Page 4 of One Little Chance
Orlando busted out a laugh, leaning back in his chair. “Of course, the Silks came a caroling.”
“Jordan.” My eyes went wide as I said his name. “Who I haven’t seen in forever, shows up in our driveway right after I’ve slipped on ice getting out of the car?—”
“Orlando, I walk out there and the first thing I see is Sophia’s wet bum like she dipped her tush in a bucket of water,” Mom said as she moved the cooked bacon onto a plate with a fork.
“Why would she ever dip her tush in a bucket of water?” Orlando squinted at Mom.
“I hid it with my jacket!” I dropped my hands to the table. “I don’t know how you saw a thing, Mom.”
“The jacket was drenched, too. It was your entire backside,” Mom said softly as if trying to gently tell me the truth.
I sighed, standing up and walking over toward the stove. “It was awkward. I’m soaked. He’s caroling. He was avoiding looking straight at me.”
“Imagine how he feels—he hasn’t seen his elementary, junior high, high school sweetheart in years. Then there he is wearing his fluffy coat and singing Christmas songs in front of her.”
“How’d you know he was in a fluffy coat?” I snatched a piece of bacon and popped it into my mouth.
“I grew up with Jordan, too. I was there for all of it. Of course, he was in that old giant coat of his that used to be his dad’s.” He crossed his arms. “Yeah, you might’ve been soaked. But you also don’t want to run into the girl that got away in your old fluffy coat.”
“I’ve always loved that coat,” I admitted. I used to wear it more than he did.
After we opened presents, Nonna and Nonno came over so Nonna and Mom cooked up their classic Christmas manicotti. Later, while the rest of the family watched Christmas movies, I was going through old cardboard boxes and plastic tubs with Mom in her cramped garage, trying to collect anything I might want to take with me to my new house.
It was like going through a scrapbook of our childhood in objects. Old school projects, favorite stuffed animals, and outgrown shiny yellow rollerblades. Mom and I both got misty-eyed and refused to ever part with it. Did I need a box of old stuffed animals? No. Was I absolutely bringing along my old Lamby and Hop Hop? Yes.
When I found an old, yellowed plane ticket at the bottom of a box. I pulled it out and read the note scrawled over it.
Merry Christmas, Sophie. Come play in the snow with me? Love, Jordan.
Suddenly, I wasn’t standing amongst old boxes anymore. Instead, I was back in my memories, seventeen again and giddy over Christmas break.
We were running late. Jordan, his parents, sisters, brother, and me the bonus tagalong, all crammed into their shiny red suburban speeding along to the airport.
“Check-in is in…” His mom, Pat, rubbed her forehead defeatedly, not finishing her sentence.
“I can get us there.” His dad, Carson’s, voice was as tight as a bottlecap. Jordan and I exchanged a glance, the two of us happily squeezed in together in the backseat, fingers laced. We ignored his sister, Jenna, shaking her head at us.
“These two.” She nudged Sarah on the shoulder and nodded toward us.
“The lovebirds couldn’t care less that we’re going to miss our flight.” Jordan’s brother, Cody, patted him on the shoulder from the backseat.
He was right.
Checking our bags and fumbling through the security line was chaotic and noisy, but it was as if the stress around us couldn’t reach Jordan and me in our little fortress of happiness. Together we could make anything a joke, always taking turns being each other’s sunshine.
We jogged after his dad through the airport, Jordan’s hand never dropping mine with “All I Want for Christmas,” vibrating through the airport speakers.
We arrived at the gate right on time to hear an announcement through the speakers, “Flight 2829 to Ruidoso has been delayed by two hours. Please speak to the gate assistant if this interferes…”
Carson turned to our motley crew squeaking to a stop on the glossy airport tile. He broke into a laugh. It rippled through all of us. After working so hard to barely make it on time…we were now stuck in the airport for the next two hours. Everyone moaned and slapped their hands across their heads, but I likedbeing stuck with Jordan and his family. They could extend my time with Jordan all they wanted.
“Now we have time to stock up on snacks, I guess.” Pat shrugged, gesturing toward the tiny airport market behind us.
Under the fluorescent lights, the airport shops still hung twinkle lights and positioned Christmas trees with shiny red and green bulbs. I meandered through the glossy racks of magazines with Jenna and Sarah when Jordan snuck his around my waist holding a cup of coffee out before me.
“One cinnamon coffee,” he said. I never did have to ask.
“Just what the doctor ordered.” I gratefully wrapped my hands around the cup, taking a whiff of the nutty, sweet scent.
