Remind Me

★ 8: Remind Me Of Our Night Together ★

Chapter Eight

Remind Me Of Our Night Together

November 26 – November 27

True to his words, Watson texts me later at night to ask if he can come over. At first, I hesitate, because my dad's home and I don't want him to catch Watson roaming my bedroom. But I miss him, and I want him to see him, so I ignore any possible consequences of my actions and tell my boyfriend that it is okay to come over.

I guess the frozen yogurt I had earlier didn't satisfy my appetite, so I head downstairs to make myself a peanut butter sandwich. It is then when my phone rings.

Esmond.

"Hey," I say, when we're connected.

"Hey, Susanna," Esmond responds. "How have you been?"

"Um, pretty good. A little hungry." I take a bite out of my sandwich.

"What're you eating?"

I think about lying to him and saying an apple, but I don't. "A peanut butter sandwich," I say, shamefully. I brace myself for the nutritional lecture he usually gives when I'm eating unhealthily, but surprisingly, he doesn't chastise me.

"Sounds good. I'd kill for one right now."

"You sound tired, Es."

"I am. I just got done with work, and I still have homework to do."

"But he would've been finished by now if he hadn't procrastinated!" I hear someone shout, from Esmond's line.

I smile. I recognize the voice. It's Bridget, his girlfriend. They're living together in an apartment off campus. Bridget's finishing her undergrad in bioengineering while Esmond's finishing his Ph.D. in pediatrics. They both go to UCLA.

"Tell Bridge I said hi," I tell Esmond.

"No need. It's on speaker." Esmond sighs.

"Hi, Susanna!" Bridget says, enthusiastically.

"Hey, Bridge."

"I can't wait to see you during winter break. You should take me on another shopping spree. I need new shoes."

"No problem. I can't wait to see you, too. It's been a few months." I finish my sandwich and wipe my mouth clean with a napkin. I peer out the window in front of me when I hear the sound of car tires in the driveway.

"Hey, I'm gonna go. Dad's back," I say, heading over to the front door.

"Oh, okay. We'll talk to you later, Susanna," Bridget says.

"Yep! Bye." I hang up, and tuck my phone into my pocket. Before my dad even has the time to unlock the door, I swing it open, greeting him with a warm smile. "Hey, daddy."

"Susanna!" dad says, smiling back. He comes into the house and sets his briefcase aside, pulling me in for a hug. "Oh, I've missed you, darling."

He smells like ink and paper. He's a real estate agent. "Are you hungry?" I ask.

"If you're not busy, I want soup?"

"Yeah, no problem. I can make you some." I like cooking, and—not to brag or anything—I think I'm the best cook of all my brothers. Brayden is just the worst when it comes to cooking, and Esmond's mediocre.

I head to the kitchen to make some potato soup—dad's favorite. An hour later, the smell permeates the kitchen, and my dad comes into the room with his mouth almost drooling.