What We Were

Chapter 6: Part 2

- (Noah’s point of view)-

As I came out of Emmy’s room I heard a sudden shuffling coming from down the hall near Julie’s room. I didn’t think anything of it so I just went downstairs. I tiptoed down the stairs keeping the solid silence. As I descended down I passed by the family pictures, and of baby Julie.

When I got down I grabbed my coat and jiggled the handle to the front of the house until I was out in the frigid air. I pulled my collar up and came down to the mailbox in the darkened atmosphere. I threw the envelopes and ads on the counter and put up my jacket and hat. I decided that I would just sleep on the couch at Julie’s. I felt bad to just leave her alone. What if she were to wake up and need something? But what was I gonna say when her parents came home? That I googled her symptoms and have no idea if she needs medical attention or not. I quickly ran to my house to grab a change of clothes and my toothbrush.

“Honey? Noah is that you? Where have you been?” I heard my mom call from downstairs.

“I’ve been over across the street at Julie’s house; she must’ve caught a bug or the flu or something. I’ve been helping them out over there. No big deal.”

She came and stood in my doorway, laundry basket on her hip and looked at me. “That’s my boy, look at you! I’m proud of you, going over there and helping out like that… Listen I’m gonna make a wrap up a couple casseroles for them, you can take them on over there and…”

“Ma! Chill out! They haven’t caught the plague alright? They are all taken care of, I already made food over there.”

“Are you sure? I can just do it real quick. Let me at least make a plate for Julie.”

“No ma, Julie is perfect.”

She gave me a look and raised her eyebrows. When she smiled, I knew what I had said and how it came out so I tried to cover it up. “Ly fine…Perfect-ly fine Ma.”

Her smile was still there as she walked into my room. “Okay, just no funny business when you’re over there, you promise? Or if you’re going to do something take one of these and please use it.” she said first showing me, then sticking the condom in my left pocket.

“It’s not even like that ma, geez!” I tried to make a save. She lowered her voice to make sure Pop couldn’t hear.

“Oh Come On Noahie honey!” she closed the door and smugly crossed over to sit on my bed; laying out my clothes. “I’m not blind, I see the way you guys look at each other! I think it’s all quite romantic.” She replied happily. All I could do was blush hard and stutter. I tried covering it all up again, but all that came out was, “Ahh n-n-nothing ha-happened ma. I just, and she, but I, then she, but we…ugh…I mean, just um…”

“See Noahie, look at you, you’re stuttering like a broken record! Noahie, come here and sit next to your mother a minute.”

I came over and sat next to her on my bed wondering what kind of awkward conversation she had in store for me. She put a pillow in her lap and patted it like she used to when I was a kid. I used to lay my head down on her lap and she would run her fingers through my hair gently. She always did that since I was a baby, she would lightly scratch my back and soothe me to sleep. I gave her a look, but she snapped her fingers and I gave in. Even though it was childish, I gave in to her stoic stare.

I laid my head down, hesitantly, on her pillowed lap and let her soft hands stroke my thick dark wavy hair. “Listen Noahie, and listen good ok Hun?”

I was zoned out so I didn’t hear her. All I could think was how kid-like this was; I was too old for this right? Then a sharp quick pain struck my forehead. She thumped me me, “Ok???”

“Ahhhowww! Alright, alright I’ll listen.”

“Ok. Son, I know how you must be feeling, I’ve been there Noahie! You feel nervous around her, but not too uncomfortable. She makes you feel like you could fly right over the moon! Like you could do anything and that anything in the whole world is possible. You know that you’re really in love if there are fireworks in your stomach, you are all nervous; you jump when the other person even taps your shoulder..... But after all the excitement of something new wears off, you find out everything about that person that is different from you. You know all their faults...and shortcomings... but you would still give every ounce of your heart to them.”

All I could do was stare at her in amazement, how could she have known. I guess she read my mind when she said, “I know, you weren’t expecting an old woman like me to know anything about love, but you, Noahie, are sadly mistaken honey! I know because I have felt it before too. There’s something you and I have in common, we are both in love.”

I thought how great it was that she still felt that strongly for him after all the years they’ve spent together. Even though my dad could be a real dick, and she knew that better than anyone, she still was in love with him. It made me think of Julie and if we would ever get to be like that. I wondered if we would ever fight like they have. I wondered if we would ever yell at each other like they do. I wondered if we would ever make each other insane like they do.

Even though they fight, scream, yell, and argue like no other couple, they also love and secretly appreciate each other. They kiss each other the most too, but that part I could live without seeing publicly. I know that dad still loves her, maybe even more than ever before, but he would never want her to know that.