It's the last class of the day, there's ten minutes left before the final bell rings. None of the kids in the room could be more excited than I am about spring break.
"Remember everyone, make sure to work on your projects at least once during break." I tell them.
"What are you going to do during spring break, Miss Bolton?" Susie Heart asks.
"I'm going on a weeklong hunting trip with my best friend." I answer. "What are you doing during break?"
"Finally going to Disney World." She says excitedly.
"Lucky you." I snort.
"And you Travis?" I ask.
"Whatever I want to I reckon." He answers, his southern accent extra drawn out.
We go around asking the same question until the bell rings. Those children run out of the room like the devil himself is chasing them. Excited, I twirl around in Mrs. Farley's desk chair. Finally, I'm free! Stitch looks at me like I've lost my ever-loving mind.
I pack up and meet Nana in the parking lot.
"You sure look happy." She smiles.
"I'm just counting down the hours til tomorrow." I say.
"What's tomorrow?" She asks with a smile.
"Macey and I are going on a weeklong road trip." I tell her.
"Where to?" She asks.
"Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana." I answer.
"That's a long trip. What's so important that ya'll are traveling so long?" She inquires.
I lock up. She doesn't believe in this stuff; she'd have a hernia.
"Just some places we want to check out." I withhold some information. Time to change the subject. "Hey, can you drop me off at Fix Em Mechanic? I'll introduce you to Cy."
"Sure thing sweetie, I've been dying to meet this beau of yours."
"Trust me, you're in for a surprise." I chuckle. When she realizes that Cy is the young man that paid for little boys cake a few weeks ago, she just might pee with excitement.
When we pull into the parking lot, I message Cy and tell him to come out. He comes out sweaty, and covered in grease. No wonder mechanics get called grease monkey.
Nana's eyes light up. "Hey, that's the young man from the bakery that I told you about!"
"I know." I smile at her.
"See? I know a good man when I see one." She brags. She rolls down her window and looks at him. "Hey there handsome, you must be the infamous boyfriend Lucy's told me about." She teases him.
He smiles awkwardly, and rubs the back of his head. "And you must be the infamous Nana."
"Well, I don't know about infamous, but I am her Nana." She sticks her hand out the window to shake his hand.
He hesitates, "Ma'am, my hands are oily and dirty."
"Oh hogwash, that doesn't matter to me, I tend my own garden and get dirty all the time." She says holding her hand out.
He takes her hand and shakes it. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Bolton."
"Please, call me Nana." She says happily. "Aren't you glad I gave you her number?" She winks at him.
He starts to correct her, until I cut him a look as a way of saying, Just let her have this on.
"Absolutely." He smiles innocently. "She's a wonderful woman, I'm very grateful for what you've done."
Nana looks down. "Well, it's a good thing I'm here. I'm long overdue for an oil change. Could you squeeze me in today, or do I need to come back another day?"
"No problem, if you'd just pull up to the garage and leave your keys in the ignition." Cy says.
Nana does what he says and we go inside. "You and him look good together. When he proposes and you get married, I'll pay for your wedding dress." She giggles.
What. The. Fuck? This woman is already trying to marry me off.
"Nana, we've only been dating for a little while, it's a bit early to talk about marriage." I say embarrassed as hell.
"He'll propose, I guarantee you. I knew when I met him at the bakery that he'd be a good match for you, and I know he'll propose." She says wholeheartedly.
I love this woman, but she moves faster than Usain Bolt. She probably has my hypothetical wedding planned out all the way down to the invitation patterns. How long has she been planning my future?
"Nana, I don't even know if I want to get married. I mean look at what happened with mom the first time she got married." I point out.
"It's different with you, just trust me honey, Nana knows." She says as she pats my leg.