C A T C H 22 |BWWM|

Ch. 37 • Babydoll's Last

Jackson, MS. May 1944
Saturday 12:00 pm

Deen

As I drove my car into what I used to think was closed-off territory, my mind began to race in the worst ways. Today, was a 'last' kind of day. The day where it would be the last day doing a lot of things and seeing some people. My fingers drummed onto the steering wheel as I parked my car onto the sidewalk and sat there. The neighborhood wasn't in the best shape—way worse than my own—and the houses were seemingly smaller. Nobody was out, which was surprising for a warm, May afternoon.

My face turned to see the side of the house and my heart ached and exploded at the same time. I couldn't wait to see my girl. Simple as that. The only thing I was dreading was seeing that expression on her face that I knew she would have. Sighing, I opened my car door and got out. Paislee's house was feet away and usually, I would be freaking out, but today I wasn't. She said to me ago, 'you're leaving in a month, this wall of mine has got to come down one day or another. I don't feel like sneaking.' So, with that being said, I walked to her door and knocked five times.

"Don't babydoll, Don't," I said as I opened the door to a long face and sad eyes. I closed the door to her house and stepped further into the foyer.

"Oh, be quiet," she said softly before wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezing me tightly. She pulled away and held my face in her hands, occasionally pulling at my hair. "Your hair looks good long. It's roughened up your look."

"If you say so, love."

I looked down at her face and pressed a kiss onto her forehead then, her plush lips. I traced my thumb along her lips lightly and watched as her bangs fell onto her face as her head rocked. Everything was heightened today. Her perfume smelled sweeter, her eyes looked prettier, and her lips felt softer. I loved her more.

"The house is free and my folks are out for the day. I'm all yours," she said shortly after breaking eye contact.

"All mine?"

She giggled and nodded. "All yours."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Most definitely."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I actually don't know what the hell we're doing today."

"Okay," Paislee said simply. I looked up at her in shock. She wasn't fussing or punching my shoulder. "What?"

"Just surprised how cool you are. That's all."

She shrugged and put a strand of her hand behind her ear. "It's our last date together. I can't afford to be upset. We don't have to have everything figured out and it doesn't matter where we go. Staying inside would be fine with me, baby. It doesn't matter."

"Well, when you put it in those words . . . Let's just do all of our dates all over again. But this time, they'll be ten times more memorable and fun."

She smiled weakly and nodded. I could tell that she was far from happy behind those eyes. I could also tell that she was thinking of all our dates and how few we have many simply because we couldn't be spotted together. That only multiplied she and I's sadness.

"What's our first stop?" She asked.

"Well, technically, this right here is in memory of the time where I stupidly came over and brought breakfast without even calling you. Also, the time where we planned our first date with the help of your mischievous ways."