Prompt: clutter
"Okay," Edward finally says.
"Okay."
"I'll um, talk to you later."
"Sure…Actually, probably not. I've got a lot of things to finish up, so have a good weekend. Tell Leah I said hi," I say sincerely. Sincerely enough, anyway.
"Oh, all right, I will. You have a good weekend too, Bella."
It's one of those awkward moments when your feet are ready to move, but you don't, as if you're waiting for the other person to go first yet they're not, and you know they're feeling that same uneasiness you are. Yeah, that's what Edward and I are doing and I huff a small laugh at the absurdity of the situation. I'm relieved no one seems to be the wiser. No lingering glances our way or cautious footfalls around us.
"See ya later, Edward." I walk past him to my office and close the door.
Felix has been mewling in his carrier the entire drive to my parents' which in turn has made Garrett anxious. He's asked repetitively if we could let him out to roam the back seat.
"He's scared, buddy. Remember last time he tried to claw his way out of the car?"
"No."
"You don't? I do."
"He won't be bad, Mom. I'll make sure," he says, his hand poised to open the wire door.
"I know you will, but I really think it's safer for him if he stays in his carrier. We're almost there anyway."
Garret sighs, knowing he's lost this battle. "All right," he says, shoulders droopy.
"Perk up, G. There's a fishing pole with your name on it waiting for you to catch a gazillion fish."
Garrett stubbornly tries to hide his smile. He loves fishing with my dad, and when he peeks into the rearview mirror to discover I'm watching him between watching the road, he makes a goofy face. We do this until he's giggling and then before we know it, we're here.
I always forget how much I love this place. Even the drive, when there's not a crying cat in the back seat harshing my mellow, is fantastic. It's all hills and lush green, hundred-year-old trees and mountains in the distance.
Sometimes I toy around with the idea of moving out here, working remotely when possible, but Garrett has his friends, soccer, Lego League. And there's not a lot to do here unless…well, there's really nothing to do.
So for now, we visit.
Mom's made Garrett's favorite dinner: spaghetti, bread, and ridiculously large meatballs. Garlic and tomatoes waft heavily, and it smells so, so good; I'm famished.
Wire, feathers, brightly colored rubber worms, and hooks among other things clutter the kitchen table. The Professor has zeroed in on the assembly line my dad has going on; I can practically see the gears turning inside his brain, wanting to create the "best lure ever", but I remind him to set up Felix's things first.
After we've finished eating, catching up on school, my work, mom's substitute job at the prep school not too far from here, and dad's new riding mower, dad and Garrett head out to the pond.
"Come back before dark, Charlie," Mom yells from the porch. Each of us holding a glass of wine.
"No, Renee, I think we'll stay til lunch tomorrow," he shoots back, joking. He shakes his head to Garrett, says something and they both have a good laugh, but they pick up the pace, now jogging toward the pond.
Mom throws her hand at him, rolls her eyes then motions for me to sit.
"I'm glad you two came out. Garrett's getting so big."
"He is. Already started buying all new clothes for summer."
"Maybe we can go shopping while you're here? Allow me to spoil my only grandson a bit?" she says, like I ever deny her the opportunity.
Though, my parents are not wealthy by certain standards, they do just fine. Both retired, my dad a former police officer and my mom a teacher, they invested well. The only reason mom subs occasionally is to keep herself occupied, at least that's what she tells everyone. Honestly, I think she needs a break from dad every once in a while.
"Sure, Mom. He'd like that…if you can get him away from the fish, of course."
She laughs. "True. There's a new mall about an hour west of here—remember I told you about it? Let's go there tomorrow. Or Sunday."
"Either day works. So, how are you guys? Is dad still managing the maintenance of this place okay?"
She sets her glass down on the wooden table between us. "Did you not hear him waxing poetic about his love for John Deere?"
"I think I zoned out after the first ten minutes," I say, taking a sip from mine, and mom laughs, nods knowingly.
Only the edge of the sun can be seen beyond the trees; the boys will be gone for another hour and a half. I rest my head back against the chair and close my eyes, listening to the leaves rustling in the breeze.
"This is nice," I say.
"Well, you know my answer to that."
"Maybe one day, Mom."
"Fair enough. How's everything with you? You know, personally?"
Turning my head toward her, I open one eye. "Are you asking if I'm seeing anyone? No, I haven't been out on a date since I can't remember when."
"You're thirty-five, sweetheart. Life doesn't wait."
"I'm fine, Mom," I warn. "Really." No way I'm going to mention anything about Edward. One, she'd have a cow, and two…there's nothing to say.
"Have you heard from Sam at all?" she asks, momentarily satisfied.
"Unfortunately for Garrett, not in the past sixth months."
I listen to her tsk about Sam—she's not saying anything I don't already know. Sure, Garrett asks about his dad and yes, he certainly feels abandoned by the bastard at times, so do I overcompensate every now and then? Bet your ass I do.
Still, I allow my mom let off steam about him. It sucks. It sucks in a major way, but we do the best we can.
Garrett fell asleep easily, obviously worn out by the full day. Felix is curled up at Garrett's feet on the edge of the bed, purring like mad, but I swear he's giving me the evil eye because I wouldn't let him out of his carrier.
"Don't be mad," I whisper to him. "Remember I'm the one who buys your food."
I kiss Garrett on his forehead, and he stirs, looks at me through sleepy eyes. "Wake me up at six, okay?" he says, his voice scratchy.
"Grandpa will. Go back to sleep, but come give me a kiss before you go."
"Okay. Love you, Mommy."
"Love you, too."
It's still early, around ten, but mom and dad are sound asleep. I head to my room with my laptop to check work emails, probably hit Target's website to see if they're having any sales on Legos or Transformers, and oh, I forgot Garrett asked about some kind of watch, or something. I'll have to ask him tomorrow what he's looking for.
I'll also have to gently persuade my parents to allow me to buy a new mattress for my bed or at the very least a pad because this one is way too hard. Trying to get comfortable, I open my email, and scroll down the list.
About seventeen of them are reply alls.
Perfect. That was five minutes of my life I'll never get back.
One from Rose, another from Edward, and one from Angie.
The cursor hovers over Edward's email which has a subject line that reads: Earlier today. He sent it at 7:00 p.m., and I wonder if he was still at work or at home.
I switch off the laptop; Edward isn't going to get into my head this weekend.