CHAPTER SIX #4
I shrug my shoulders and answer him. “I don’t have anything planned out just yet, but I’ve started thinking about it.
I love her…it’s not like anything I’ve felt before.
” I look at Dad, who’s waiting me out. “How did you know for sure, like one hundred percent certain, that Mom was the one for you?”
Dad shakes his head. “When it comes to love and matters of the heart, there’s no such thing as one hundred percent certain—at least not when you’re deciding whether you want to marry someone.
Now that we’ve been together for decades?
Yeah, I can be certain. That comes with time.
You have to trust your heart and your gut.
You both have been raised by parents who love each other.
You’ve been able to witness that, and I can’t help but think that would help your picker be more accurate. ”
I think he makes a good point, but before I can ask him another question, he continues speaking.
“Marriage isn’t just about sexual attraction and the other person making your heart pitter-patter.
They should be the person you most want to spend your time with, the one you want to laugh with.
The greatest result of marrying the right person is that at the end of your life you can look at her and say, you helped me become the most authentic version of myself, and you’re still my favorite person.
That’s the best marker in a marriage.” He pauses to take the last drink of his water.
“Am I still in love with your mom after all these years? Absolutely. Is it the same love as when I proposed, or when you or your sister were born? No. It evolves just as everything does in time, just like we as people do. But one thing that hasn’t changed since the moment I realized she was the one for me.
She’s still my favorite person. She’s the one I want to spend most of my free time with.
Do I like hanging out with the guys or you and your sister?
Absolutely, I do. Would I spend the time doing something I hated to spend time with the guys?
Fuck no. Would I spend all day yesterday with your mom shopping just so we could be together?
Yes. Did I hate the shopping part? You know I did, but I will do it again and again to spend time with her and see that smile on her face.
That makes everything worth it. Do I still complain to her about it so we don’t do it every week?
Yes, because your grandma didn’t raise no fool. We all gotta have our limits.”
He stands up and walks down the couple of steps to the bottom.
He taps his empty water bottle against my arm.
“Let’s go grab your stuff and get going.
Then you can tell me why your teammate over there has been staring daggers at you the entire time he’s been out here and the girls standing next to him both look like they want to end up in your shower with you.
” I look over to where he’s pointing and see Zack standing next to Katie and Tina, who are both glaring in this direction.
I don’t know what any of their problems are other than Zack almost never works out when the team doesn’t tell him he needs to.
Those girls both look like they haven’t had the surgery yet to remove the sticks from their asses.
One can hope they won’t be sitting next to the WAGs tomorrow.
It might save their lives if they don’t come to this one.
A few hours later, I push back from the dinner table, even fuller than I was the last time I ate Anna’s lasagna.
It really is that good. Dad, Wyatt, and Jackson seemed to have hit it off right away, and Mom and Anna did too.
They’re all laughing, talking, and carrying on as if they’ve been friends forever and hadn’t just met for the first time a couple of hours ago.
Hanna leans over to me as we’re both watching this all pan out.
“You know we could sneak out and they wouldn’t even notice.
” She’s not wrong, but we miss our moment to escape when Mom looks toward us and doles out responsibilities.
“Cade, you go out and get that gas fire thing you’ve got in the backyard going.
I think it’d be nice to sit out there soon.
Hanna, why don’t you help me serve dessert since you helped make all of it?
” Just like that, we’re back to being kids and doing what our parents tell us to do. Some things really do never change.
I make quick work of starting the gas firepit.
I would love a real one that uses real wood, but this tiny spit of a backyard I have right now, makes that an impossibility at the moment.
I go back inside and help finish clearing the table as Mom and Hanna slice up dessert.
I know better than to just sit down and wait, so I ask, “Does anyone want coffee or need another beer?” I get everyone’s orders and make quick work of getting the beers out of the fridge.
Mom looks over at me with a smile—see, I knew better than to just sit down! “Once you pass out those beers, do you want to come get the coffee tray for me? Hanna’s got dessert handled beautifully.”