Belle 8: No Thanks

Happy Stuff-Yourself Day. Today was the first time I’ll see Brody since he got together with Miranda. I wasn’t sure if he’d even talk to me. I was sure Miranda brain-washed him not to talk to me. He promised he wouldn’t let her break our friendship, but so far he has. Coping with it was easier if he’s never seen, but on holidays it was harder. Our families were closer to each other than their real family.

I dreaded this day since we’d be going over to his house for Thanksgiving. As much as I loved spending holidays with the person I loved most, it hurt too much to even fathom the thought of him ignoring me this time around. That would start a trend or us not being close anymore.

I wanted nothing more to move on with my life, but my heart longed for him. How can you get over the person you truly loved for so long? A person you could see a future with. Now that he’s gone, these holidays seem like teasers . . . reminders of what I’ll be missing out on.

I got dressed in my flannel shirt and jeans. All we were going to be doing is eating and trying to impress Brody was pointless now.

My parents and I went over there around noon. The house was busy. Barbra, the mother, and her eldest daughters Brenda and Breanne running around the kitchen. Bruce, Brock, Brody, Brian and Brett sat around the TV watching the game. Brookie and Brynn came running up to me.

“Belle!”

I hugged them as Brody looked up from his new born nephew Bobby. He looked like he saw a ghost. I wasn’t sure what that look meant. I decided to act like we’d never met.

“Oh my gosh, is that Bobby?” I smiled.

“Yeah,” Brenda came in wiping her hand off in a towel, “You wanna hold him?”

“Please.”

Within seconds he was in my arms. He was so small. I loved holding babies and playing a mom. Babies always reminded me how much I wanted kids. I just always felt like my purpose in life was to be a mother and wife to a country boy like Mama. I wanted to experience and savior everything about them.

Bobby rose a hand stretching. He opened his eyes. He was so innocent when he smiled.

“Hi, Bobby,” I put my finger within reach so he’d hold on, “Hi sweetie.”

I rocked him to the Star Spangled Banner. He started to fuss.

“He’s hungry,” Brody stated, “I’ll be right back.” He went into the kitchen as I sat down on the couch by the window. The fact that he was that intuitive to his nephew was impressive.

He came back with a rag and bottle. I threw the rag over my shoulder and started feeding Bobby. Brody sat next to me. I wasn’t sure what to do if anything. I focused on Bobby.

“It’s been a while,” he suddenly stated.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Can I make it up to you?”

“Naw, it’s okay.”

I didn’t even look at him. He touched Bobby’s peach-fuzzed head, “Food-burn run?”

“Won’t Miranda get mad?”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her right?”

He was making an effort to still be friends. That’s all I could be thankful for today is that I’m still on his mind at all.

It started to feel weird with him sitting there with me. It felt like I was holding his son and I was the mom. Just that feeling coming so soon in life was freaky. I could handle the mother part, but add Brody into the equation, it’s too much. Yet it felt natural, like this was us someday. Part of me liked it.

Dinner soon came along with the usual laughter and stories, followed by the food-burn run with Brody. It felt so good to have my best friend back. He offered to start giving me rides to school, again, even though I was the one who stopped showing up.