“We’ve got all the time in the world,” I say, wanting this to be true.
“That’s a lovely thought.” He grimaces. “Speaking of time, I should probably be going over flier layouts right now, but here I am, listening to music and eating cookies.”
“Well, you’re not eating cookies yet, and remember: Now you have me to help you.”
“I’m glad you want to help, but…be honest…you’re here because you feel bad for me.”
“Nope. What’s there to feel bad for? I’m here because I love a good happily ever after story.” (It’s not completely a lie.)
He leans a little closer to me, our shoulders brushing. “Then, thanks. I think I might be a little lost without you.”
Can’t breathe can’t breathe can’t breathe can’t breathe— “You could have done it.”
He shakes his head vigorously. “I wasn’t thinking straight today. I almost made a total idiot of myself.”
“You’re not an idiot,” I whisper. “Not even close.”
Gretchen is right, as usual: I am a goner.
“Do you want milk, my dears?” Suzie asks, interrupting us. She peeks her head around the corner.
“That’d be nice,” I say, but my eyes are still on Levi, and his eyes are on me, and poor Suzie is ignored.
Suzie is still there a few seconds later when she asks, “And you, Levi?”
“Oh.” He turns to his mom. “Definitely—wait, what was your question?”
Suzie smirks, her mouth looking incredibly like Levi’s, and repeats herself.
“Yes,” he decides. “I want milk.”
I haven’t moved when he turns back to me, and his expression is amused. “Sometimes I tune her out.”
“Actually,” Suzie interrupts again, stepping into the room with a tray of cookies, which she sets on the coffee table. “He’s usually such a good listener. I wonder why he’s so spacey tonight.”
“Mom.” He grabs a cookie and his glass of milk, giving Suzie a sideways glance.
“Goodness, Levi, you should get a girlfriend,” she continues. (Her words cause me to choke on a chocolate chip.) “I’d love to do this more often, you know. It’s nice to have another girl in the house.”
She’s staring at him pointedly.
“Mom,” he says again, at a loss. His hair is ruffled, his eyes alarmed.
“Yes, dear?”
He shakes his head and changes the subject. “Do you…want to help plan a wedding?”
Wrong question.
“Are you getting married?!” Suzie shrieks. “Grandchildren, here I come!”
“MOM.” Levi has to laugh at this, despite the pink that flushes his cheeks. “Please. Calm down. We’re funding a wedding and part of the deal is that we have to help them set up.”
“Now that’s exciting.” Suzie settles deep into the plush armchair across from us. “When is it?”
“It’s….the same day as the fundraiser. Bee—” he gestures at me “—stepped in and took charge like a boss, but we still need help. Is there anything you’d like to do that will make things easier? I’ll email you budget details later.”
“Hmm. Not as exciting as grandchildren, but I’m still happy to help.” She winks at me, adjusts her glasses, and offers, “I can cook.”
“I’ll ask what they want at the reception. I’m getting the final details tomorrow.”
“How many people?”
Levi thinks for a second. “Around fifty, I believe. Mostly their extended family from Prague, but some local friends as well.”
“Oh, Levi! I could bake some traditional Czech pastries!” she exclaims, rather adorably.
Levi grins. “We’ll see. Anything else you can do? Anyone you know?”
“I’ll think it over. But, Bee, if you need anything at all, you just ask me, okay?”
I nod fervently. I love this woman so much already, despite how badly I’m still blushing at what she said before. (So he doesn’t have a girlfriend.) “Absolutely.”
“Good, good.” Suzie leans forward, eyes suddenly alight. “Levi, I have an idea!” Standing, she hurriedly puts on her shoes and rushes toward the sliding glass door to my right. “Come on!” she gasps.
“Your mom’s amazing,” I whisper to Levi as we follow.
“Thanks. I’m glad she hasn’t scared you off yet.” With a few long strides, he’s out the back door. “Mom,” he says, running a hand through his skewed hair, “you’re a genius!”
“Yes, dear, I know.”
As I look at the backyard, a sense of nostalgia comes over me. It’s landscaped with rose bushes and pathways, and plenty of room for people to dance and talk and eat. There’s even a little patch of grass that could hold fifty chairs, if we arranged them the right way. I’m looking at a tiny wedding venue, tucked away in the backyard of this beautiful boy and his wonderful mom, and I suddenly want to cry. They’re happy tears, but they’re hot on my heels, and I so badly want to have a switch installed on the back of my head that will allow me to turn them off whenever I want to.
“What do you say, Bee?” Levi asks. Then he pauses, as if he senses what I’m feeling, his smile soft.
I hold back a sniffle. “I love it so much. Really, this is incredible. Suzie, did you do all this?”
“Yes! I’m out here every day, my dear. I think it will be more worth the work now than ever.”
“This is so awesome,” Levi murmurs, arm around his mom’s shoulder.
“Now,” Suzie says, kissing his cheek. “I’m going to clean up. Lock the door behind you when you come inside.” She presses my hand when she passes and disappears inside.
When we hear muted-Paula and the banging of kitchen utensils, Levi leans closer to me. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I say, but I’m so not fine. I put my hands on my face.
He smiles at me. It’s a sad smile. “What’s up?”
“This.” I shrug. “It’s so beautiful, and it’s been a long day for me.”
“Your parents,” he guesses.
I nod slowly, hesitant. “I left the house because I couldn’t stand being there.” I tell him about how I found my parents earlier, the way they sat and how my mom cried. And Levi—he seems to care. Genuinely. Then I realize that he’s got one arm around my shoulder.
The Boy is touching me, and I didn’t even notice it. I feel suddenly lightheaded.
When I’m done with my story, he looks down at me thoughtfully. “I’m probably going to sound like a cold-hearted bastard but…what if it’s nothing?”
Actually, I hadn’t thought about that.
“What if it’s just a bad day?” he continues, seeing me pause. “What if your mom heard a sad story and she wanted to tell your dad?”
I want him to be right, but I just can’t shake that something deeper is happening. Every time I’ve heard her crying is starting to add up, starting to make the world sullen and gray. But I nod anyway.
“Have there been any other signs?” he asks. “Of…well, anything?”
I shake my head no. I have no proof; everything is in my head, driven by emotion and fear. It really could be nothing.
“Then all you can do is wait it out.” His quiet voice comforts me. “And you can ask them, you know? There are a lot of times I wish I would have asked my parents about what was going on. Just…don’t let it get to you, at least not yet.”