Simple by BN Toler

Author:BN Toler [Toler, BN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Published: 2019-07-30T04:00:00+00:00

Emalee filled our plates with the fried chicken and pasta salad her mother had made before she left then we sat down across the table from each other to eat.

We ate in comfortable silence for a bit before I asked, “So where’s your mom?”

“I honestly don’t know,” she said, letting out a sad laugh as she absently pushed the remnants of her pasta around her plate.

“She didn’t tell you where she was going?”

“I think my parents are going to get a divorce,” she said suddenly, as if she’d been holding it in and simply couldn’t any longer.

I sat my fork down. “Why do you think that?”

Pushing some hair behind her ear, she leaned back in her seat. “They’ve been fighting a lot, but the night they found us in the truck, they had the worst fight I’d seen, and just like that Mama told him he needed to leave for the rest of the summer.”

I didn’t know what to say. For the brief time I’d had both my parents alive and healthy, I’d been fortunate to witness them together sharing a loving marriage. There were plenty of things that could’ve come between them—debt, exhaustion, kids—but at the end of every day they sat down to dinner with us, and every night they sat beside each other on the couch and held hands.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Em?”

She smiled sadly. “Because it seemed so minute compared to what you’re going through.”

I frowned. I hated that she felt like she couldn’t confide in me because of my problems. “Maybe your mother went to see him,” I suggested. “Maybe it looks worse than it is.”

She bobbed her head once. “Maybe,” she agreed. Clearing her throat, she stood and plastered on a smile as she collected our plates. “Did you have enough? I can make you seconds.”

“No, I’m stuffed.” I wanted to make her feel better, so when she’d finished clearing the plates I asked, “Would you like to take me for a drive? Or we could go for a walk.”

A sheepish smile captured her features as her cheeks flushed and she approached me. “No.” She inhaled a nervous breath. “There’s something else I want to do.” She chewed on her lower lip.

I took her hands in mine, smiling softly. I had a feeling about what she wanted to do, but I needed to be sure. “Tell me, Em.”

“I’ve never…ya know.” Her cheeks were now crimson. I’d never seen her look so embarrassed.

My heart pounded against my chest. “That’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

She shook her head. “I’m not. Not at all. I just haven’t done anything…like other than kissing…maybe heavy petting.”

“Oh,” I nodded masking how pleased I was. It wouldn’t have changed anything if she’d been experienced, but something about knowing she wanted to give that part of herself to me was thrilling.

“And I’m on birth control. Not because I’ve had plans to do anything, but…it helps my skin.” She motioned at her face.

I stood and cupped her cheek, bending to kiss her softly.

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