Page 51 of Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming
“Yes.” He says without a second of hesitation.
“Goddammit, Patrick. Why did you have to get even handsomer? And you’re amazing in bed too. Seriously, fuck you,” Aimee says softly.
He lets out a light chuckle.
She wraps her arms around his shoulders. He, in turn, wraps his arms around her waist. Aimee rests her head on his chest.
They stand silently and hold each other.
March 1993
Patrick sitsat his desk at home and writes on his notepad. He struggles to find the right words to tell his pen pal about himself. His teacher, Ms. Fraiser, assigned each kid someone to write to, and he’s trying to write his letter to a girl named Aimee Turner. She lives in Compton. Patrick has heard of Compton but has never been there. All he knows is what he’s seen in movies, most notably,Boyz N the Hood.He lives in Brentwood, a neighborhood in Los Angeles that has mansions with pools. He wonders about Aimee’s school and if she has a lot of friends. He doesn’t have a lot of friends. His school is mostly white kids, and they don’t talk to him that much. A school in Compton probably has a lot of Black kids. He wishes he could go to a school with more kids who look like him. Patrick puts his pencil down and thinks. He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see his mom, Racquel, smiling at him.
“You having a tough time writing to Aimee, baby?” she asks.
“Yeah, I don’t have anything exciting to tell her.”
“It doesn’t have to be exciting, Patrick. Just tell her about yourself. Tell her how much you like gardening and visiting museums.”
“What if she thinks that’s corny?”
“Then you don’t need her as a friend. Just be yourself, sweetie. It’ll be fine.” His mom kisses his forehead then leaves.
Patrick takes a breath and starts writing.
Hi Aimee,
I’m Patrick. I’m eight years old and in third grade. I’m guessing you are, too. What do you like to do?
Patrick hesitates before continuing to write.
I like gardening with my mom and going to museums with her and my dad. I like to read. I like RL Stine’s books. What do you like to read? I also like to watch the Fresh Prince and Family Matters. What TV shows do you like? Sorry if I’m asking a lot of questions. Okay, bye.
Two weeks later,Patrick got what would become his first of many letters from Aimee.
Hi Patrick,
I’m Aimee. You didn’t ask too many questions. You only asked three, silly.
Patrick smiles at her calling him silly.
I like flowers and stuff, but I don’t like touching dirt. I ride my bike to my friend Talia’s house, and we watch music videos. I like Whitney Houston. What music do you like? I like to read stories about princesses. I also like the Fresh Prince, but I don’t like Urkel. I don’t like his voice. I also like Martin. My mom says I’m too little to watch it, but I watch when she’s not looking. Don’t tell her.
Patrick takes out his notepad to write her back.
After the assignment ended, Patrick and Aimee continued talking to each other. Soon, they were talking on the phone, then came the visits. When summer came, Patrick’s mom invited Aimee and her mom over to their house for a BBQ. He and Aimee spent the day playing video games, talking and joking. They didn’t just become friends; they were best friends.
By the timethey were fifteen, Patrick asked Amy to be his girlfriend. She said yes. Their mothers made jokes about their eventual wedding. But tragedy struck. Patrick’s mom died when they were seventeen. She had a misdiagnosed blood clot in her leg that caused her to have a stroke. It was so sudden. Patrick was a mess, and Aimee was there. His father dealt with his grief by distancing himself and diving into his work. He and Patrick became more estranged as time went on. His grandparents moved in to help, and things were good for a while, but when it came time for Patrick and Aimee to attend college and start their lives together as adults … that’s when everything turned to shit.
April 2003
It’s beena year since Patrick’s mom died, and the only thing that truly brings him joy is Aimee’s love. Patrick loves his grandparents—and he appreciates everything they’ve done in his parents’ absence—but Aimee provides him with peace. He can’t imagine his life without her. That’s why he plans to ask her to marry him after they graduate from high school. He knows it’scrazy, but he can’t wait to start the rest of their lives together. They’ve known they were going to get married since they were fifteen, why wait any longer? He plans on proposing on their date tonight. He looks in the mirror as he straightens his tie.
“Aimee, will you marry me?” he practices.
He takes a deep breath and tries again.
“Aimee, I love you, and I want you to be my wife,” he says.
