Thanksgiving day has finally arrived. Lily spent all morning helping my mother cook, while me and my father stayed in the living room, him watching sports and me playing Cards Against Humanity online with Marcy and Kolby, who were also as bored as I am. The rest of my family has yet to arrive, not that I'd spend all that long talking to them anyway.
It's always the same damn questions. When are you going to get a girlfriend? Got a proper job yet? Are you ever going to go back go college? While I finally have a girlfriend and a job, my aunt and grandma will still grill my ass about college, while my cousin Connor would attempt to change the subject for my sake. That's how it is every year.
At around four PM, all the food is made and Lily enlists my help in setting the table. She paces around nervously as I set out the plates, checking the baskets of rolls to ensure that there wasn't a single burned edge, the meat to ensure that the aluminum foil was keeping it warm, and the mashed potatoes for any unwanted insect guests.
"You don't have to worry Lily, everything looks perfect," I say, kissing her. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into my embrace for a moment. She smells of pumpkin spice from making pies. It puts me into a trance and I forget that I've got hold of her until she wriggles from my grasp.
"I just don't want anything to go wrong. I'm meeting more of your family. I want them to like me. Your father says they can be really stuck up, so I've got to make a good impression. Is my outfit appropriate for the occasion?" she asks.
Although I've assured her several times she looks great, I take another look at her outfit. An amaranth red sweater with roses and leaves, dark denim jeans, and grey boots, because she insisted it would be strange to walk around in barefoot, and she didn't want to wear only socks in fear that she would trip on our hardwood floors.
"You look great, Lily. I promise. Please try to relax a little," I say. She kisses my cheek.
"Okay, but only because you said please," she says. But there's no time for her to relax, because as soon as she goes to sit down on the couch, the doorbell rings, and she hops back up again.
"I'll get it, you stay there," I instruct. I rush to open the door. The first face I see is my aunt, who gives me a bone-crushing hug.
"Milo! Great to see you! You're doing well, I hope?" she says. I nod.
"Doing good, auntie," I say. My uncle enters next, patting me on the back.
"Hey my boy, looking good," he says, making me laugh.
"Thanks Manny, you too," I say. My grandma comes in next, heaving her walker over the door frame.
"Milo, so good to see you," she says, waiting for me to lean downs so she can hug me. At eighty, we're all surprised she's still alive, but nothing seems to off the lady. She's survived two heart attacks already, so we joke that she's immortal. Last, my cousin Connor enters, and I hug him.
"I've missed you dude, no escaping a hug this time," I say. He laughs and hugs me back before pulling away.
"I'll allow it this time. I missed you too," he says.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Lily," I say. When I turn back to see Lily, I expect her to be smiling, but the look on her face is pure horror. Is she having second thoughts about staying social? Does she want to leave? I go over to her. "Lily, are you okay?" I whisper. In my arms, she's trembling. Connor walks over to see what the commotion is, but she backs up further.
"Stay away from me!" Lily yells. Now I know what this is. She's having delusions that our Connor is the same Connor that put her in the hospital. At least, that's what my first thought was, until Connor opened his mouth.
YOU ARE READING
A Library Romance
RomanceHe'd been watching her in the library for days. She'd noticed him, but said nothing. It was fun that way. It was their little game, hide and seek without ever acknowledging that they had been found. Until Milo gets a speeding ticket and ends up doin...
