9. Lucy
lucy
. . .
As I stepped inside the house, I was thankful to find it empty. The last thing I wanted to do was face my mom in Luke’s clothes. Especially with the chaos that resided in my mind. It would bring so many unwanted questions, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to answer them just yet.
The moment I was in my room, I changed out of his clothes and put on some shorts and a t-shirt. Right away, the lack of his scent cleared my head slightly, but I found my heart aching to be surrounded by it again.
Don’t be ridiculous, I told myself again. I was acting like I was in high school all over again, and to say it was unacceptable was an understatement. Before I could feel sorry for myself even more, I dashed into the kitchen to whip up a sandwich. It wasn’t until my stomach rumbled in protest that I realized how hungry I was. With a sandwich in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other, I headed out to the back porch to soak in the sun.
The view from here was stunning, with the ocean twinkling softly in the distance beneath the swirls of the clouds. It was one of the reasons that had my mom sold on this house. Now that I was older, I could fully appreciate why.
The longer I sat there, engulfed in silence, the more unwanted thoughts weaseled back into my mind.
I had been here one day and had already tried to jump Luke’s bones, and it couldn’t happen again—under any circumstances. I planned for my trip to last for fourteen days, so it meant I only had thirteen left.
Thirteen days left to avoid him in this incredibly small town. It was a totally plausible idea, wasn’t it? The only issue with my plan was that I had to return his clothes at some point and retrieve mine that I had left behind.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I retrieved it to find a message from the only person I could count on to cheer me up right now.
SAILOR: How’s everything going? I expected more updates, girl!
ME: Everything’s fine. I’m just enjoying the sunshine; I haven’t been online much.
SAILOR: You don’t say! Send a pic or two!
SAILOR: Also, have you seen him?
I hesitated for a moment. Sailor knew every part of me—including the one I tried to keep buried deep down for as long as I could remember. It was natural that she’d ask this. The urge to lie was there for whatever reason. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, let alone to someone else.
ME: I have, but nothing is going on. I’m not dating again. Remember my last relationship?
SAILOR: Fair enough. Still, you should probably get laid, if even causally.
SAILOR: The best way to get over someone is to get under someone ;)
ME: The only thing I want to be under right now is the sun.
I didn’t realize how long I had been outside until I heard the front door open. My mom was back, apparently. I headed back inside, greeting her with a small smile as she carried bags with groceries inside. I grabbed one, helping her put the items she brought into the cupboards. One thing that I could count on never changing was the order in my mom’s kitchen. It remained the same, even a decade ago, so I knew exactly where to put whatever I reached for.
“How was your day?” I asked her.
“Good, I was able to book another wedding for this winter. This is going to be a good year for business.” Pride spread through me—aside from me, her business was my mom’s pride and joy. I was glad it was going well.
“That’s amazing, Mom. I’m so proud of you.”
A smile reflected on her face. “Thanks, pumpkin. Another great thing happened today, too.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” I leaned against the kitchen island.
“I signed you up to work the food tent at Hometown Days this weekend.” My expression fell, and my eyebrows furrowed together. I didn’t…expect that.
“Well, I thought I was just going to visit. I wasn’t planning on participating, Mom…” I stammered. With everything going on, the last thing I wanted to do was be surrounded by people for days. I came here to find peace and clear my mind, but my mom was impossible to say no to.
“I know, but the historical society needed more volunteers, and I can’t help since I’ll be
helping to judge the pie-baking contest. Plus, you don’t have to work the entire time. I signed you up for a two-hour shift at the beginning of the fair.” As she looked at me with her hope-filled eyes, it was impossible to say no.
I sighed, opening the fridge to put the eggs she bought there. “Fine, but I’m only doing this because I love you.”
Excitement flooded her face and she clapped her hands together. “Perfect! You won’t regret it, you’ll see,” she said. “By the way, I heard you ran into Luke at the coffee shop today.”
I laid my head against the fridge door. Of course , she already knew. “I forgot how quickly news travels around town.”
My mom came to my side and hugged me. “Unfortunately, this town runs on gossip…or rather, fortunately, in my case.”
“Mom!” I laughed, shaking my head as she tightened her grip around me.
“What? An old lady has to get her jollies somewhere!”
More laughter rumbled from my chest to the point where I could barely breathe. “One, you’re not old, and two, you’re ridiculous.” As my laugh subdued, a pang of guilt quickly replaced it. How many moments like these did I miss out on because I was so eager to escape the moment Luke and I broke up?
“So, what’s the story there?”
“There’s no story. I know you’re hoping for something…spectacular, but there’s nothing like that.” I felt bad that I was lying to her, but telling her the truth was not an option. She’d get her hopes up and try to push me to pursue a relationship with him again. Her intentions were good, but it wasn’t what I needed now, just like it wasn’t what I needed a decade ago. “I ran into him at the coffee shop. I spilt my coffee all over him and myself. He
gave me some clothes to wear home. That’s it.”
“I see. So, why are you blushing, then?” She cocked her eyebrow at me. Apparently, nothing got past her.
“Because of the weather, Mom. I’m not used to heat like this back in Seattle. Sorry to disappoint your gossip-loving heart.” I rubbed her arm. “Now, why don’t we order pizza for
dinner? I’m starving.” I hoped my mom would take the bait and change the subject. Luke was the last thing I wanted to talk about tonight. My mom pressed her lips together before she gave me a small nod.
“Nice try to avoid the topic,” she said with a sigh. “Sure, we can get pizza for dinner.”