I'll Be

Chapter Fifteen: Smorgi Saturday

Mom and I collapsed on the couch, taking a breath.
            “They’ll be here soon.” She acknowledged, and smiled “Are you nervous for us to meet Mr. Sawyer?”
            I shook my head, feeling as excited as she was. “He makes me so happy.” I said, messing with the ring on my hand “He makes me want to walk around singing ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, or like… ‘Be Without You’. Am I in over my head here?”
            Mom nodded, running her fingers through my hair “Oh, yes. But you’re young, and I think—I think you’re in love.”
            And there it was. That word.
            Love.
            God, that was such a big word. I mean, I loved a lot of things; I loved my parents, my sister; I loved my guitars and my music, and the band; I…I could love Sawyer.
            I thought about him so much. When we weren’t together, I wondered what he was doing. I’d lay in bed, and I’d wonder if he was still up with his guitar. I’d text him, and the anticipation of waiting for him to text me back was almost unbearable.
            Singing about love was easy. I could cry my heart out singing about broken hearts, first love, cheating and getting back together, but that wasn’t from experience. I mean, with Auden, I thought it was love. But I think everyone thinks that at some point during their first relationship. But Sawyer…Sawyer.
            My mind wandered, stuck on the idea. He’d be here, in my house, seeing how I lived, meet my parents, talk to people who had known me for so long, I’d literally grown before their eyes. I didn’t even care about the embarrassing stories they would tell, ones of me jumping up on a chair in the backyard and singing pop music with my mom, and dancing in my jumpers with little bloomers.
            He was more. Bigger. And I knew that.

            Jessie Leigh sat next to my mom, and shook her head “There’s no way Teddy’s all grown up now.”
            “Still remember her curling up next to her Papa when he’d pull out Nina’s guitar and play Skynard.” Baylor laughed. They were some of my parents oldest friends, and were coming to Smorgi for ages.
            I looked at Dad, furrowing my brow “Why don’t I remember that?”
            “Oh, you couldn’t have been more than three.” Dad said, hovering over the barbecue, watching the chicken and someone’s linguiça “I played, not like you. But yeah, I played.”
            “I guess I know where I got it from, then.” I smiled, setting down a container of green beans with grilled onions and bacon. That was Glenn and Vicky’s specialty, and it sent me back to being young, running around the backyard, into the woods with Neen before it got too dark.
            “She’s all grown now, huh?” Auntie Lou walked over, pulling me into a tight squeeze. Lou was my mom’s associate, and I’d known her, like so many people here, since I was an infant. She winked at me, “How are you, baby? School going all right?”
            I nodded, “Good. Really good.”
            The backyard was contained to a dull roar of voices from my childhood, and when my friends walked in, they took to everyone like family. Everyone was family.
            Auntie Lou fiddled with my hair, “Such a pretty girl. Catching any attention from boys at that school of yours?”
            I shrugged, and Mom jumped in, “She’s got a boy coming to dinner tonight. They’re serious.”
            “Mom.”
            She smiled, and waved her hand as she mentioned, “They are. He bought her a little...”
            Auntie Lou looked down before I could hide my hand, snatching it up to stare.
            “Well, now.” She gushed, shooting my mom a look of surprise, “Isn’t THIS something? You’ve taken a beau.”
            Baylor’s wife, who I called Tia Ana, walked over, “My little encanta, grown into such a beautiful florecita. Tú galán…”
            I smiled, “He’s going to be here. You’ll meet him.”
            “He’s coming here?” Auntie Lou asked, and her face failed to hide her surprise and excitement.
            “How’d you two meet?” Jessi asked, patting my shoulder.
            “School.”
            Tia Ana smiled, “Is he like you? Qué cantan?”
            I nodded, “Sí. He can play flamenco, just like you and your brothers.”
            “Fabuloso!” She clapped her hands together, “I need to meet him!”
            And almost if on cue, Mom popped her head out the door.
            “Theodora, your gentleman caller has arrived.” She informed. I turned to Tia Ana, who smiled, kissed my cheek and shooed me away.