Page 35 of Jumping In

“Alex! What a surprise,” Dad greets me, barely looking up from his magazine.

“Hey, kiddo, how are things?” Mom asks. I take a few steps to the fridge near the back door and peek through the window to check out the backyard. It’s wild with tall grass and wildflowers. I immediately think of MJ.

“Things are good. Met with Mr. L again today.” I grab two sodas from the fridge for Dad and me. Taking a seat across from him, I fill my parents in on the latest updates about the case.

“Soup’s ready if you boys want some now. Otherwise, I’ll let it simmer for a few hours,” Mom announces from the stove a few minutes later. Dad lets out a mumble that sounds like he’d like some now, so I get up and grab three bowls from the cupboard,taking the rare opportunity to serve my parents.

Mom takes a seat at the table, and we eat and chat. Dad is hoping for another all-clear from the doctor next week, and Mom fills us in on all the gossip she’s been hearing at the bookstore.

Once we all finish, I clear the bowls, rinsing them off in the sink. “Hey Ma, do you think you could cut my hair?”

“Sure, kiddo. What’s the occasion?” she asks with a smirk.

“Yeah, got a hot date?” Dad asks, also smirking.

“Maybe?” I reply. I swear Mom’s smile goes from ear to ear. “Okay, what do you know?”

Mom and Dad both laugh conspiratorially. “Oh, just some town gossip is all. Heard you and Emmalynn have been spending some time together.” Mom gets up and heads to the linen closet in the hallway to grab the clippers.

“Yeah, and?” I ask, drying my hands on a hand towel hanging off the oven door.

“And—” Mom starts.

“And it’s about damn time,” Dad finishes for her. My eyes go wide and then I see their faces filled with joy. I roll my eyes but can’t fight the smile tugging at my lips.

“Nothing’s happening.”

“Yet,” Dad adds.

“Just . . . be careful? You still have the trial coming up.”

“I know, Ma.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt, kiddo. We know how much MJ means to you.”

“I get it. Thank you for looking out,” I say with a sad smile. I know my mom is right but a part of me doesn’t care. I don’t want to hurt MJ, but me? A little hurt might be worth it for a little happiness too.

Grabbing a chair from the table, I follow Mom out the back door. Dad follows, sitting in the rocking chair on the back porch. Usually, it’d be Dad cutting my hair, but he can’t stand for that long anymore. Thankfully, Mom picked up how to do it. Not perfectly, but good enough.

I sit down in the chair a few feet into the yard so that the hair will fall onto the ground and eventually blow away or end up as material for a bird’s nest at some point. The buzz of the clippers start and I zone out, thinking about the possibilities of tonight.

Gravel and dust fly as I pull into MJ’s driveway a little faster than I meant to. I turn down We the Kings, which may have gotten me a little too pumped for tonight. Looking up over the hood of my car, I see MJ standing on the front porch waiting for me.Fuck, am I late? Glancing at the clock, I confirm that no, I’m not late. Odd that she’s already waiting outside for me though.

Cutting the engine, I pull the keys out of the ignition and open my door as MJ bounces down the porch stairs toward me. I pick up the pace to make sure I beat her to the passenger door.

“I can getmy own door, Mac,” she says with a huff, but the twitch of her lips tells me she’s playing with me.

“I know you can, but you don’t have to. Let me.” I open the door and she slides into my car. She straps her seatbelt on and then I lean down to hand her the small bouquet of wildflowers I picked from my parents’ backyard. “Also, hi, you look gorgeous.”

Electricity shoots up my arm as our hands brush. MJ takes the bouquet from me with a soft smile. The dress she’s wearing is like the one she had on this morning. This one is black though, with sunflowers all over it. The cut of the top is the same, and I know I will probably not be watching a lot of the movie tonight. I try to swerve my thoughts back into friendly territory as I race around to the driver’s side of my car.

Reaching to start the engine a light touch on my arm makes me pause. “Wait,” MJ says, and I look over to her. “Is this like a date?” she asks, her eyes darting from the flowers and then back to me.

“If you want it to be,” falls from my lips before I can stop it. Well, that’s out there now. I glance over to see her reaction. A beautiful shade of pink covers her neck, but she doesn’t respond. We crawl through town, making our way to the auto shop, dodging pedestrians who are already out and about for the event tonight. I park in front of the shop. Smiling, I unstrap my seatbelt again and run around the car to help MJ out. I think she’s learning because she doesn’t make a move to get out until I’m there with her. Good girl.

We walk across the street hand-in-hand, neither of us letting go. I open the door to Spoon with my free hand, the bell dinging overhead. She drops my hand to walk in first and I follow behind, my hand already feeling empty without hers in it.

Soft lo-fi music plays in the speakers overhead, clearly Beck’s choice again. But Sophie is the one who greets us from the back. “Be right there!” she calls.

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