I shrug. “I commute with that one too, but not as much.” I leave out the rest of what’s weighing on my mind with that job.
My mom shivers and I move closer to her so we can share the blanket. “You’ll make the right decision for you when the time is right.”
“Time might be my enemy. The companies who have made job offers want an answer, but I’m waiting for Noah to get back from camping. I want to get his take on everything.”
Mom nudges me. “He loves you, Peyton.”
I smile so hard my cheeks hurt. “I love him. I always have.”
“Geez, do neither of you answer your phones?”
We both turn around to see my sister trudging the last few steps toward us with her phone in her hand. She sits down in front of us, with her back to the ocean. “I’ve been calling for like,” she pauses and looks at her phone. “Twenty minutes.”
“Cry me a river,” I tell her.
“No thanks, Justin,” she smirks. “Tell me what the pow wow is for.”
“Peyton was offered the job.”
Elle sticks her hand up for a high-five, which I gladly return. “You taking it?”
“I don’t know yet, I need to speak to Noah.”
“You know he’s going to tell you to do what you want,” Elle says.
“I know, but he’s going to be my husband and I want to discuss it with him.”
Elle raises her eyebrow at me. “Speaking of, what’s the deal?”
I look from her to my mom and smile. “I picked out the flowers.” I show them the pictures I took while in Beaumont. After they look, I take my phone back and glance at them one last time.
“Have you picked a date?” Mom asks.
“Noah has. Well, he’s suggested one. Christmas.” I look at my mom and sister for their reaction. The timing doesn’t seem to faze them. “But I’m not sure. It’ll depend on my job. It’ll probably be sometime next summer, once the season is over.”
Again, Elle and my mom don’t say anything. Not that I’d expect them to, but I would like them to give me some thoughts.
“Well, whenever you decide, let me know so I can clear my schedule. I want to be the best maid of honor ever.”
“I haven’t asked you yet,” I point out.
Elle shrugs. “Are you going to ask someone else?”
I shake my head. “No, but I thought you’d want something formal, like those ‘promposals’ that everyone’s doing.”
Her eyes go wide. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
My mouth drops open. I was joking, but I think I’ve just shot myself in the foot.
“Close your mouth. The wind’s blowing, and you don’t want something disgusting landing in there. Anyway, I want to be your maid of honor, and the last thing I want to do is stress you out. So,” she says, letting out an exaggerated exhale. “Let’s get to planning your wedding!”
8
Noah
The bonfire crackles as the sun starts to set over the ocean. All around, family members are talking, carrying on like they haven’t seen each other in years, instead of months. For some of us, it’s only been weeks. After the camping trip, I went back to Portland to start training, while Peyton stayed at her parents. With the long hours of working out and watching game film, I suggested she stay in California, even though I could’ve easily used her knowledge and keen eye to make my game better. My girl just knows football. It’s one of the qualities I love so much about her.
I look around our little circle and realize how lucky I am. I have teammates whose parents are too old to travel or, for whatever reason, they’re not on speaking terms. I can’t imagine not talking to my mom or dad on any given day. I still harbor some resentment over the fact my father was missing for the first ten years of my life. I know, it wasn’t his fault or my mother’s, but the pang of missing important moments with him still lingers.