Chapter Four
I woke up with a start. The shrill whine of the phone was insistent and blaring, and I grabbed the receiver. I briefly listened to the recorded wake up message and cursed under my breath. I was disoriented and glanced around the small room, realizing I was actually alone. The other side of the bed was rumpled but empty.
I got up and pulled on the terrycloth robe. I went to the door and heard Andrew's soft laughter and Gwen and Wayne's muffled voices. I tied the belt securely and went out into the sitting room.
The three of them looked at me, smiling, and I was relieved to see they were all still in pajamas, too. "Hello, sleepyhead," Andrew said as I sat down next to him.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You look so cute when you're asleep."
"Yeah, and she's a real bitch first thing in the morning, too," Gwen piped up.
"Oh, shut up," I grumbled, all too aware she was right.
"Should we go out for breakfast? My treat," Wayne offered. "The pancakes at the diner down the street are fantastic."
We all agreed and went back to our rooms to dress. Andrew and Wayne brought our things down to the car while Gwen and I fixed our hair. She was practically glowing.
"You had a good time last night, I assume?" I asked, clipping the large barrette in place.
She blushed. "Yeah."
"I'm glad. I like him, Gwen."
"I do, too."
"Has he met Mom and Dad yet?"
"No, but he will when he drops me off tonight."
"I'm sure they'll approve."
As soon as we were ready, we walked arm in arm down the hallway. I wouldn't be coming home again until May, and I'd miss her. We climbed into the car and in practically no time at all, we were eating steaming hot breakfasts in the diner. We didn't hurry, ordering extra coffee once we were done with our meals, and just enjoyed each other's company.
Finally, though, we left. We dropped Wayne and Gwen off at his apartment and headed home. I wanted to spend the afternoon with my parents since we'd be leaving the next day.
My father took Andrew down to the cellar to show off his weight bench and pool table and my mom had me help make supper. We were making a turkey pot pie from the leftovers and she kept up a constant stream of conversation the whole time.
"He really is a nice man, Marri. And he obviously adores you. I'm glad you brought him home to meet us."
"Me, too."
"And what about Gwen's new boyfriend? What did you think of him?"
I smiled. She was trying to sound so nonchalant and flip, but I knew she was digging for any and all gossip I was willing to offer. Thankfully, I could tell her the absolute truth.
"Wayne's great. He's cute and sweet, and thinks she's perfect."
"Gwen? Perfect?" she joked. "The poor boy's in for quite a shock."
"I know," I laughed. "But seriously, he's nothing like Bobby. He's good for her."
"I'm glad. I want my girls to be happy."
"We are."
We worked in silence for a while and soon it was ready. We called Dad and Andrew upstairs and the four of us had a nice dinner. The men cleared the table and I went up to my room to get the Monopoly game. Andrew rolled his eyes but I ignored him. Some of the best conversations we'd ever had as a family had taken place during a board game.
After about an hour or so of playing, Gwen and Wayne walked in. She was still giddy and he looked mildly uncomfortable. There was a brief round of introductions and the game was pretty much forgotten.
Eventually, my parents went up to bed and Wayne left. The three of us cleaned up and settled in the living room to watch one of my new movies. About halfway through, though, I started dozing off.
Andrew kissed the top of my head and whispered, "Go on up to bed, baby. Get some sleep."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me, this couch is bad enough with one person, let alone two, and I'm not gonna share it with you."
I kissed him tenderly and stood up. Gwen followed me upstairs and we went into our rooms. I felt a sudden rush of melancholia as I slid into my bed. I hated leaving. I hated leaving the sense of love and acceptance, that feeling of just plain being home.
