“Why don’t you grab the extra tables and chairs from the garage, and get them set up? Not too close to the fence, or nobody will be able to see the fireworks.”
I give him a smartass salute, and head to the garage. Everything is neatly put away, but there is no rhyme or reason to where items are placed. The chairs are lined up on one side of the wall behind bicycles that I’ve never seen them ride, and the tables are shoved behind plastic totes on the opposite side. You would think they’d have both of these things in the same vicinity since they have so many barbeques and get-togethers.
Lucky for me, the cars aren’t parked in here right now. I grab all the chairs and stack them in the middle of the floor and put the tables next to them. Grabbing three chairs in each hand, I attempt to walk to the garage door, and two of them clatter to the ground when I turn. This is going to take more trips than I originally thought. Oh well, at least it’ll keep me busy for a little while longer.
Once I finally have everything outside, I begin setting everything up. They are kind of close together with enough space to walk between, even if people have their chairs scooted all the way out. Uncle Jason strides over to check on my progress. “Do you need any help?”
“Nope,” I shake my head. “This is the last one.” Unfolding the chair, I have in my hand, I set it down with more force than necessary and collapse into it. “Why do y’all have those bikes? I’ve never once seen you, or Aunt Lucia, ride them.”
He grabs one of the chairs, and takes a seat. “Your aunt has it in her head that one day we’ll do a triathlon.” He shakes his head. “I doubt that it will ever happen, but she wants to hang on to them ‘just in case’” He does his fingers in air quotes.
“That seems like a pretty silly reason to keep them.”
“It is,” he snorts. “We keep them anyway because it makes Lucia happy. And you know the saying, happy wife, happy life? I stick to that every day.”
I think about seeing them together throughout my life, and I’ve never once seen them fight. It happens, I know that because there’s not a couple around that doesn’t have some sort of disagreement. They’ve always seemed genuinely happy whether they are together or apart from each other. “How do you make it all work?”
“Communication, Melly,” he leans back in his chair. “That’s the key to everything you do in life. Whether it’s relationships, jobs, or friendships, communication is what is going to keep everything on an even keel.”
If that doesn’t hit the nail on the head, I don’t know what else will. It’s the very thing I was thinking about before I came outside. The lack of real,honest, communication is what is bugging me. If things with Randall were carrying on like the weeks, even days before, I wouldn’t be such a confused mess right now.
“It looks like you just had a lightbulb moment,” Jason says into the silence.
“Maybe,” I stand up, almost knocking the chair backward. “I’m going to go get ready before people start showing up.”
“That sounds like a good idea. I need to get the meat on the grill.”
“See you in a few,” I make my way toward the house.
“While you’re in there, will you tell Lucia to cool it with the desserts,” he laughs. “She’s going to force me to go on a diet if she doesn’t stop baking.”
“I’ll try,” I sing-song. “There’s no guarantee that she’ll actually listen.”
* * *
“Girl, how long does it take you to get ready?” Tonya barges into what used to be her room. “Mom said you’ve been in here for over an hour.”
“Well, first I took a shower after setting up the tables in the yard,” I point at the towel hanging on the door. “Then I took a much needed nap.” Sitting up from my bed, I glare at her, “Whichyouso unkindly woke me up from.”
“People are starting to show up so you better get dressed,” she sticks her tongue out at me. “What time is Randall supposed to be here?”
“I don’t know,” I shrug. “He hasn’t replied to my text messages.”
Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. “Are you serious? I thought things were okay after the b.s. with his dad.”
“Guess not,” I pull my clothes off my bed. Walking to the bathroom, I don’t bother closing the door before I start getting dressed. “I mean, we’ve been talking, but it’s not like we were. Does that make sense?”
“Yep, and it proves my point that the male species is a pain in the ass.” She leans against the bathroom door, and watches me as I put my hair into a messy bun. It’s way too hot to have it down if I’m going to be outside most of the time. “Do you think he’ll show up?”
“Only time will tell, cuz,” sighing, I turn toward her. “It just sucks because I was considering staying here, and going to school for business management to open my own boutique one day. Now… I don’t know if I should stay.”
“Donotlet a guy dictate your actions,” she scolds me. “If you want to stay here, you are more than welcome. It’s not like you’re a drain on resources. Mom told me you’ve been sneaking money into her purse for rent.”
“It’s the only way she’ll take it. The first time I tried giving it to her, she threw it back at me, and said she wasn’t going to allow me to pay her anything.”
“That sounds about right,” Tonya rolls her eyes. “Seriously, we love having you here. It’s like reliving our childhood summers, but you know, as adults.”
“True,” I agree. She has a point, and honestly, I don’t want to leave. My parents will completely understand if I decide to stay. “I’ll probably stay. It would just suck having to avoid the one person I’ve fallen for. It’s not like this town is huge.”