Me to You

Chapter 36

April 6, 2019

Sparks- Coldplay

I sat in the garage as your dad was fixing his lawn mower. Quality time. I sat there watching him mumbling and grumbling about it as he walked back and forth between his tool box and the lawn mower.

"Come hold the light for me Athena." he says as he holds out the flashlight to me.

Holding the flashlight was a very hard job. Hold it wrong and any dad will give you an earful. However, I would call myself a professional at it. If I could put that on my resume, I would. I took the flashlight from him and squatted down as I held the flashlight where he told me to. Like I said, I was a professional, dad didn't give me an earful as he laid on the floor unscrewing things and taking things out and putting things back. After a while, you and Ryan came out and sat down on the chairs where I previously was.

"This is dad-daughter time?" Ryan laughed as I chuckled with a smile.

"Yup. She holds the flashlight better than any of you boys."

"That is not true. I'm a professional. Gimme the flashlight." Ryan defended as he grabbed the flashlight from me and squatted down in the spot I was at.

I laughed at him and took the chair he was seated in for a good two minutes. As soon as I sat down, dad was already grumbling that Ryan wasn't shining the light where he wanted as Ryan argued back that it's what dad told him to do.

"Hello crocodile." I greeted you while watching Ryan try to defend his flashlight holding skills.

"Hi alligator." you smiled.

We sat in silence as we watched dad and Ryan grumble at each other.

"Give her the flashlight back, you can't do it right." dad says and Ryan, dejectedly, hands me the flashlight.

I laughed at his sulking as I squatted down next to where he previously was.

"Have sons, they say, they'll help you fix things. They can't even hold a flashlight." Dad jokingly grumbled as you and Ryan looked at him in betrayal.

"How could you hurt my flashlight holding profession? The betrayal." Ryan dramatically gasped.

"You and mom favor her too much. We need to stop hanging out. Gotta put a stop to this betrayal asap." you joked as dad and I got up from our spot.

I handed dad the flashlight as he cleaned up everything and wiped the grease off his hands.

"Just because you two will stop hanging out doesn't mean we will." Dad laughed as he threw his arm over my shoulders.

"Traitor. To think I liked you, Athena." Ryan gasped again as we laughed at him.

Before I knew it, he pulled me from under dads' arm and he started giving me noogies. You stood next to dad watching the two of us, in the driveway basically wrestling each other. You two laughed at us as Ryan continued to give me noogies. Once he got tired of giving me noogies, I could see dad telling you something and all you did was smile and nod. I left Ryan laying on the driveway and made my way up the driveway to where you two were. That was until Ryan decided noogies weren't enough for the betrayal and he threw me over his shoulder and started spinning around.

"Alright, you two. Ryan stop spinning before you drop her and get the both of you hurt!" Dad yelled as Ryan and I laughed.

He put me down and the world was still spinning for the both of us as we held onto each other and laughed. After a few seconds, the world stopped spinning and we made our way up the driveway still laughing.

"Are you staying for dinner? Mom's making lasagna." dad asked as I shook my head 'no'.

"I can't. I have dinner plans with my family." I responded as I caught my breath from all the laughing.

"Alright. I'm going inside and showering before dinner. See you later sweetheart." he said as he hugged me and made his way inside with Ryan trailing behind as he waved.

"What did dad say to you?"

"He said you fit right into the family." you responded with a proud smile as you looked down at me and wrapped your arms around my waist.

I beamed at the thought that I fit right into your family. It was the first time I've ever gotten this close to someone let alone meet their family.

"I'm just so lovable." I quietly laughed as you continued to smile at me.

"I gotta go or I'll be late for dinner." I say as I unwrap your arms from around me and make my way down the driveway.

Before I made it that far down the driveway, you pulled me back and kissed my temple. I rolled my eyes at you and continued my way to my car.

"Drive safe. Love ya sweets."

"Love you too Rooster."