Waiting

Write a story about waiting - but don’t reveal what’s being waited for until the very end

My tiny blue vans fall silent on the ugly carpeted floor as I take the, what feels like a long walk, from the patio doors to the double doors of the main room. Today is the day we’ve been waiting for, and it’s finally here.

It all started when the alarm clock went off this morning. Anything before 9am is an ungodly hour in my book, so starting my day at 7 with the alarm blaring was even worse. Long hours, early mornings, late nights are all things I'm used to, but it doesn’t make them any more enjoyable. So here we are, my alarm blaring at 7am, the boyfriend already having been up for an hour, me cursing his military school background. I walk into our kitchen and he passes me a plate of french toast, the bottle of his family maple syrup already on the counter and a can of diet pepsi waiting next to it. A Booth smile and “Good morning sunshine” greets me, dripping with all the sarcasm he put behind it. A silent flip of the bird and a smile in return. I love mornings like this, when we can hang out in pajamas, eat breakfast, and enjoy each other’s company. This morning is a little different, I brought with me a box that is familiar to both of us, the contents even more so. We eat our french toast drenched in syrup and go through the contents of the box, reminiscing about times that seem so long ago. Letters, sea shells, a ring here, a bullet casing there. All things that defined our early relationship when we were young and stupidly in love.

The quiet morning mood is destroyed when I hear the obnoxious exhaust on Arkansas’ Chevy 3500 pull into our driveway followed by him blaring the horn. Not 30 seconds later is Moe pounding our front door down to get in. Quick kiss goodbye, Booth grabs his bag I put together for him last night, fully knowing if I didn’t he’d forget something, and my quiet breakfast with him is replaced with Moe bouncing and yelling about all the things we have to do. I am internally screaming at how early it is while reluctantly agreeing to get the day started as we make our way to my guest room. Everything is already together, I made my list and checked it twice last night. A quick change into jeans and a t-shirt I didn’t sleep in, and we hop in Booth’s duramax with Moe’s bag and my polka dot suitcase, two garment bags, and a box of miscellaneous stuff. We drive off as I laugh to myself, knowing Booth is so worried about me driving his precious new truck. We reach our destination and Chloe is already standing outside waiting to scream that we’re late and she needs all the time she can get.

We make our way upstairs and fall into normal conversation. I can imagine if we could spy on the boys right now it would be minimal talking in contrast to the never ending girl talk that resembles our usual road trips. Chloe sets into her routine of doing our makeup and hair , Moe is clicking through her phone playing a game and Sam arrives fashionably late, typical Sam fashion after not answering her phone all morning. The garment bags are all hanging in a row, mine at the very end. Time seems to be moving quicker now with all the hustle and bustle of getting ready. We make our way downstairs together, and meet the boys at the back door. My dad is already a mess trying to do his tie without a mirror and my mother is telling him to pull it together. My brother being the typical sibling and having no clue what is going on. Tyler, as he should be, is too distracted by how gorgeous his own girl looks to see anyone else. Outside the doors Booth is waiting in his typical Booth fashion. Cowboy boots, his nice jeans that I wouldn’t let him wear to work, a button down shirt, a jacket he insisted on wearing and the same blue tie I picked out for him so many years ago. I leave the others behind and creep silently out the doors where he’s waiting for me.

“Hey Booth”, I call out the familiar nickname that has stuck since high school.

Turning around I recognize the same look on his face he occasionally gives me, a rare sight since he usually sees me in jeans instead of all dressed up. We share a few moments together, take pictures, invite the others in for pictures, and share a quick kiss on the check before we part again. Back inside we all check our makeup one last time and regroup all together. Booth first, shares a hug with his father when he reaches the end. Evan follows, taking his job very seriously, looks so grown up I wonder where the time has gone. Chloe leads the charge for the women, followed by Moe, then Sam, and I’m left alone with my dad.

“There's gas in the truck if you want to go, we can go find a Friendly's and have a sundae”, he offers the same way he has before.

“Nice try, dad, but let’s save that for tomorrow”. I reply with a smile, thinking how I really want an oreo sundae after this.

The music subtly shifts to a new song and I can feel everyone’s eyes shift to the door that we stand just outside of. The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here. My dad and I turn the corner into the doorway, everyone’s eyes on us, but I only see him. We share a smile, the same way we did this morning over french toast. Not much will change today, but it still is exciting to know it’s finally here. The wait is over, and I’m walking down the aisle to marry my best friend.