AFTER #2
The door opened, and in walked my parents.
It had been so long, I had to fight the tears welling in my eyes.
I ran to them, hugging my mom tightly, then my father.
In the basement at Baker and Pryor, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see them again, and the following months were so chaotic that I didn’t make much time for them.
I stayed with them a few days while Elias was working, but I should have called them more.
“I missed you guys,” I said. Elias was right on my tail, his hand resting on my lower back. “This is Elias.”
“Hey, Rose,” he said, stepping forward to hug my mother. It was like they’d already met a hundred times, how comfortable they looked together. I couldn’t help but smile. My mother couldn’t help herself either.
“Oh my word,” she said, patting Elias on the cheek. “You are so handsome.” Her eyes moved back and forth between us, and I could tell she was trying to imagine what her grandchildren would look like. Forever a romantic, my mother, always dreaming of the future.
“Well, I can see where Cassie gets her good looks,” Elias said, patting my mother on the shoulder.
Flattery went a long way with her, and he knew how to play the game.
He couldn’t help how charming he was. Elias stood tall before turning to my father, and he held his hand out for a handshake. “Sir,” he said.
My father gripped his hand firmly, giving it a quick shake. “Frank,” he corrected.
“Thank you, Frank,” Elias said. “For, well, everything.” He was a bit lost for words. He wanted to thank him for taking me to the shooting range, for raising me the way he did, but I couldn’t imagine the two stoney men in my life sharing feelings like that.
My father dropped his hand, and took him in for a hug instead, but Elias wasn’t thrown by the gesture, and accepted the embrace. He knew my father needed this.
“I could say the same to you, son,” my father said, holding Elias tightly. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”
The hug ended, my father reigning his emotions back in.
If he held on any longer, he might cry, and he most definitely was not going to do that here.
I’d only seen him cry a few times, the last time being the day I received my PhD.
He’d let a few tears fall, wiping them away while he thought I wasn’t looking.
I never mentioned it to him, but it meant a lot.
That my accomplishments meant so much to him.
“You keep it up, now,” added my father.
“I will,” answered Elias. He was sincere.
“Why don’t we sit down?” I suggested, walking toward a table. Elias went to the bar to get our drinks, and sat them next to me.
“Can you get me some water if she comes over here?” he asked. “I need to use the restroom.”
He had put his hand on my cheek, and I leaned into his touch without thinking. “For sure,” I said.
“Thank you.”
I watched him walk away before tearing my eyes from him, facing my parents again.
“That’s a pretty ring, Cassie, let me see it,” my mom said, reaching for my right hand. She inspected it, and set my hand back down. “When did you get that?”
“It was a gift from Elias. It’s an heirloom.” I didn’t think I needed to mention his deceased mother.
My mom was staring at me, her mouth wide open. “Oh my god, you’re in love. In love, in love.”
My face scrunched up. “What?”
“Cassie, honey, I’ve never seen you look at a boy like that,” my mother said.
“Well, Elias is a man,” I retorted.
“The way he put his hand on your face,” she mused, wide-eyed, turning to my father. “Frank, did you see that?”
“Yes, dear, I was sitting right here,” my dad answered, far less giddy than my mother.
“What, can people not show affection? You and dad touch each other all the time,” I said, pointing to my dad’s hand resting on her arm.
“Your father and I have been married for thirty years,” she said, a pompous little smile on her face. “So I don’t know how that helps you.”
“Calm down,” I muttered, taking a drink. “We haven’t even been together for very long.”
“Aren’t you living together?” she asked.
I didn’t answer, making a point to avoid eye contact.
It just never made sense for me to leave.
The first time Elias had to go back to work, I spent a few days alone in his house, unsure of what I wanted for my future.
It turned out that I didn’t want anything else.
He called movers for me the day after he got back. “Just until you figure things out,” he said.
His house was plenty big enough for the both of us, which I quickly discovered when he gave me a proper tour. . . and I just never left.
“Cass,” my father chimed in. “He’s got you drinking whiskey neat. That has to count for something.”
“My tastes have simply matured,” I said, turning up my nose.
“You’re so full of shit,” my mom laughed. “I’m happy to see you happy, Cassie. I’m overjoyed, actually.”
“Thank you. He makes me very happy.”
“I hate to say this about your boyfriend, but, honey, he is just hot as heck. And he smells very nice, too,” she said, and I almost did a spit take.
“It’s so funny you say that,” I said, laughing. “He asked me to sniff him when he got here. He was self-conscious. I’ll have to let him know you thought he smelled nice.”
“Oh no,” my mom said, shaking her head. “Let’s not embarrass him.”
Amy approached the table with menus and took our drink orders.
“I agree with your mom,” Amy said. “Even I can tell you’re crazy about each other and I don’t know you.”
I blushed, hoping my foundation would hide the change in color.
“See?”
Elias came into view, saving me from my family and from Amy.
He took his jacket off, slinging it over the back of his chair to reveal a black sweater underneath.
Sitting down, he pushed his sleeves up, and moved my hair out of the way before resting his arm on the back of my chair.
My mom was practically bouncing in her seat.
Dinner went well, my father and Elias bonding over their time in the service, their favorite guns, and their favorite fishing memories.
Elias wasn’t much of a hunter, but he enjoyed the solitude of a day on the lake.
My mom and I kept to ourselves, talking quietly as to let them bond.
My dad gave him a bit of shit for being a Cowboys fan, but I had to let him know that he watched every Packers game with me if he was home. That put a smile on his face.
After dinner, Amy brought our checks and four slices of cake, one with a lit candle for Elias. “Happy Birthday,” she said. “No charge on the cake.”
“That’s very nice of you, thank you,” said Elias.
My mother panicked. “It’s your birthday, Elias?”
“Not technically, no,” he said.
“He’s a leap year baby, so he celebrates on the 28th, but I figured the day before was close enough,” I clarified.