Page 39 of Unfriend Me
“Oh, Amelia. So nice to see you, dear. How goes it?”
“We’re good, Mrs. Jackson. Florida sure seems to agree with you.”
“Oh, call me Wendy. We’re all adults now.”
Mom’s face dipped on the screen and then the phone jostled before settling. Dad had joined her on the couch.
“My boy! How are you?” His rich baritone rang through the phone speaker.
“Hey, Dad, we wanted to call you with some good news.”
“Oh?” Mom practically cooed into the phone. Mothers always knew.
I put my arm around Amelia. “Amelia and I are officially dating.”
Pandemonium erupted on the other end as the screen flashed to a shot of the white popcorn ceiling. We could hear Mom laughing and possibly crying while Dad laughed at his wife’s antics.
Amelia and I grinned at each other until their faces came back on the screen and Mom wiped happy tears from her cheeks.
“I have waited years for this day. Congratulations, you two.”
Dad nodded along. “We wish you the best. Why don’t we have you two come out and see us for the holidays. Nothing like Christmas at the beach in Florida. Have you thought about moving out here? The taxes are so much lower.”
“Oh, give me that.” Mom wrestled the phone back before Dad could go on his usual rant about California taxes. “We’re just happy for you kids. Enjoy your time together.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll call you soon, okay?”
“I’ll hold you to it, sugar.”
We hung up and exited the vehicle, all smiles. I put my arm around Amelia again and we went up the walkway to the front door together.
“It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.” She smiled up at me.
The door swung open and Amelia’s mom looked at us like a Cheshire cat. “Well, hello. What brings you by today?” She stepped back and we went in, the smell of something wonderful baking in the kitchen.
“Is, um, Dad around?” Amelia asked, suddenly sounding nervous despite her confident words just minutes ago.
Her mom beamed, gesturing for us to go sit on the couch in the living room. “He just got home from work. Let me go get him before he comes down in just his boxers.”
Amelia flinched. “Ew, gross. Since when has he started doing that?”
Susie chuckled, and if I wasn’t mistaken, her cheeks took on a rosy glow. “Since most of you girls moved out.” Then she went up the stairs, leaving us to ponder that new insight into their marriage.
Amelia shuddered against me as we sat on the couch. “Oh my God, no child needs to hear that about their parents.”
I bit my lip and took a deep breath to keep from laughing. “I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it.” I paused. “But didn’t Lenora give your dad some massage oil when the Hardware Store opened?”
Amelia gasped and I couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that escaped. The Hardware Store was the sex toy shop Lenora and Jayden had opened recently in town. There’d been an uproar, considering this was a small town and Lenora was the preacher’s daughter, but it had all been resolved quickly. Gifting out free sex toys in a modest brown box helped turn the tide of public opinion. People riding high on the glow of orgasms don’t protest, they just don’t. Endorphins or something.
“Please tell me you two didn’t get yourselves into some trouble.” Sheriff Waldo’s gravelly voice boomed as he entered the living room, his wife hot on his heels.
“Dad! Why do you always assume I’m in trouble?” Amelia hopped off the couch.
“’Cause you usually are?” he said wryly.
He took a seat on one of the recliners and Susie sat in the other, that same happy look of expectation on her face. Hopefully it was still there after we told them our news.
Amelia sat back down and put her hand on my knee. Mr. Waldo’s gaze flickered to the movement, his thick neck turning a mottled red hue.
