Our Indefinable Love

nine - love is corny

I woke up to find my mum sitting on the edge of my bed shaking my arm softly.

'Ella love, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be away all day. A client I'm working with has a terrible case of pre-wedding jitters, you know how it is.' She conversed, as though we had been talking for hours. The truth is I didn't really comprehend anything she was saying so I just made a blunt groaning sound in response.

'There is food in the fridge you can heat up for your dinner...' she began listing everything I needed to know completely oblivious to the fact that I wouldn't remember any of this is ten minutes.

'Oh! And somebody left this for you in the mailbox.' Now that perked me up. She handed me a small envelope with scrawled handwriting on the front.

'It's handwritten.' I stated blankly. 'Who would be writing to me?' I asked staring up at her.

'Maybe it's a love note from a secret admirer.' Mum replied giddily with a coy look on her face. 'Or maybe... a not so secret admirer.' She added gleefully, wiggling her eyebrows.

'Mum!' I cried, plastering a horrified look on my face trying desperately not to burst out laughing.

'Alright, alright. I promise, no more prying. You're lucky I didn't read it!' She added playfully while walking out the door, leaving me to my mysterious letter.

'Have fun at work!' I cried out after her.

Suddenly she popped her head back in through my bedroom door. 'And you have fun with that love letter of yours.' She replied, winking before leaving indefinitely this time.

I was overwhelmed with joy at how easy she had slipped back into her usual form. After the other night I thought she would be at least be down for a week or so. But like the trouper that she is, the very next day she had a spring in her step as she skipped off to work. I take a moment to admire her courage before selfishly returning my focus to the letter.

For a while I just held it in my hands and stared silently at it. I marvelled at how timeless a letter was. You never get the same amount of satisfaction from receiving a text message or a phone call as you get from receiving a letter. This was addressed solely to me. Just me. It was physical proof that someone cared enough about me to sit down and write me instead of just texting me a series of emojjis. I decided that all this thinking about it was probably leading me up for a disappointment. It was probably just a letter about school or something.

And so with new found low expectations and a ground – breaking pessimistic attitude, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out a wrinkled page, opening the folded page to see the same scrawled handwriting. But the only disappointing aspect of this letter was that it only contained a handful of words.

You, me. Picnic. I'll pick you up at one.

Thanks again for last night,

Noah

A man of little words. Yet these little words were causing frenzy in my body. A kaleidoscope of butterflies started to roam free in my stomach and I felt a tingling go through each of my fingertips and toes. What was this boy doing to me? I quickly grabbed my phone to check the time. 10:34 A.M. At least I have some time to calm myself down before he gets here. But what was I going to wear? What do people wear to picnics these days?

Just then I heard the doorbell ring from downstairs. My heart started to beat heavily against my chest. That couldn't be him, could it? Who shows up three hours early? Of course it isn't him. But then who was it? I nervously made my way out of my bedroom and down the stairs.

'Ella? It's me, Ali. Would you get down here lazy and open the door?'

I breathed a sigh of relief before opening the front door to welcome my horrifically impatient friend.