"Professional Wrestling Legend Dusty Rhodes was found dead late last...." No, not Dusty. Not the Runnels. I dropped everything in my hands and I cried. I called my mother who answered the phone in tears.
"Momma..." Dusty was her friend. A friend to every one, but to momma especially. When Daddy left, he was the only thing that saved her. And with Dusty came his bright eyed handsome son, Cody...my high school sweetheart, my first kiss. The boy who took me to prom and treated me like a princess...I could only imagine how he was feeling right now. "I'm flying home for the funeral, for everything. I'll be there in the morning, okay?"
"Annie, you can't just..."
"I can. Family comes first. You taught me that. I love you, I need to call Cody."
"You and that boy..." She mustered a laugh. "Be careful coming home. I love you."
"Hello?" A struggling voice that I didnt recognize answered.
"Cody? Hey..."
"Who is this?"
"Its Anna Claire.."
"Annie...Dad..he.." His voice broke.
"I know, Cody. I know. And I'll be home tomorrow, okay? I'll stop by after I get momma..is that okay? Your momma, how is she?"
"Its rough on all of us. But we knew. We spent time with him, just gotta get over the initial shock."
"I'm so sorry, Cody...we'll be over early in the day. Is that okay?"
"Mom will make breakfast, you know that." He chuckled.
"Especially with the way she's feeling." We both laughed.
"It was good to hear your voice, Annie."
"It was good to hear yours too, honey. I'll be home soon."
"Make it quick." I heard his smirk before we hung up.
Georgia has a certain smell to it, and I'm convinced you can only smell it if you lived in Georgia 20+ years or you were raised right there in the red clay. I flew down the back roads and highways to mommas house. She would be ready when I got there, ready to see Michelle and the kids. I say kids but theyre all older than me. Dusty's kids, his pride and joys. Cody had separated from his siblings over the last couple of years so I heard. God, I hadn't seem him in years. I know I shouldnt be so excited but I am.
I helped momma out of the car and fixed her black dress, she had lost her best friend and looked the part. We walked up the beautiful stone steps and Michelle greeted us at the door.
"Beth." She wrapped momma up in a hug and held her while she cried, they cried, together."
"Michelle...I wish...I saw him that morning. I didn't know."
"He didn't want you to. Come inside, I'll get you some coffee." She almost didn't notice me. "Anna Claire..is that? Oh my god..CODY GARRETT, get down here." She had a smile plastered on her face. Cody came jogging downstairs, a pair of grey joggers and a black t-shirt had never looked so good.
"Anna Claire...is that...you?"
"Cody...Cody Garrett...oh my god." The tv didn't do that smile justice, those eyes, that voice. He wrapped his arms around my waist.
"It's so good to see you." He put one hand on my hair like he used to and I melted into his embrace. I breathed in the scent of home. No amount of travel could take the Georgia smell out of Cody's bones. "I wanna talk to you later, okay? Just me and you.." He kissed the side of my head and I nodded. "Ms.Beth." he hugged momma tight.
"Looking more and more like your daddy every day, Cody."
"So they tell me." He winked at her.
We all ate together and bonded. It just felt nice to be a part of a family again. After breakfast the moms went to the living room, the older kids went to tent to their families and I was left with Cody.
"Anna Claire..good gracious, you just get prettier. How's life up there?" He stood and asked for my hand leading me upstairs to a library type room.
"Its lonely, honestly. I'm thinking about moving home." He was the first one to know that.
"Trust me, I know how lonely feels. That would be nice for your mom." He smiled and sat in a big arm chair.
"How are you? All this aside..."
"Misused and unappreciated. I'm leaving the main stream wrestling world, Annie. I'm gunna test my luck. I know how good I am and I know who I am."
"Honestly, I'm proud of you."
"That means more than you'll ever know. But, uhm...I have a question and you can say no, but hear me out."
"Cody, you can tell me anything, you know that." I sat on the arm of the chair with my legs over his. "Going away for a little while we both chase our dreams doesn't mean aanything has changed between us."
"Do you want to go out, tomorrow night?"
"Like...."
"Like, I'm going to take you to the prettiest place in the world and we're going to have dinner while we talk as long as you want. I already hace everything arranged, just say yes." His hand rubbed up and down on my leg, but never too high. He just smiled awaiting my answer.
"What time, my love?"
"I'll pick you up after I handle everything here. Is that okay?"
"Absolutely."
"Good, now get your cute ass downstairs to your mom and let's handle our families then get back to us." He placed his hand on the small of my back and kissed my lips, light and quick
