Page 12 of Still Love You

"No," he says simply. We're in my parents' driveway now and he smiles at me. "Would you like help getting out?"

"No. I can do it." I open my door and notice how far up I am from the ground. It would be a bad idea to jump in these sandals I'm wearing. I'd probably break a toe or twist my ankle.

"You sure you don't want some help?" Silas is now standing by my door, watching me.

"Maybe a little," I mumble.

He lets out a laugh as he picks me up and lowers me to the ground. 

"You need different tires on this thing," I say. "It's too high up."

"Tires are expensive. I'm not changing them. You'll just have to figure out a way to get yourself in and out." He nods toward the house. "You can go inside. I'll get your stuff."

He turns to walk away but I catch his hand. "Hey."

He looks back. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for picking me up today. And helping me move all my stuff."

"Sure." He walks to the back of the truck.

I follow him. "I'm sorry you had to miss part of your class. If you need help catching up on whatever you missed, I'm pretty good at accounting. I've had two semesters now."

He lowers the tailgate. "You're offering to be my tutor?"

"Only if you need one." I watch his arm muscles flex as he lifts up three heavy boxes.

"I'll keep that in mind." He glances at the front door. "Your mom's coming."

"Willow!" She races toward me and gives me a hug. I haven't been home since spring break and my parents have been so busy with the farm that they haven't had a chance to drive down to see me.

"Hi, Mom." I give her a tight squeeze. My mom drives me crazy, but I love her and think she's the greatest mom ever, despite her hippie ways. And today she's in full hippie attire; a tie-dye dress in pastel colors, white Birkenstock sandals, and a long blue scarf tied loosely around her neck.

We go inside the house and my jaw drops when I see the living room. I used to call it the rainbow room because my parents painted each wall a different color; red, blue, yellow, green. But now it's all one color, a light sea foam green, and we have actual furniture instead of an assorted mix of bean bags and butterfly chairs. They've been replaced by a dark gray couch and matching loveseat. Bright orange throw pillows are scattered over them, but that's nothing compared to the crazy mix of colors I'm used to.

"What happened in here?" I ask.

My mom hangs her arm around my shoulder. "Your father and I redecorated. Do you like it?"

"Yeah. It looks great."

And yet I kind of miss how it used to look. I despised it for years, but now that's it's gone I almost wish it were back.

I thought I'd go home for the summer and everything would be the same. But I'm getting the feeling I'm in for a lot more changes than just the wall color in the living room.

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