Once we get home from shopping, I go upstairs to change my clothes and put on some makeup before we leave for dinner. I put on the jacket and necklace Eli gave me for my birthday and quickly braid my hair. Then I go back downstairs and wait.
*******
"So do you two do anything fun today?" My dad asks.
"We went shopping and went to get a coffee."
"And Emma gave me fashion advice."
"It's true, I did."
"Also, mauve is a cute color, right?" I laugh.
"I don't think he knows what mauve is, mom."
"What is mauve?"
"It's like a purple."
"Oh, well sure then."
"See? Just like I said."
"Yeah, but black goes with everything."
"Alright, you win this one, but one of these days I'm gonna make mauve go with everything too." We get our pizza and eat, taking some to go.
"Should we catch a late movie or call it a night?" Dad asks.
"Let's see what's playing still, we can decide from there." I say.
"Okay, let me call the theater." A few minutes later, he hangs up. "So we have either a romantic comedy or a cartoon."
"Hmm, let's call it a night and watch a movie at home, I think we still have popcorn."
"Sounds good to me." Mom says.
"Yeah, that works."
***********
Later that night, after everyone is asleep, I decide to drive around for a bit, just to clear my mind. It's a nice, cool and quiet night, there aren't very many cars on the road, which is nice as well. I think about the times Eli and I did this, mostly during the summer. We would drive with the windows down and the radio off, because all we needed was the sound of each others voice and the chorus of summer noises around us, we would drive for miles just talking about anything, and I never got bored once.
Now it'a different, being alone, driving in a different season, not boring, but just different in a way I can't explain. After driving for a while, I decide to go back home and call it a night.
**********
I change into my pajamas and crawl under the covers. Ever since the accident, my mind likes to race at night, but tonight it's calm and quiet, and I fall asleep easily, dreaming of warm summer nights and the sound of Eli's voice.
YOU ARE READING
Open This When...
RomanceEmma's boyfriend is dead, but his memory is not. She still has his jacket, his football Jersey, the necklace he gave her, and a huge stack of "Open This When" letters he had written for her. As she reads them, she realizes that he loved her more tha...
