Olly
“So, how are things with Ryan?” I set a plate down on my mom’s dining room table and then rested my hands on the back of a chair.
“Um, good.” Lola nodded her head and set a fork down next to the plate.
“Wow.” I grabbed another plate from the stack in front of me. My mom prepares a big meal every Sunday for our family. Lola and I offered to set the table. It was the perfect way to get Lola alone so I could ask her about the new guy.
“What?” She rolled her eyes and set a knife down.
“Your cheeks turned a bright shade of pink at just a simple mention of his name.” I tried not to laugh, but it was really out of character for my sister. “Things are good then?”
“Shut up.” She grabbed a cloth napkin and threw it at me.
“Hey, Hey, you two.” My mom grabbed the stack of napkins and moved them out of Lola’s reach. “What are you doing? You should have the table set already.”
“Sorry, Mom.” I quickly placed the rest of the plates around the table. “Dinner smells amazing.”
“Thanks, Sweetie.” She rested her hand on my cheek and smiled. “It’s almost ready, so hurry up.”
When my mom was out of earshot, Lola whispered, “You’re such a suck up.”
“What? No, I’m not.” I moved the center piece over an inch.
“Sorry, Mom,” Lola said in a rude voice. “Suck up.” She finished with the silverware.
“Whatever.” I shook my head.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
Jules: Happy Sunday.
“Wait a minute.” Lola ran over to stand next to me. “What was that?” She pointed at my face and then at the phone. “Did you just get a text message from Jules?”
“Yeah, why?” I quickly shoved my phone in my pocket.
“What color did you say my cheeks were a few minutes ago?” She leaned her forearm on the chair.
“Oh, don’t start.” I pushed at her shoulder and tried to leave the room.
“Stop,” she said sternly. “Talk.”
“About what?” I stopped almost at the doorway
She moved closer. “This is a big deal, Olly.” She grabbed my hand. “You swore off women after your divorce.”
“Not technically.” I sighed.
“Olly.” She rolled her eyes.
“Okay, fine. I did.” I stepped around her and pulled out a chair to sit down. “She…” I didn’t know how to say the rest of the sentence out loud.
Lola pulled out a chair next to me. “She what?”
“She makes me feel again.” I shook my head. “And no, I don’t mean sexually.”
“I knew what you meant.” She laughed. “That’s huge.” She placed her hand on my thigh. “You deserve to find happiness.”
“What are you two doing?” My mom suddenly appeared in the doorway. “Your uncle just pulled into the driveway, and I still need to make the tortillas.”
We both jumped up to follow Mom into the kitchen.
Lola wrapped her hand around my bicep and walked alongside me. “Bonus points, too. Mom already loves Jules.”
“That does help.” I bumped my shoulder against hers. “When is she going to meet Ryan?”
“Not yet.” Her cheeks turned that bright shade of pink again. “I’m kind of loving things the way they are, just the two of us.”
“Does she even know you’re dating someone?” I whispered the question because my mom had excellent hearing.
“Do I know what?” Mom reached for the masa flour and turned to face us.
I looked over at Lola and back at my Mom. “Um…”
“Jules was asking about when she can make tortillas again with you.” Lola blurted out an answer to avoid sharing the truth. Jules had not asked that question, but I knew Jules would love to make tortillas again.
“Did she?” My mom smiled, and her shoulders dropped a few inches. “That girl is too sweet.” She grabbed my hand. “You tell her, she’s welcome here anytime.”
“I will.” I placed my hand on hers.
Lola was behind my mom, mouthing the words, “I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t angry, though. Seeing my mom’s reaction toward Jules was exactly what I needed in that moment.
Several hours later…
Me: Happy Sunday (what’s left of it).
I was back home and settled on the couch. I wanted to respond to Jules’ text message all afternoon, but my mom kept us busy.
Me: I’m sorry for my delay in responding.
Jules: There you are. Are you okay?
Me: Definitely. Sunday dinner at my mom’s house can take up most of my day.
Jules: I forgot about Sunday dinner. I’m sure whatever you had was way better than the can of soup I had.
Me: I have leftovers. Do you want them?
Jules: As tempting as that sounds, I need to get some sleep. Thank you, though.
Jules: Next time, I’ll say yes.
Me: Promise?
Jules: Pinky promise.
I noticed the three dots, which told me Jules was writing another message. Then, the three dots disappeared. Two minutes later, they reappeared.
Jules: Um…would you like to have dinner at my house tomorrow night?
Jules: I’m making homemade pasta.
Me: You had me at homemade pasta.
Jules: 7:00 okay?
Me: I’m done at four tomorrow, so anytime after that is great.
Jules: Then, let’s say 6:00 instead.
Me: I can bring a strawberry basil crumble.
Jules: Yes, please.
We continued texting for a few more minutes before saying goodbye.
Once the call had ended, I grabbed the remote and found my mind wandering back to the conversation with Lola earlier. She was right; I did deserve to feel again. It had been way too long.
AUTHOR NOTE:
Their mom is going to be so happy when she finds out Lola is dating, too. So cute! Jules and Olly’s second date dinner sounds delicious. Would you be interested in that Strawberry Basil Crumble recipe?