51. EMERSON
51
EMERSON
Now
Natalie sings to the tune of ‘It’s Friday’ by Rebecca Black, a song that lived rent-free in our heads for about a year in 2011. She remixes the words to better suit our Saturday boat day.
Our sandals clack on the dock as we walk out to the boat we rented. Situated in Montrose Harbor, we’ll leave from here and eventually link up with a few other of our friends’ boats in the playpen, located off Ohio Street Beach. It’s the best place to hang out after boating around. It’s a no-wake zone with endless music and swimming—and hot, tanned, shirtless guys, which we are finally contributing to today—and one of our favorite parts of Chicago in the summer.
It was Cal and Liam’s idea to go out on the lake today. They claimed they have a surprise for me, which slightly scares me. During the summer, it’s typical for Natalie, Chloe, and me on the weekend to get lucky with boat invites, courtesy of Natalie’s connections. There’s always something or someone with a boat, and the three of us have never turned down a day on the water or a good time.
I love the water. Growing up in the Midwest, being on a lake within an hour is easy. I grew up water skiing and wakeboarding. Natalie’s parents used to take us up to Central Lake, Michigan, for two weeks every summer. We’d sleep in a cabin but spend almost every waking minute in the water.
I toss Natalie my bag to put with hers on the boat when I hear my name called out behind me.
“Emerson! ”
“I don’t recognize that voice,” Natalie says quietly to me. She stretches her neck to look over my shoulder to see who it is.
“I do.” I spin around. “George!”
I take off running down the dock, losing my sandals in the short distance. I jump into his arms when I reach him. My legs wrap around him to prevent him from dropping me.
“Did she just Bachelor koala hug him?” I hear Chloe snicker to Cal.
“Koala, what?” he asks back.
“You know, throw her arms and legs around him like a koala hangs onto a tree. The girls on The Bachelor do it during one-on-one dates.” Cal stares at Chloe, dumbfounded. “Never mind. Who is that?”
“It’s George!” I say. He sets me on my two feet. “What are you doing here?”
“Oi, missed you, States.”
“I missed you—Beatrix!” I’m surprised by the woman walking with Liam. He’s carrying a large, bright orange Yeti cooler in his hands.
“Hi, Emerson,” she smiles at me.
When they reach where we are standing on the dock, Beatrix and I hug.
“It’s great to see you.” She tells me as she rubs her stomach, her giant diamond blinding me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make it to your wedding,” I apologize. I planned to go, even RSVP’d yes at first. Unfortunately, something with work came up, and I didn’t go.
“You invited her?” Liam turns toward George.
“Needed to give the one person who would object the option to object,” George jokes. Beatrix rolls her eyes at him with a huff.
“We understand,” she assures me.
“Wait.” I watch her keep rubbing her stomach. “Are you—”
“Pregnant? Yes. We’re expecting a baby girl at the end of this year.”
“Shut up. Seriously? Congrats!” I give both of them a hug, turning to Liam. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was your surprise.”
“I thought that was going to be a dog.”
“A dog?” Liam asks.
“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about getting one.”
“We can chat about that later.”
“Sorry to disappoint, States,” George uses my words from our night in Lagos.
“This is nowhere near disappointing. You are going to be a dad, George.”
“A girl dad, too.” He smiles, but his smile becomes more prominent when he turns to Beatrix.
***
We docked in the playpen.
Sitting around the stern of the boat, Callum and George try to teach us how to play Ring of Fire when we realize it’s their version of Kings. The skyline fills out the horizon behind us. Our music is fighting against other music coming at us from all directions. The combination is a mashup not even The Chainsmokers would use.
The water around us is calm except for the small waves when someone cannonballs in around us. Its’ surface reflects the blue skies, making Lake Michigan appear bluer than it is, almost matching Liam’s eyes.
When I joined them at the back, he pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist.
I thought it would be awkward around Natalie, but it hasn’t. She almost appears happy for us.
“So you two are doing this, yeah?” Beatrix asks Liam and I.
I glance up at him, catching the sparkle in the corner of his eye. His smile stretches from cheek to cheek as he answers, “Yeah. ”
“Good. Now pay up.” She reaches her hand out to her husband, George—I still can’t believe they are married and expecting. I keep finding my eyes lingering on her small baby bump and thinking about how they will be great parents. This little girl doesn’t even know what awaits her when she tries to date.
I laugh softly, thinking about George talking to whoever she tries to bring home.
George rolls his eyes, drags out his wallet, and gives her two bills. Beatrix tucks them into the string of her bikini top.
“What are you laughing about?” Liam asks me.
“Oh, nothing.” I laugh again.
Liam tickles my sides. “Just nothing?”
“Stop!” I plead with him between laughs.
“Tell me, and I’ll stop.”
“Ugh, fine.” I give in. “I’m thinking about George being a teen girl’s dad and how miserable he’s going to make the life of anyone she brings home.”
“She may never bring anyone back.”
We both laugh at that.
“Their poor kids.”
“My poor what?” George asks.
“Nothing,” Liam and I say in hushed unison.
In my ear, Liam whispers, “You are going to be beautiful pregnant someday.”
I used to not want kids. I was nervous that history would repeat itself and I would inflict the same pain on my children, or I wouldn’t be enough of a mom for them.
The idea of that someday doesn’t scare me. It doesn’t scare me because someday will be with Liam.
With him, I can face anything.
I kiss his cheek and reply, “You’ll be a great dad. I can’t wait to have that with you, but I want you all to myself right now.”
Liam leans in and kisses my nose.
“I’m all yours, States.” He presses his mouth to mine. “Forever. ”
The game continues round after round until one of Chloe’s turns, and the beer can cracks, and she is sentenced to finishing it in one drink.
“What cooler is lunch in?”
“The orange one,” Cal responds to Natalie.
“Anyone want one?” Natalie asks the group, holding up sandwiches.
“I do,” several of us say.
“I may or may not have packed you a peanut butter and pickle sandwich,” Liam tells me quietly as the others pull out bags of chips and containers of veggies.
“You remembered that was my favorite type of sandwich?”
“It’s impossible to forget a disgusting combination like that, but—” Our faces turn toward each other.
“Have you tried it? No. You refused!” I cut him off.
“But I remember everything about you, Emerson,” he finishes saying.
“Why?” My head tilts and my insides ignite.
“Because it hurt more to forget you than to remember why I loved you—still love you.”
“You still love me?” I ask with surprise. I assumed, but hearing it feels like winning the lottery.
He nods and then gives me an endearing kiss.
“I—”
Liam cuts me off with a swift kiss. “You don’t need to say the words. I’m not going to ask or force you to this time. Take your time because I’m not going anywhere. I’m in this, and I love you more than enough for the both of us.”