Chapter 10
Gavin
I'mdressedandready to go, but a bit nervous too. I trust Lauren but leaving Oakside for the first time is a big deal. I knew it had to happen. I didn't think it would be today.
Once dressed, I take a few deep breaths, step into the hallway, and slowly make my way to the lobby. I can tell the space is larger by the sounds and the echoes.
On one of our walks, Lexi described the lobby to me. How the house used to be an old plantation home, and they worked hard to keep as many of the original details as possible. But they also added things like the large stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows.
"I spoke with Lexi, and we're all set to go." Lauren joins me and wraps her hand around my arm. It's comforting as much as it’s to guide me to her car.
"Okay." Placing my other hand on top of hers, I let her lead me.
She holds my arm, but it's stiff and more for guidance than anything else. Makes me think back to the times she held my hand to touch or be near me. But those days are long gone. I have no one to blame but myself, so I’ll enjoy what little contact I get with her.
She leads me out the door, and the new grass crunches under our feet. I hear a family visiting with each other on the porch. The grass switches to gravel, and I assume we’re in a parking lot.
Lauren lets go of my arm. "Here's my car. I'll let you work out how to get in, but I'm right here if you decide you want help."
Reaching out to rest my hand on the roof of the car, I judge by the height and the four doors that it's some type of sedan. Smart and sensible."Please tell me it's not the same rust bucket you drove when we were in school," I joke as I open the door.
"That car got me all through school, but no, this is an upgraded version. A little gift to me on graduation day."
With a little feeling around, I get myself in, fasten my seat belt, and
Close the door. I allow myself to think about Lauren on her graduation day, one of the many events I've missed in her life. Though I know how she looked in the cap and gown in those horrible blue school colors when we graduated from high school.
"What color was your cap and gown at your college graduation?" I ask when she gets in the car.
"Black. Thankfully, the pictures were very dignified."
She starts the car, and a bunch of noise makes me cringe. It wouldn't have fazed me if it hadn’t been for the accident. But now, it's like an assault on my senses when I rely on my hearing. She turns the radio down, and I try to focus on the sounds I know.
I notice the sound of the car shifting into gear and the tires crunching over the gravel. It changes as the car leaves the gravel driveway and moves onto the paved road. These sounds I know and are comforting, but they’re different without my sight to accompany them.
"So, the burger joint we used to go to when we were in high school is still open. I thought we'd go there and grab something to eat. It’s up to you whether we go inside or get something from the drive-through and head to the park down the road to eat."
I know Lauren wants me to go inside, but I'm grateful she's giving me the choice. She wants me to challenge myself, but I'm not ready yet. It's overwhelming being out of the comfort of Oakside for the first time, so I decide to go for the safe option.
"Let’s get something from the drive-through this time. I'm not ready to go inside."
Thankfully, she lets it go, but I know the next time we leave Oakside, she won't be so fast to let me take the easy choice.
"You still like the same thing? A burger with ketchup, mayo with the works?"
Of course, she remembers my burger order. "Yep, still the same."
That she remembers how I like my burger shouldn't affect me the way it does. It doesn't mean anything, at least that's what I tell myself. But this is Lauren, and it means a lot to me that she remembers. To have someone in my life who knows those small details is comforting.
She pulls up and orders her food. I pull out my wallet and try to give her some money, but she stops me.
"I'm not letting you pay for lunch, Lauren." I haven't changed that much.
"Put your money away, Gavin. I'm not paying for lunch, Oakside is."
I know this isn't a date, but she never paid for anything when she was around me. Not that I had a lot of money to burn, and we didn’t go to many expensive places. But that's how it was and will always be when she’s around me. It’s not going to change.
"There's this little park a few minutes down the road. I thought we could eat there versus eating in the parking lot. You okay with that?" she asks as we get our food.