Page 31 of The Art of Loving Ellie
He squeezes my hand before putting his back on the steering wheel, and I turn my gaze outside to see that we’ve arrived at an older tree-lined block with several houses that look practically identical on each side. They all appear to be two stories with built-in garages and the only thing that sets them apart from each other is the coloring of the bricks.
We pull up to a red brick house and he parks the car, recapturing my attention. “She passed away a few years ago, and Gramps took it pretty hard. We could barely get him to eat anything, or leave his living area for a while. Then one day, he came upstairs telling us that Grandma had visited him in his dreams.” He lays on a heavy long island accent as he retells Gramps’ dream, “Charlie, get up off your ass, and quit your mopin’!”
I laugh so hard that I snort, which in turn makes Tyler’s eyes crinkle with amusement. “After that, our fun-loving Gramps was back.”
Looking down at his lap, he looks lost in thought and I reach over and grab his hand, giving him some reassurance. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
He brings my hand up for a kiss, and the warmth of his mouth sends tingles all the way down to my toes. “Don’t worry about it, Princess.”
Taking the keys out of the ignition, he signals for me to follow him. I’m suddenly flooded with anxiety, and I begin sweating despite the chill in the air outside.
From the outside, I can tell the house is dated, and I see that someone has strung Christmas lights up already. I wonder to myself if it was done for the twins just as they burst through the front door and scream in unison, “Tyler!”
I watch as he kneels down in the snow and wraps them both in a big bear hug. They giggle profusely, bouncing with joy.
“Who is this?” One of his sisters questions him as the other sister pulls his opposite sleeve, guiding him toward the door.
The girls have beautiful matching blonde hair that someone has styled expertly to match. Curled locks and big pretty bows adorn opposite sides of their heads. “Come inside with us!” the other one says.
The smile on his face lights his eyes. “Girls, this is my friend Ellie. Ellie, these are my little sisters, Jessica and Jaime.”
They stop their advance and I give the twins a big smile. “It’s very nice to meet you both.”
They giggle in unison as I glance at the door and make eye contact with a petite, curly haired, green eyed woman who must be Tyler’s mom. She’s making a beeline straight toward me and I pray to any God that will listen,please don’t let me be awkward, please don’t let me be awkward.
“Hi, I’m—oof.” She wraps her arms around me, squeezing me tight as all the air in my lungs escapes with a whoosh.
“Ellie!” she exclaims, still holding onto me. “It’s so nice to meet you, sweetheart!”
Tyler laughs nervously, “Mom, let her go. You’re squishing her.”
As if I’ve suddenly caught on fire, she releases me. “Oh! I’m so sorry dear.” She steps back and politely offers me her hand. “My name is Terri. I’m so excited to meet you. Tyler has told us so much about you.” I narrow my eyes at him and he squints up at the sky, pretending not to see me. “Come in, come in! Ty can introduce you to the rest of the family.”
I elbow him in the ribs when I walk by and I’m startled when I feel a sting on my backside. Turning, I look down to see bits of snow covering my left butt cheek, and I whip around to face him. “Did you just…?” He gives me a devilish grin as he dusts his snow covered hands off, and walks innocently past me.Oh, you’re gonna get it, I smirk at his retreating form.
Following his lead up the front porch steps, I step into Tyler’s family home. There’s a coat rack to the left inside the door, and Tyler helps me remove my layers. We take off our snow covered boots, and he offers to give me a tour of the house before I meet the rest of the family. I place a hand over my growling stomach as the smell of roasted turkey and spices assault my senses.
He gives me a quick tour of the upstairs, starting with the living room and kitchen, which take up the front area of the house. The floors are hardwood and have seen a lot of wear and tear, but it’s nice that this home has seen so much love over the years. The girls share a room across the hall from their parents in the back, and a staircase sits right outside of their bedroom, leading to the lower level.
Wehead down below, and I can hear a mixture of two noises—heavy metal and…Jerry Springer?I look questioningly at Tyler as we make our way to the left of the bottom of the stairs. I see the one and only Gramps shaking his fist at the TV as he encourages whatever fight is going on.
He’s wearing a white tank top and khaki pants, which ride up high on his hips. Gray chest hairs peek out of the top of his shirt, and his back is slightly hunched showing his age. Even knowing he’s past his prime, I still find him to be handsome. “Get ‘em with the left hook, Richie!” We see two men grappling as they fall over a couch, and the host commentates over the commotion. His grandpa gives a dismissive wave with his hand toward the television and moves to turn it off.
Quietly, I ask Tyler, “Why is he watching reruns of Jerry Springer?” He rolls his eyes as if this is normal behavior for his grandpa, and I giggle.
Gramps’ hearing is better than I thought because the old man turns around, looks right at us, and claps his hands together loudly. “Ha! Ty, get over here and show me that pretty lady friend of yours.”
I laugh when he winks and makes a smooching sound in my direction. He has a thick long-island accent—where the ‘o’ of a word usually ends up having a heavy ‘aw’ sound.
I’m aware of every fingertip when Tyler places his hand on my lower back and ushers me toward his grandpa. “Now listen, Gramps, you leave Ellie alone, and don’t you even think about pulling any tricks on her while she’s here.” Gramps gives me an impish grin, and I shake my head at his ornery nature.
“Get outta here.” He shoos Tyler away and grabs my hand, giving it a firm shake. “You know, back in the day, I was a charmer just like this schmuck—only I was betta lookin’.” Another wink, and I’m laughing as Tyler drags me away from him toward the other open area to the right of the stairs.
“Theo!” he yells over the loud music, trying to get his younger brother’s attention. He’s standing with his back toward us, pinning up what appears to be a Five Finger Death Punch poster. He glances towards us, and his face changes instantly from annoyed teen to excitement as he realizes his big brother is home.
Theo practically runs Tyler over to give him a hug and Tyler slaps his back twice when they embrace, but doesn’t let him go. I take a small step back to give them some space. He’s taller than his younger brother, but I can tell Theo will be catching up to Tyler before they know it.
My heart surges with warmth to see the tenderness Tyler’s family freely shares with each other. There’s a hole in my heart that cries out to be filled with such affection, and it aches in my chest, reminding me of its presence.
