Better If He Goes (Always You #1) - Allie Everhart Page 0,22
"I'll make up your bed while you're at work."
"Mom, you don't have to do that. I can make my own bed."
"I know, honey, but you're sick." She pours herself some coffee. "I don't mind doing it."
"Just let me do it. I'm feeling a lot better today." I get up and toss my banana peel out before she does it for me. I love my mom, but when I'm living at home, she treats me like a kid and wants to do everything for me.
She looks around. "Where's Brad? I thought I heard his voice."
"You just missed him. He went to take a shower."
"Did he get some breakfast?"
"Yeah. He wanted eggs, but we didn't have any."
"Oh! I'll add them to the list." She grabs a pen from the counter, along with her list.
"He said he'll get them himself. He doesn't want you buying his food."
She sighs, adding the eggs to the list. "You boys just need to let me be a mom. And an aunt. It's my last summer to spoil you both before you go off and find jobs and get married."
"You'll still be my mom. And if I get married and have kids, you'll have some grandkids to spoil, so that's something to look forward to."
"That'll be years from now," she says, walking to the table to get her purse. "If it even happens."
"You don't think I'll have kids?"
She searches through her purse. "Honey, don't take this the wrong way, but you never stay with a girl long enough to get to know her. That makes it hard to find a wife."
"I get to know her. But if I don't feel a connection with her, I break it off. I don't stay in relationships that aren't going anywhere."
My mom shakes her head, still digging through her purse. "I think you're expecting too much. Real life romance isn't all stars and fireworks. You just need to find a nice girl you get along with and be happy with that." She holds up an earring. "Ha! Found it! I've been looking for this for days."
"I need to get ready," I say, walking away. "And don't make my bed while I'm gone!"
She laughs.
I'm laughing too, at her advice to just pick a nice girl to marry, even if we don't have chemistry. That's a horrible idea. Why would she even say that? Did my dad destroy love for her? Make her think it doesn't exist?
As for me, I still believe in love. The real kind, with the stars and fireworks my mom described. Not actual stars and fireworks, but that spark you feel when you know you're with the right person. The person that makes you feel something so strong it knocks you off your feet and makes you wonder how you ever went through life without her.
That's how I feel about Riley. I can't imagine my life without her, and hope that never happens. Riley is my forever girl. The one I want to marry someday. I know in my heart we're meant to be together. I just need her to see that for herself, if she hasn't already.
On our way to the pool, I call Riley. "Hey, it's me. You want us to swing by and pick you up?"
"No, I'll just meet you there. I have to finish sweeping before I go."
"I thought you got off at 11:30."
"I'm supposed to, but we're really busy and Angela hasn't shown up yet."
"Is that the new girl?"
"Yeah, but I don't think she's going to work out. Tell TJ I'm running late."
"I will. Bye."
"What's going on?" Brad asks as he adjusts the air conditioning. We took his SUV because it's bigger and nicer than my car. It's less than a year old and fully loaded with every possible option. It was his dad's SUV, but he got a new one and gave this one to Brad as a graduation gift.
"Riley's going to be late. She's stuck at work because the new girl didn't show up. Remind me to tell TJ."
"Who's TJ?"
"Our boss. He couldn't get a job after college, so he works odd jobs during the year and manages the pool in the summers. He's been doing it for five years now."
"Who are the other lifeguards? Anyone you know?"
"I'm not sure. I think Tara's coming back. She went to high school with Riley and me. She just finished college so she might have a job already. Other than that, I don't know. We usually have a few new people every year."