Let It Be Me

Let It Be Me- Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven.

I sit in Taylor’s car, not moving. I’m dreading going inside, knowing I’ll find my mom either incredibly mad at me, sobbing hysterically, or back to her cold, sterile self; the last of which actually upsets me the most….

I sit there lost in my thoughts for who knows how long, when Taylor finally speaks up.

“You don’t have to, you know.” He says.

“Huh?”

“Go inside. You don’t have to go in, if you don’t want.”

Still confused at what he’s getting at, I look at him quizzically.

“I mean, it’s a really nice day out, and I can tell you don’t want to go in there— presumably because you’d rather not face your mother—and I was just thinking…. We could always go to a park nearby or something. You know, just hang out or whatever…. If you want to, that is.”

I pause for a moment, before replying. “Yeah…. I’d like that.”

I smile at him, and he returns the smile, before pulling out of the space he was parked in, and driving to the park just a little ways down the street.

When we get out of the car, he goes around back to the trunk and pulls out a guitar case.

“Hey, I didn’t know you played!”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Jess.” He replied with a wink.

We staked out a perfect place, under the nice, cool shade of a big oak tree— Just enough sunlight to warm our faces, but not enough to make us hot. Taylor pulls out his guitar and starts tuning it up. He begins strumming softly, playing background music as we talk.

We don’t talk about anything in particular, just joking around and getting to know each other. I finally begin to let myself go, and let myself just be happy and carefree. I smile and giggle and joke along with him. It’s really nice to feel happy, if even just for this short while.

I find a bottle of bubbles in his case, and start blowing them into the wind.

“What are these doing in here, anyway?” I ask as I dip the wand back into the bubbles. “Not exactly something you find in the typical 17-year old’s guitar case.”

“I bring my brother Alex here a lot,” He says, “I play guitar for him, and blow bubbles and stuff. Give him a chance to learn new surroundings. ”

“Aww. You’re such a good big brother,” I smirk at him, “How old is he?”

“He’s seven.”

“Oooh….” I try to hide the fact that I’m surprised at his age. I expected him to be a lot younger.

I must not have done a great job at that.

“He’s autistic.” Taylor states, matter-of-factly.

“Oh my God. Taylor, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like—“ he cuts me off

“It’s fine. I’ve had five years to come to terms with his diagnosis. Besides, I know you didn’t mean it in any way like that. You didn’t know.”

“I’m sorry…” I say again, still feeling badly.

“It’s fine, Jess. Honestly.” He stops playing guitar and smiles at me. “We’re really close, anyways. People with autism have trouble socially, and sometimes can’t even talk to anyone at all, but we have a special connection. I still remember just a few years ago, when he spoke his first words…. He told me he loved me...” Taylor’s eyes gleam with pride and adoration. I can tell how much he really loves Alex. “…I would never want him to be any different.” He pauses.