Where It All Began by Lorana Hoopes

Author:Lorana Hoopes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lorana Hoopes

The next day, I took my parents around the town. There wasn’t a lot to see in Mesquite, but we found some antique shops my mother loved, and some trails that kept my dad’s interest for a time. We stopped for barbeque as a late lunch before heading back to the apartment.

Once inside, my parents each got out a book to read, while I went to take a shower to freshen up. As I pulled on a soft yellow dress, my throat grew dry at the prospect of meeting Henry’s family. Because he rarely spoke of them, all sorts of images played in my imagination.

Promptly at six pm, the doorbell rang. I gave myself one last glance and shuffled to the door. Henry stood looking uncharacteristically stiff in a blue button down shirt. Behind him was an older man who was clearly his father as the resemblance ran deep. He was also dressed smartly in a blue dress shirt and slacks. Henry’s brother, a younger version of himself, stood to the left of his father, but it was the woman who stood out to me. With her short hair, suit, and severe expression she seemed such a contrast to Henry.

“Come in,” I smiled, opening the door wide to allow passage. The group shuffled in, and I wiped my sweaty palms down my dress as I shut the door behind them. Introductions were made around the room, and then a tense silence descended. Sylvia, Henry’s mother, checked her watch, while David, his father, and Anthony, his brother, dug their shoes into the carpet. My eyes darted to Henry for some clue as to what to do.

“Well, I’m hungry,” Henry said, breaking the tension. “Who’s hungry and wants to join me?”

“I’m famished,” my mother spoke up, and the tension fizzled for now.

“I’d offer to make something, but my kitchen table barely seats four, and I don’t have extra chairs, so . . . out?” I suggested.

Everyone agreed, and since neither of us had a car large enough to hold seven people, we decided to take two cars to the restaurant. Henry and his family piled in his car, while my mother and father came with me.

We drove in silence, until we pulled into the parking lot of a fairly upscale restaurant. I wrinkled my forehead hoping Henry knew what he was doing because I didn’t have the money to afford dinner here.

Henry spoke to the hostess, and after a short wait, we were shown to a table. Henry held out my chair as normal, but before I could sit down, his mother spoke up.

“Stop doing that. Is she broken? She can get her own chair.”

All conversation stopped as a silence fell on the group. Henry’s father stared down at his feet. I glanced up at Henry in surprise, but he mirrored his father’s embarrassment. My own father stiffened, the strain of holding his tongue evident on his face. My mother put a hand on his arm, and he relaxed, but his eyes remained on me to see what I would do.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.