10. Coraline
10
Coraline
“How was your Sunday school class?” I ask Michael as I buckle him into his car seat.
“It was so cool! I had so much fun!” He eagerly replies. He has orange cheeseball residue around his mouth, all over his cheeks, and his hands.
I grab a baby wipe from the back seat and let out a small laugh as I clean his face and hands. Then, I shut the door and climb into the driver's seat.
I go to adjust my rearview mirror and see Harrison with an exasperated expression on his face.
“What about you, Harrison? What did you think about church? Did you learn anything?”
“It was fine I guess. There were a couple of kids my age and they were cool. We learned about a dude who was in a dirt hole with hungry lions. The lions didn’t eat him because God saved his life.”
“Well I'm glad one of you paid attention,” I joke. “But I am happy that you both enjoyed it.”
I buckle my seatbelt and start the car.
“Mom, can I ask you something?” Harrison says softly.
“Yes, of course sweetheart.”
“Why was the man who fixed the oven at church, and why did you guys keep staring at each other?”
“Well..you see…we…I..” I keep stuttering over my words. I knew this day would come, but now that it’s here, I don’t know what to say to him. I can't lie to him and at the same time I don’t want to break his heart with the truth.
“I know you know him, Mom. Please don’t be mad at me, but I found a picture on your bed the other day and it was of you and him. You guys looked like boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“That was a long time ago sweetheart, let’s talk about this later. Why don't we just go to Granna and Pappy’s house and get our bellies full first?”
Harrison nods his head in agreement. My grandparents talked to us after church and invited us all to have lunch at their house. Shae is going to tag along— she’s basically their granddaughter too. We used to spend so much time together at their house when we were growing up.
I turn on the radio and back out of the parking lot. My heart is hammering in my chest. I feel the urge to cry, but I hold it in. If I cry, he’ll be even more suspicious. Maybe I should just go ahead and tell him? I don't know what to do.
“Harrison, can you pass the salt please?” Granna asks.
The boys, myself, Granna, Pappy, and Shae are seated at the worn dining room table in my childhood home. My grandparents have had this table since they first got married in the late 1960s. Even though it’s an old house, it has excellent bones and has been well taken care of.
All Granna watches on TV are ‘Hallmark’ reruns and the ‘HGTV’ channel, so whenever she sees a new trend, she redecorates.
Her style is one of a kind for her age. She incorporates new things, like modern furniture in the living room, fresh paint colors, and even modern rugs and curtains. But she also keeps sentimental pieces from throughout the years as little Easter eggs in her home.
Growing up, we used to always eat together after church with all my great aunts and uncles here at the house. As the years have gone by, we’ve lost so many of them. It feels really nice to sit here at this table and enjoy a home-cooked meal that isn’t frozen pizza or food sent by an estranged ex-baby daddy.
Granna made beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls. It’s one of my favorite meals—comfort food. Right now, I can use all the extra comfort carbs I can get. Granna said she had an overwhelming feeling that we would be coming over soon, so she made extra, just in case.
“So,” Pappy says as he wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Have you thought any more about the thing we discussed on the phone last week, Coraline?”
I finish chewing my food. “I have, actually. I think it's a great idea. They’ve never been camping, and I know that I always loved to go with you all when I was their age. We'll go.”
“Go where?” Harrison asks.
“Camping in an actual, real life camper at Camp Willowbrooke. It’s going to be so much fun! We can all ride bikes together and play at the park. They even have a creek that we can get into and catch some little fish and crawdads.”
“Ew! Gross! Crawdads?” he replies with disgust. “Can I bring my video games?”
“No," Pappy replies. “This is an electronic free trip. There will be plenty of things to do outside, in the real world.”
“Also, dear, don’t forget about the big party that will be going on. Boys, I heard that there's going to be some carnival rides and inflatables to play on,” Granna adds.
“Woah! That will be so cool!” Michael cheers. “I can’t wait!”
This year marks the one-hundredth anniversary of Camp Willowbrooke. The entire town will be gathering to celebrate. Granna and Pappy had to reserve their campsite a year ago for their camper because the sites were selling out so fast.
I haven’t camped in an actual camper at Camp Willowbrooke since I was thirteen or fourteen years old. Their camper is large enough to accommodate eight adults, so having three extra people stay with them won’t take up too much room.
The only reason I stopped going with my grandparents was because high school cheerleading was too demanding of my time. I always had summer cheer programs and we practiced multiple times a week to prepare for competition season in the fall.
"Shae, are you going to be able to make it out?" I ask.
"Yes," she replies. "I wasn’t able to get a spot reserved, but John and I will for sure come out and spend time with you all and sit around the fire."
"That’s perfect!" I turn back to Granna. "Have you heard back from Gemma? Did she decide to go too?"
"She’s still thinking about it. She said she will come out and visit with Goose, but she doesn’t know if she will be staying."
I can tell that Granna is a little disappointed. It would be just like old times if Gemma decided to stay. We have so many special memories from camping together every year. I can’t wait to make new ones this summer with my own children.