Page 180 of Falling Backwards
M A G G I E
“You’re sure, honey?”my mom asks.“Your dad and I can cancel the cruise.We can—”
“No,Mama, don’t do that.”I let out a soft laugh at how sweet and unnecessary that is.“I didn’t tell you any of this to make you cancel your plans and come here.I just wanted to let you know it’s final that the girls are going out of town this week but that you don’t have to worry about me being alone.I’ll be with Luke.”
Her sigh is long but light.
It’s Monday, and she and Dad are leaving for their cruise literally in a matter of hours, but of course she would offer to bail on it for my sake.Like when my friends made a similar offer, my heart has been filled with extra love.
Indeed, I continue, “I love you both so much, but everything is fine and is gonna be fine.There’s no need to mess up your plans whatsoever.I promise.”
“Are you sure?”she checks again.“We love you so much, too, and we want you to be safe and not afraid.It worries us that this Kyle guy has been so creepy, and if there’s any chance you’ll feel afraid this week even though you think he might have finally backed off…oh, sweetie, especially over a holiday….”
Funny how it feels like something in me lightens even though I wasn’t feeling heavy.
“I’m not afraid when I’m with Luke,” I assure her softly.“Not afraidorunsafe.I know that sounds weird because for the longest time, all I did was tell you how he aggravated me at work and everything, but it’s true.And wearehoping Kyle is over me.We’re just still going to take precautions until we know.”I pause.“Plus, Luke and I are happy now.Being together is what we want.”
Shegiggles,just like she did when I told her he and I are officially dating, no longer pretending.
“I’m happy you’re happy,” she says.“He’s not so bad after all, huh?”Her tone grows more playful.“You know, I wondered if that was the case.Wondered if there was something sweet underneath all the annoyance.Know what I mean?Then he came up with the pretend-dating thing….”
My cheeks have grown warm.I murmur, “Yeah.It’s true.”After clearing my throat, I change the subject.“Well, speaking of relationships: please enjoy your anniversary cruise.Take lots of pictures!I bet it’s gonna be so cool.”
She makes an excited little noise.“It seems so!Honey, we’re gonna take so many pictures, you’re gonna feel like you were there yourself!”
I laugh.“Yay!I’ll try to get a few pictures of anything fun we do.Maybe show off the things Luke and I are supposed to cook to take to his mom’s house.”
“Ooh, yes, photograph the Thanksgiving food!And the Friendsgiving food!”She pauses.“And Luke, ’cause I wanna see how cute he is.”
That makes me laugh againandblush again.
I’m going to do it, though.
—
“To us!”Emma exclaims with a bread roll in one hand and her lifted wine glass in the other.“Happy Friendsgiving to the best human beings a girl could know!”
“Happy Friendsgiviiiing!”Joy and I sing out loudly, raising our own glasses.The three of us all go to clink our toast to completion, and we clink a little too hard, and we all laugh as we try not to slosh wine anywhere.
After I’ve had a savoring sip, I echo Emma, “To us!”
“Yes!”Joy says.She smooches at us, and we smooch back.
Emma dips her roll in some gravy, takes a bite, and groans appreciatively like this is the first taste she’s had—in actuality, she’s on her third roll.
“You love it?”I ask with a grin.
She nods big.“You made the hell out of thish gravy!”
“Youmade the hell out of the orange-cranberry sauce.”
“Yes!”Joy says again.She holds up the deliciously sauced sandwich she just grabbed from the platter in the middle of the table; we got some sliced Thanksgiving turkey from a place in town, but only for these sandwiches.“I could live off of this food we’re eating, y’all!”
“Right?And your oven-roasted potatoes are amazing, Joyful.”
“Aw, thank you!I’m so happy with how crispy they got!”
“Crispy potatoes are the best.”
