Page 88 of The Summer of ’98

“It’d be best to do it as soon as possible,” Leroy agreed, his arm was still rested around my waist. “Before classes start on the twenty-fourth. That’s only two weeks from now.”

I felt a bit overwhelmed at the sudden bout of plans that were being made. But it was a good overwhelming. We had a lot to do—we needed to arrange a moving date, go furniture shopping, and get comfortable before Leroy became swamped with college classes and football. Not to mention that I needed to mentally prepare to be a full-time mother to twins.

“I’m going to redecorate that spare room and put the old cribs in there. For when those grandbabies come and stay with me,” Eleanor stood and laughed with excitement as she strolled out of the kitchen.

Leroy looked down at me when we were alone again, his elation evident in the softness of his stare. He really did look at me as though I were a prize.

“How do you do it?” he murmured, his fingertips grazing my forehead as he slowly traced my face and tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Do what?”

“I swear, Els, I look at you and I feel my heart expanding in my chest. I have never felt anything like it before.”

Then it was my turn to wonder how he did it to me. He delivered these words without flinching. He didn’t seem shy or nervous. He was bold and declared his love for me with so much sincerity that he didn’t even need to use the word love—I still felt it.

My mother was wrong about him. He wasn’t trouble. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. And although our circumstances weren’t complication-free, I wouldn’t change a thing. We were forever. I knew it.

Ellie

“—and then we—”

“Leroy, stop!”

“What? I’m telling them about the first night that we met. Every child should hear their parents’ love story.”

“First of all, they’re not even born. Second, I think that we can skip the finer details.”

Leroy laughed and nodded with agreement. We were lying beside each other in our new bed, in our new apartment. We had been here for two weeks and this was his first weekend as an official college student. He’d done well during his first few classes. He worried about me a lot and kept calling throughout the day, interrupting me trying to settle us into our new home. But it was safe to say that we adored living together in our little apartment.

It was still early, so we hadn’t left our bed yet. He’d proceeded to tell my stomach the tale about the night that we’d met. He believed it was good to talk to the babies. And what better story to tell them than our one-night stand? Personally, I think that he just liked to reminisce. As did I. It was an exquisite memory.

Because I hadn’t been able to bring any of my old bedroom décor from Momma’s house, I’d had to start from scratch in our new bedroom. There were a few things from Leroy’s house—sentimental items such as trophies, framed football jerseys, and some childhood memorabilia that lived on his desk. A piggy bank, figurines, and toy cars. As soon as we’d arrived, I’d gone to the thrift store and found several band posters, a CD rack, some plastic plants, and a couple of vinyl records. It was an updated version of the room that I loved at home. It was more minimal but still full of the things that I loved, including Leroy’s contribution. It was representative of both of our interests, which made it more special.

“Everyone will be here soon,” I reminded Leroy as he rolled me onto my side and spooned me.

The family was coming to see our new place for the first time and to go watch Leroy’s football game that night. They’d arrived last night and stayed in a hotel because we didn’t have the room to put them up. Eleanor, Jacob, Noah, and even Cass were coming for lunch, and I couldn’t wait to see them all and show them what we’d done with the apartment.

“How are you feeling about the game tonight?” I asked.

His breath tickled my neck as he spoke from behind me. “Confident, for the most part. Nervous for the other.”

“You’ve been training so hard, I’m sure it’ll go well.”

“Mmmm.”

I rolled over so that I could see him, and even though he smiled, there was this hint of concern hidden deep within the features that I was so familiar with. “What’s wrong?”

“No, nothing. I just want to do well, you know. Especially when my dad will be there watching. He’s been preparing me for this my entire life. Not in a forceful way or anything.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Even if I feel like I’m prepared and my plays are solid and everything is perfect, it’s impossible to know what the other team is going to bring. I just want to do as well as my dad believes I can.”

There was something sincerely beautiful about his vulnerability, something inspiring. “He already knows how much the game means to you and how much of your heart goes into it. Win or lose, he’ll still believe you’re the best.”

He looked down at me, his eyes scrunched up because his smile was so big.

“What?”

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