Maybe This Time(73)

You okay?

Yeah, actually. It just feels like a cousin visiting or something. Like, I know her, but I don’t know her. You know?

I know.

I thought you might. Speaking of, have you talked to your dad since Thanksgiving?

He called today and acted like nothing had happened. I’m learning that’s kind of how he is. Not good with confrontation. But the good news is that he’s flying Gunnar out to see him during spring break.

Just Gunnar?

He knows I would’ve said no.

Would you have?

Probably.

I’m sorry.

Don’t be. Take some pictures of Christmastime New York and text them to me. It will help.

He responded with pictures. Pictures of lights on trees and in department store windows. Pictures of a dog wearing reindeer antlers and a skinny Santa on a street corner. Pictures of people ice-skating and big red ornaments stacked on top of one another. And snow. Snow on railings and stairwells, and frosting tree branches.

He must’ve been all over Manhattan taking those pictures. Or maybe that had been one city block. I didn’t know. The last picture he sent was a selfie of him on a rooftop somewhere, in a beanie, colorful lights behind him, a goofy expression on his face. I smiled as I looked at it now and then tucked my phone away with another deep breath.

It was no big deal. I was seeing Andrew. We were friends. And we had obviously proven we could continue to be friends even when we were in completely different states. My pep talk seemed to work on me and I climbed out of the van. Completely calm. I walked around to the back.

An explosion of blue and white greeted me when I opened the van doors. Forget-me-nots and baby’s breath arrangements filled several boxes. The Barn always had some indoor and outdoor tables that we decorated. But most of the night was for dancing, with a live country band providing the soundtrack.

“When someone said this was at a barn, I was picturing something more rustic.” Andrew’s voice from behind me made my heart pick up speed again. Breathe, I commanded myself. I hadn’t heard a car pull up so Andrew must’ve already been here.

“It’s not a barn, Andrew. It’s the Barn. I don’t think it’s seen an animal in decades.” I finally allowed myself to turn, having proven I could talk like a normal person. Andrew looked … amazing. He wore his suit from the Eller-Johnson wedding and I had forgotten how cute he was. I don’t know how. It felt like his face had been in my brain for the last month.

“Wow,” he said, taking me in. I wore a sleeveless dress, the bodice fitted and silver. I had hand stitched little blue flowers onto the blue lace skirt. It flared and hit me several inches above the knees. “I … you …”

“What?” I asked, looking down and smoothing out my dress, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“You look good,” he finished lamely.

“This was one of the dress designs I sent off with my applications.”

“Then you are going to be accepted for sure.”

“I hope so.”

“How have you been?” He stepped forward and gave me a side hug.

I thought he was giving me a full hug, though, so I turned into him, which made us both fumble with hand placement for a moment. I stepped back.

“It’s like we’ve never hugged before,” he said.

“Have we?” I asked, going over the last year of events in my mind.

“Corn maze?” he asked, seeming to have done the same analysis. “Should we try again?”

I laughed, but he wasn’t kidding. He stepped forward and wrapped me in a hug, then rocked me back and forth dramatically. “See, I’m an excellent hugger.”

I smiled and lay my head on his shoulder, returning his hug. He stopped teasing and gave me a real hug. He smelled good and felt even better against me.

This could not happen. I dropped my arms and turned back toward the van. “Will you help me carry some of these boxes inside?”

“Of course.” He lifted one box and I lifted another and we carried them silently into the Barn.

“I think I picked the wrong job,” Micah said when she saw me. “I want to be a babe tonight.”

I laughed. “I thought you’d talked your dad into letting you dress up.” I slid the box onto a table.

“Obviously not,” she said, tugging at her polyester cater waiter pants.

“Where do you want this?” Andrew asked me, referring to the box he still held.

“Oh, just put it next to mine.”

He did, and then left, probably to get another box.

Micah raised her eyebrows at Andrew’s retreating form. “So? How was the reunion?”

“Good.” Since Thanksgiving, Micah and I were closer than ever. I was so glad that we’d talked out our problems. We did have differing opinions about the Andrew situation, though. She thought I should just enjoy him while I could and then move on when he left. I didn’t think that moving on from Andrew would be as easy as she made it sound. So my solution was not to get hooked on him to begin with. Friends. Friendship wouldn’t lead to heartbreak. “We’re good.”

“Good? Just good? I know how you could make it great.” She gave me a smirk. “In fact, I’m going to find myself a boy to kiss at midnight tonight. I don’t care who.”

“Really?” I said, surprised. “You don’t have one highlighted and starred on your spreadsheet? Someone you need to interrogate first with questions of hometown loyalty?”