"Leah? Are you ok?" Gabriel asked from the hallway outside of my gran's guest room.
"Yea I'm fine Gabriel. Just a little light headed, probably from the flight." I was light headed alright, but it wasn't from the flight.
"Oh okay. Do you need me to get you some tylenol, maybe some advil?" Damn him for being so polite.
"No, it's fine. I just need a moment to collect myself. I'll be back out soon." I didn't need to collect myself I needed to brace myself for seeing his face again.
"Listen Leah. I know I was probably the last person you expected to see today. God knows I didn't expect to run into you here. But if-"
"Oh there you are Gabriel!" My least favorite southern voice interrupted Gabriel on the other side of the door. I had to admit it felt good to talk like everybody else again.
"Oh hey Cynthia." Gabriel replied.
"My grandma just sent me up here looking for you. The barbecue is missing you. And I think you have a pretty southern lady downstairs looking for you too. Red head, Lucille is it? Don't worry about Leah, I'll handle her. She's always been quite the drama queen."
"Alright Cynthia. Um feel better Leah, and um give me a call later? Maybe I can take you out for dinner and we can catch up. My number hasn't changed." I cringed at the irony. He left. I opened the door for Cynthia. Just to be bum-rushed by Cynthia with a hug.
"Hi! Its so good to see you Leah!" My sister was the definition of the perfect southern lady. She had looks to kill for, and she always seemed to say the right things. I looked like her, just in a awkward, unladylike, teenage kind of way.
"Hey Cynth good to see you too." Was it really though?
"So whats this I hear about my sister running at the sight of an ex? Remember ladies never flee at the sight of a male."
"I don't know what happened back there Cynthia. I freaked."
" Its fine honey. You just need to pull yourself together, stand up straight, and go out there and get your man back."
"Ohmysweetgoodness Cynthia? It's not that easy! I was horrible to him. I left without calling, and then I sent him a letter 3 months later pretty much telling him that I couldn't... Love him anymore and that he should just moved on because I wouldn't be coming back!"
"Okay, but that was forever ago sweetie."
"But what if he took my advice and moved on? Not everybody can be stuck on the same person for years like me Cynthia!" Funny thing is I didn't realize I had been so stuck on him since now. I had been too busy trying to forget that I loved my old life here, because I had been so scared of coming back.
"Oh please. Did you see his face when he saw you! Leah he still loves you! So I would advise you to go downstairs and confirm that dinner date."
"But what about redhead Lucille." I huffed.
"Lucille is a skank! She has been trying to get Gabriel on her hook since you left, but she couldn't because Gabriel can't stop sulking over you. So go downstairs and politely pull him to the side and make plans with him!"
~
"Hi Lucille its nice to see you. You look great honey." Southern flattery gets them every time.
"Oh hello Leah, thank you so much. Yea I guess my long hair is working for me." It wasn't though.
"I was hoping that I could steal your date away from you for just a second."
"Um.. sure thats fine." I smiled and grabbed Gabriel's hand and took him into the house."Hey Leah what's going on?"
"I just wanted to see if tomorrow around 7 you could pick me up?...For you know... Dinner, you had mentioned it, and I just thought that it would be a good idea to catch up because I haven't seen you in a while. And I know I left pretty abruptly well... 4 years ago. And I just think that I have some major explaining to do and I think that dinner at the diner with you would be a perfect time for that because... I miss you. Well talking with you. And I wanted to talk with you just... about... your life, and how... you're-" He leaned in and put his finger to my mouth. I can smell his cologne.
"I miss you too Leah, and I would love to have a date with you tomorrow." Gosh his breath smelled like mints and my strawberry shortcake. He was to close.
"Okay then I'll see you tomorrow at 7." As I began to turn around, and he caught my hand. "Its really great to have you home Leah." He let my hand go and walked back out to the barbecue. And suddenly things didn't seem so grim anymore. The rest of the night went swell.
