Talania - a Trip Down Memory Lane... (15 page)

“I’m sorry.” He drops his hamburger back on the plate. “Would you like me to tell you about it?”

I look out the window, nodding as I do so.

“It was our second summer together. We were playing on the beach with your video camera, working on a summer project for your art class,” he sighs. “We were waiting for the sun to go down so you could record the sunset, but somehow we lost track of time like we always did. We started playing in the water in front of the camera while it was recording. By the time we realized the sky was getting darker, it was too late. There we were in the film, playing in the water while the sun set behind us. Damn, you were so upset, but then we flopped right there on the sand with our clothes soaking wet and watched the video of the two us.

“After the video was over, you put the camera back in its case. Then you whispered, “Where are we going to college, Tristan?” I didn’t know why you were asking about college, after watching us playing around in the ocean like a couple of little kids. I said, “Where ever you want to go. I will follow you anywhere.” I swear that next day you had our whole entire future completely planned out. You told me you had picked Talania because you wanted to make more memories like the one we filmed while playing in the water.”

Oh! “So I picked Talania because it sits next to the coast?”

“Yeah baby, you did.” He takes a sip of his soda. “There was no talking you out of it. I was not going to try to stop you if it meant we were going to school together and living our lives together.” He sits back. “Hell, I still came here even though you had left.”

I finish what little soup I have left and take a sip of my tea. “I don’t understand something though. Did my parents know about our plans? My Dad is the one who suggested Talania because of my love for the ocean and since it was only a few hours from both our homes.”

Tristan crosses his arms, looking up as if he is scrolling through memories and trying to pick me out the answer.

“Actually, your mom knew. I don’t think your dad knew about Talania at all. He was always out of town. Hell, he was gone until two days before you left Laguna.”

That just doesn’t make any sense at all. My mom refused Talania with everything she had, but my father and I outnumbered her.

“My mom didn’t want me coming here. Now I am even more confused as to why she would want keep me away. Even if she thought you might still have come here without me, it just doesn’t make sense.”

“Evelyn, I need to tell you something. I don’t want you getting upset, okay?”

Those words are never good. I feel like throwing my hands to my ears to block out what he might say.

Ev is shaking, probably out of fear for what I am about to tell her. I keep playing this memory repeatedly in my head. I wonder if I should say anything, and if I do, how I should say it.

“Tristan!” I look up and see that Ev is running towards me, almost tripping through all of the puddles. The rain is pouring down hard and this is the coldest temperature I have felt in Laguna in a long time. We are in the middle of a bad rainstorm right now.

She falls into my arms, and her body is shaking so bad. She only shakes like this if she’s nervous, scared or cold. Right now, I think she is all three.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” I pull her away so I can see into her eyes.

“Don’t call me that right now!” she cries.

She hardly ever yells at me unless I am being a prick and I haven’t been one lately.

I take a step back, distancing myself from her.

“I don’t understand what I did. Why can’t I call you baby right now?”

I watch her as she bites her lip and cries even more.

“Well?” I ask again.

“Because we might have created one, that’s why,” she whispers.

We might have WHAT?

“My period is a week late; it’s never late Tristan.” She looks at me.

Oh, fuck!

“But we use condoms every time,” I croak out.

“Don’t you think I know that? I put in all the factors Tristan, and we were careful, but even the stupid box says only 99.9 percent effective. I don’t know what to do. Please tell me what to do!”

Okay, we can get through this. We have always talked about having kids— just not while we are still kids ourselves. Shit! I take a few minutes and get the words straight in my mind so I don’t freak her out when I say them. “Look, we always talk about having kids, and if we are having a baby we’ll just look at it like we’re starting early, way early.”

She stops moving and just stares at me while the rain drips down her beautiful face. “Areyouserious?” she says in one long word.

“Well, yeah babe. I’m serious.” I grin.

She launches herself at me so fast I don’t see her coming.

“See what I did there?” I ask against her lips. “I just deducted the y and added an e.”

Her sweet giggle fills my ears and her sweet voice echoes in my mouth. “Yeah babe, I caught that,” she whispers before crushing our lips together again.

Lightening booms, causing us to jump apart, so I take her hand and say, “Come on, let’s go on into my house.”

“Before you left we thought you might be pregnant,” I grind through my teeth.

“We what?” she yells.

“You missed your period a couple of weeks before you left.” I drop my head into my hands and groan.

“I don’t understand. We don’t have a baby,” she chokes up.

“We didn’t know for sure.” I whisper through my hands.

“Did we tell anyone?”

Yes, we just told your evil mother! “Your mom—”

“My mom knew? Oh, this is just priceless. I wonder how much more she is keeping from me. I am so laying into her at my doctor’s appointment.” She slaps her hand over her mouth.

At the mention of a doctor’s appointment, I look up. Of course, I look up. She is in remission. “What doctor’s appointment Ev?” I know my voice came out harsher than I wanted it to.

“It’s just my six month checkup. It’s not a big deal really.” She waves her hand as if it’s nothing.

I don’t give a shit if it is a small deal or a big deal. She should have told me, but really, when has she had the chance? I mean, seriously, she has been back in my life for three days. I can’t be too upset.

“When is it?”

“Tristan, it’s really not that big of a de—”

“Again Evelyn, when is it?” I ask, cutting her off.

“Three weeks from tomorrow,” she sighs.

“Okay, I’m going.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary? I have literally been to the doctors hundreds of times. Tristan, I’ll be fine.”

Why can’t she understand what she means to me?

“Look Ev, I understand that you can’t remember us, but I can. I can remember everything Ev. I still love you. Can’t you understand that fact so can we get over this?”

She smiles and laughs.

“Whatever. I’m telling you, it is boring and they will just run tests. They always do. So just don’t let that freak you out.”

I grin because I won. I really didn’t expect her to give up so easily.

She points her finger at me. “Don’t go after my mom. I’m laying into her myself when I see her.”

Damn it! “No, I can’t agree to that. How does this sound? You lay into her first and then I get to have a go at her. She deserves it Ev,” I growl.

“Were you always this way?” She asks me this with a big grin on her face.

No, but I ain’t telling her that. If she knew, she could get away with so much more. Who knows what kind of grief she would cause me.

“Come on babe, we need to get you home to rest.” I throw some bills on the table.

“Home.” She repeats.

“Yeah, home. It’s there whenever you want it babe,” I say, kissing her temple and wrapping my arm around her shoulder. I quickly have to pull back because her skin is like an open fire. I stop her and put my hand to her forehead. Shit, she is burning up, yet she doesn’t even act like it is bothering her.

“Baby, you are running one hell of a fever,” I say as I drag her out of the restaurant and quickly over to my Jeep. “Did you know you were running a fever?”

I can’t believe she didn’t say anything. Why didn’t she tell me she was more than just tired?

“Yes,” she whispers.

YES? “You knew and didn’t say anything?”

She crosses her arms and lays her head against the headrest. “I knew.”