Fall - A Rocky Lynch Story

Chapter 2

Even though we knew right away that we wanted to counsel Ryland and Karlee, we wanted to take the week we were given to really mull it over. It was a pretty big responsibility, albeit an exciting one that we were honored to have. Rocky and I just didn't want to rush into anything without giving it the proper thought.

"According to the book, it would take about nine weeks," I said to Rocky as he pulled four glasses out of the top rack of the dish washer. He placed them at their respective spots at the dinner table, where I sat with the counseling book in front of me. We were waiting for the engaged couple to arrive so we could really iron out the details of the whole affair. "This book has it all pretty well laid out. I guess we're only here to offer our experiences and listen."

Rocky sat down next to me and I pushed the book over so that we could both page through it. I leaned my head on his shoulder and listened to his little chuckles or scoffs as he skimmed the recommended questions for each subject. "Did we really have to discuss all of this before we got married?" he asked me as he tilted his head and rested it against mine. "This all seems like a bit much."

"I don't really remember," I admitted. It had been a little over 13 years since we went through our premarital counseling with his father. "Is that bad? That I barely remember any of that stuff?"

He hummed in response. "I don't either," he said. He was about to add another thought when the doorbell chimed; its ring echoed through our home. "The door must be locked," he said mostly to himself. "Car, can you get the door?"

"Yeah," Carter responded from the living room. He didn't sound too enthusiastic about having to move, but knew better than to argue with his father. It took him a while, but eventually Rocky and I watched him walk like a zombie towards the door, running into the corners of the walls when he turned. His cell phone was in front of his face and his thumbs tapped nonstop over the screen. He didn't even bother to look up.

We could have gone on with our conversation, but watching that boy navigate his way towards the door was too amusing. When he tripped over a shoe near the door, I had to bury my face into my husband's arm to muffle my laughter. Rocky furrowed his brows at Carter, but was laughing softly. "If you put your phone down for just a second, that wouldn't have happened," he said to our son.

Ryland and Karlee walked through the open door, zooming past Carter, whose eyes were still glued to the screen. Rocky stood up to greet them. "Can I get you guys anything to drink?" he asked.

"Water's fine," Karlee replied, and Ryland nodded in agreement. Rocky a pitcher of filtered water from the fridge and filled the glasses on the table.

"We can't stay for long," Ryland informed us. "We are actually on our way to a party at my hotel downtown."

I looked over to Carter, who ran into a chair on his way to the fridge. "Baby, who are you talking to?" I asked with a short laugh. "You haven't put your phone down since you got home from school. I miss you!" I pulled him into a tight hug, which he tried to struggle away from but eventually gave into.

"It's just my science partner from school," he said. "We have a science fair coming up and we're trying to decide what we should do it on." Before I could ask anymore questions, he grabbed a half empty bottle of Gatorade and made his exit. He ran up the stairs two at a time and went to his room, shutting the door quickly behind him.

Ryland and Karlee sat down across from where Rocky and I sat, and they saw that we had the book out in front of us. "Good news, I hope?" Ryland started out.

I shared a look with my husband before we responded. "We would love to counsel you guys," I confirmed. "I'm assuming you flipped through this book before showing us, so you know the time commitment?"

"Nine weeks," Karlee smiled. "We know. So I guess the next step would be to figure out when to get together each week?" She sipped from her glass that she held in one hand. Her other hand was holding onto Ryland's tightly. His thumb rubbed over hers. It filled me with so much hope to see how much Ryland had grown, and how in love he was with Karlee. The boy we had once known had turned into a man.

"Obviously with four kids and my job, weekdays are out," Rocky said. "These things require a good amount of time to discuss, so I'm thinking Saturday or Sunday, early afternoons?" He turned to me when he spoke now. "Carter could keep an eye on the kids for an hour or two while we sit out on the patio or something?"

I nodded thoughtfully. I had to admit that was definitely one upside of having a teenager now. "So what do you guys think?" I asked the couple.

They both pulled out their phones and scrolled through their calendars. After a couple of private whispers into each other's ears, they clicked their phones off and sat them back onto the table in front of them. "Sunday early afternoons," Ryland nodded. "We can start this Sunday if that's alright with the two of you."

"Great!" I clapped my hands together.

Ryland's phone started to ring and he apologized to us before answering it, saying that it could be important. He excused himself from the table as he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone. When he returned, he apologized once again. "Babe, we really can't be late," he said to Karlee. She downed the rest of her water and stood up, giving both of us a hug before pulling her jacket back on. Ryland hugged me and gave his brother a fist bump before they left. What was it with boys and fist bumps?

"Now that's all settled, we have to decide what we're going to talk about this Sunday," I told Rocky with a small sigh. It was getting late and I had to admit that I was just plain exhausted.

"Tomorrow," he told me, closing the book on the table. "You should relax for the night, my love. Let's just go watch TV with the kids." He leaned down and gave me a gentle but lasting kiss before taking care of the glasses on the table.

I went into the living room and saw Avelyn sitting with her legs crossed underneath her on the couch, watching a show intensely. I sat down and Mason hopped up onto my lap, snuggling into me. Ellie had fallen asleep on the floor. Soon enough, Rocky joined us, sitting between Avelyn and myself. He wrapped his arm around Avelyn's shoulder and rubbed it gently. "What are you watching?" he asked her.

"Shhh," she responded, causing Rocky to raise his eyebrows and look over to me. I shrugged with a smile and tried to follow the story that our daughter was so engrossed in. Carter eventually rejoined us, sitting in the recliner next to the couch. He still had his phone in his hand. When the commercial break started, Avelyn returned to her normal, chatty self. "Did you know Carter has a girlfriend?" she said, looking up at her dad for his response.

"Shut up!" Carter huffed, throwing a pillow at her.

"Hey," I said sternly.  "Language." He gave me an apologetic look and nodded at him before he returned to texting.

"She's his science partner," Avelyn continued to gossip. "I saw them walking in the halls together. He carried her books." Rocky looked pleasantly surprised. I kept stealing quick glances at our son, whose face was bright red.

"Avelyn, stop talking about your brother," I warned her. "It's not your business. And Carter baby, it's really sweet of you to carry her books. You're such a gentleman."

"Mooooom," he groaned.

"Way to go, son!" Rocky cheered him on. "Your first girlfriend!"

"We aren't dating!" Carter defended.

"So you don't like her?" Avelyn asked.

"I never said that," Carter said quietly, the blush returning to his cheeks.

"Shhh! My show is back on!" she said as the commercials ended and the story resumed on the screen. We decided to let Carter go on with his texting without pressing the issue further.

I leaned my head on Rocky's shoulder and sighed. My baby's first crush... This was new territory for us. I didn't have to say anything; Rocky knew exactly what I was thinking. "It'll be okay," he whispered to me as he wrapped his other arm around my shoulder. "We can talk later."