

"Yes, I've been needing one of those. You're in." He laughs and I swear if Grandma wasn't in the room, I'd kiss him.

"I'm getting a bit tired. I think I'm going to head up to take a bath and then go to bed. Adelaide, just make sure you lock the door before you go to sleep. Collin, thank you for coming over and it was a pleasure to see you again. Drive home safe and if Adelaide takes out the wine and you have a bit too much, please just stay on the couch. I don't need you getting into an accident."

"Thank you for the invite and for the offer to stay. I hope you sleep well." Grandma gives Collin a hug and kisses my head.

"Goodnight, Grandma. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie. Goodnight."

It's just Collin and I downstairs now. Grandma left the photo albums out, so I keep flipping through them to see what other pictures there are. I should remember considering I've looked at them a dozen times. I guess I like reminiscing from when I was younger. I had a good childhood. I don't remember every single detail, but I do remember the good times and the things that matter.

"Addy? What's your favorite childhood memory?" When I look up at him, he seems genuinely interested in what my answer might be.

"Um, that's a hard question. I think it was when I was in maybe second grade, and I had a bad day at school. This girl, her name was Mary, she was a bully. She picked on me for every little thing possible. One day I got tired of her being mean to me and I pushed her on the tar at recess. She fell back and scraped her elbow. She told the teacher on me, and the teacher called Grandma. When she got to the school to come pick me up, she asked me my side of the story. I told her and when we left the school, she told me she was proud of me. She took me home and told me to pack a bag with an outfit and some pajamas. When I came back downstairs, she told me we were going on a small trip and to get in the car. She didn't tell me where we were going but we were in the car for a while. After I think an hour or two, she told me we were there. When I looked around, I realized we were at the beach. I didn't go to school the next day because she told me I deserved a day to just have fun. We stayed at a cute little motel and spent hours at the beach. We splashed in the ocean waves, we built sandcastles, we looked for crabs and seashells in the sand. It was probably the best day of my life. Before we went back home, we stopped for ice cream. I don't know why but I think that has to be my favorite memory. I didn't get in trouble for defending myself. I got rewarded and time to heal from the mean things that were said to me. When I become a mother one day, I want to be at least half the mother my grandma is. I have no idea where I would be without her." I noticed I was starting to get tears in my eyes. I never really get emotional about these things, but I've also never had someone so interested in what I had to say. It's a shame he can't remember anything about his childhood. Those years should be the best years and have the most amazing memories. I hope eventually he can open up to me the same way I've allowed myself to open up to him.

"Can I tell you something that might throw you off?"

"Yeah, go for it."

"I've been thinking about you since last night. You are all I've thought about all day. You would not believe the excitement I felt when you invited me over for dinner. I don't know when is too early to catch feelings for someone, but I think I might be. I don't want to scare you off and have you think I'm some obsessive freak. But Addy, I do not know what it is about you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. The thought of you is embedded into my brain and I can't shake it out. Not that I want to. However, I do want to kiss you. Very, very badly."

"So? What are you waiting for?" As soon as I finished that sentence, our lips were touching. Our bodies are pressing against each other, and my hands are intertwined in his hair. It feels like lightning throughout my entire body. Even though he's on top of me with most of his weight, I feel like I'm floating. His tongue wrapping around my tongue. His hand cupping my breast. I can feel myself wanting to undress him. But I can't. I don't want my first time to be on my living room couch with my grandma right up the stairs. I pull myself away.

"I'm sorry. I want to, I really want to. I just don't feel comfortable knowing my grandmother could be listening. That would be embarrassing, and I would have to answer so many questions in the morning."

"Don't be sorry. I won't push you to do anything. Just know that when you are ready, and the perfect moment presents itself-" He grabs my chin and pulls my face closer to his. Our lips aren't touching but just enough for me to inhale his breath. "It will be something you will never forget." Is it hot in here? Am I melting? I'm having hot flashes and I don't think I've ever been this turned on over a sentence in my life. He kisses me gently then looks in my eyes.

"I should get going. I have to be at the shop early tomorrow and you look a bit tired." I am anything but tired right now, but I do have work tomorrow. I walk him out the door, and he kisses me goodnight.

"Text me when you get home, so I know you made it safely." It's a little upsetting watching him leave. I'm already getting attached and it's only been two days. I close the door when his car is out of sight and lock it. I decide to take a quick shower before bed. When I'm out of the shower my phone dings with a text. It's Collin.

"Made it home safe. Thank you for tonight." I'm feeling a little frisky so I go to my dresser drawers and take out a pair of black lace panties. I slip them on and turn my phone at an angle where you get a perfect angle of my ass. I take the picture. "You're welcome anytime. Goodnight." I add a kissy face emoji and press send. Almost instantly, I get another text. It's a picture. Collin has no shirt on. I read the message under the picture. "It's yours whenever you're ready." Are we really about to sext? Do adults do that? That seems like a teenager-ish thing to do. Lucky for him, I'm feeling like a teenager right now. We send some more naughty messages and pictures back and forth and a video or two. After about an hour I feel my eyes getting heavy. I tell him goodnight for the second time and put my phone on the charger. I don't know where I think this is going to go with him but right now, I'm fucking loving it.