According to Kyle he had already made preparations beforehand and as much as he would like to book in at the Ocean Breeze down on Beach road, Kyle doesn't want the crate of goods to spoil. After typing in the coordinates on the GPS-locater, Kyle pulled to a halt in front of my childhood home; after taking some turns in random. We walked up the well-maintained footpath. I inhaled deeply as nerves got a hold on me.
He assured me with a smile that everything would be fine before pressing the bell. Its la-di-da tone echoes throughout the house where my brothers and I grew up. After a moment that lasts merely seconds, the door swung open. An older lady stands with a shocked expression in the doorway. There's no denying the fact that she's older. Her hair is streaked with beautiful silver lines and her face has wrinkles that had never been there before. Even so I would recognize her in any crowd. The woman who brought me into this world. The person who rewarded me with the biggest present of all: Life.
Tears lay shallowly within the eyes of my mother's. "Genevieve, is that you?" Instead of answering her simple question, I inch closer and caught her in a firm embrace. "I've missed you too, Mom," I quipped as a low whimper reaches my ears. Salty liquid is soaking the collar of my shirt. My heart clench as if an unknown force is giving the muscle an extra hard squeeze.
Sentimentally we pull apart, mom shifts her gaze between me and Kyle. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Kyle Gonzalez," I introduce. After clearing my throat I continue as he lay a hand on the low of my back: "My fiancé!" The ghost of a smile tugs at her lips as she nods in his direction. "Please come in," Mom offered as she stands off to the side; allowing us entrance.
As soon the door shut close behind us, it quickly followed by Mom's hand that wrapped around my upper arm and pulling me to a halt. "I haven't heard a thing about you in over five years and here you show up unannounced on my doorstep with your fiancé, who isn't even Misha (if I may add)!" I shook my head in disbelief before ripping my arm free from her hold, which causes her to flinch. "Mom please, could we not go there right now?" I physically begged of her.
Mom rolls her eyes at me and continue like she couldn't care less. "That man has been in complete ruins after you left. We've all been trying to comfort him, to ease his pain, with little to no success. How do you think he'd react when he comes to learn about your engagement?" Mom asks bitterly. I look down at my feet as I answer my mother's rhetorical question, "He knows! We ran into each other at a grocer on Saturday. Not going to lie about it, but it had been an awkward encounter." A deep sigh tumbles from my mom's lips as she reply: "Poor Misha, he must have turned to the bottle for some closure."
My fiancé joins us at a slow pace, the expression that's plastered upon his face is unreadable. "Uhm, not meaning to eavesdrop or intervene in this reunion but hadn't that Misha-fellow just been her High school, English Teacher?" Mom snorted unattractively at him; giving off an uncanny vibe. Before I could comprehend myself for the worst case scenario my mother's answer follows: "I'm sorry to have to be the one to burst your perfect little bubble, young man; but Misha Anderson had educated her in more then just literature."
I look at my mom completely dumbfounded. "Mom…!" I screech at her. This conversation had surfaced so many times between me and Kyle but I always seemed to sidestep successfully by avoiding the question at hand. How am I suppose to fend it off now? Kyle gives me a disappointed gaze before he turn his attention back towards my mother. "No please Miss Roberts, don't stop on my account. This is all knew to me. A few hours ago I didn't even know that family of hers lives in these parts," he quipped. I inhale sharply as both sets of eyes stares back at me disapprovingly.
Quickly I remove myself from the room after retrieving the crate from Kyle's hands. As I place the crate on the dining room table my father enters from the backdoor. He gapes at my standing form before earnestly rushing forward and pull me into a secure embrace. Instead of giving me crap about vanishing years prior, he seems to be delighted that his long lost daughter had return. He seems to be happy that I am still in one piece but even so I don't think that his reaction would remain the same when he comes to learn about Kyle Gonzalez.
They clearly wanted me to end up with Misha, giving me their permission years ago. They had never been secretive about the fact that they want him as their son-in-law and I know that mom had secretly planned our wedding and we both know that Kyle isn't added to that scenario. I can't really blame either of my parents, it being one of the main reasons why I hadn't even invited them to our wedding ceremony because I know deep down that they won't accept him as part of the family. I feel guilty for taking that approach and feel even worse for knowing that I haven't given myself over to Kyle because I'm quite frankly still hooked up on Misha.
How such a simple encounter at the grocer could magnify my feelings for Anderson at such an extreme level? It pains me even more for never informing my fiancé about the relationship I had with my English Teacher, Mr. Anderson and mom just had to break the news on a harsh note. I have nobody to blame but myself. Mom had just kept it real, he asked a honest question and I should have known that she wouldn't beat around the bush. Honesty had always been the best policy... or that's how I've been taught!