“What did you say, Mom?” I asked, setting my phone to the side. “Sorry, I was distracted.”
“You’ve been staring at your phone for the past ten minutes.” Mom frowned at me “Are you playing that same thing that Tommy has been playing for the past couple of weeks?”
I looked to my right, where Tommy was seated, busily playing Monster GO. When I glanced back toward my mom, I nodded. “I am. And I have to admit, it’s more fun than I thought it would be.”
“See, sis. You should listen to me next time I tell you about a game. I know you think I’m just your stupid little brother, but I can teach you a thing or two about life.” He smiled smugly as he continued playing the game.
“I’m glad you and Tommy have been able to find something that you’re both interested in.” Mom paused and then crossed her arms. “But since we’re about to eat, I’m going to have to ask you to put your phones away for me. I want to have a nice sit-down dinner with my family.”
“Sounds good,” I said, as I set my phone on the table.
It took a little bit of persuasion, but finally Tommy did the same thing. Dad popped around the corner and took a seat at the head of the table as Mom laid out the food.
“How is my wonderful family this evening?” he asked, settling in and putting the napkin on his lap.
“Doing well,” I said. I felt like I had stepped back in time to my high school days. The feeling wasn't a bad one.
“Fine,” Tommy replied, eyeing his phone resting next to him.
“We’re great, honey, how are you?” Mom asked. She sat
down and smiled around the table.
“I’m okay. Have a long week ahead of me, but I know that it’s worth it.” He took a bite of steak. “I’m going to put in for a promotion soon, and I’m hoping these extra hours will show the boss that I deserve a managerial position.”
“No matter what happens with the promotion, we’re all still proud of you,” Mom said, setting her knife down with a smile.
It felt just like old times. I was no longer twenty-two. I was somewhere between twelve and eighteen. A child, safe and secure while my parents took care of the world. It was as if I'd stepped back five years in time. Nothing felt like it had changed, even though my world was entirely different.
“Thanks, honey,” Dad said. He paused for a moment and brought his attention toward me. “Speaking of work-related things, how’s the job hunt coming along, Alicia? Any new leads?”
I chewed up my first bite of steak and then swallowed. I couldn’t tell him that I had wasted the entire day. I'd spent the morning with Jacob and then the afternoon talking with Caroline and playing my new game.
“Nothing yet.” It was the only thing I could really say.
“You’ll find something,” Mom said, before my dad could chime in.
I was sick of getting asked all the time about the job thing. It wasn't like I wasn't looking and it certainly wasn't like I was a child that needed constant reminder. Yet again, the feeling of time travel prevailed.
Luckily, my parents diverted their attention and asked Tommy about his day, which took the spotlight off of me. Meanwhile, my thoughts went to Jacob. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. I wanted to see him again. I wanted to talk to him, hear him laugh, kiss him, make him smile, and share our worlds.
We ate our meal and when we were all finished, I leaned back and patted my belly. “I’m stuffed.”
“That was really good, Mom,” Tommy said.
“Aww, thank you, Tom Tom,” she replied, smiling around the table and looking pleased.
“Thank you for the delicious meal, baby,” Dad said, as he gazed across the table toward my mother.
They both got up and I watched as they took their plates to the sink. My mom turned on the water and my dad stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She giggled and looked over her shoulder at him. They looked into each other’s eyes before kissing.
“Gross,” Tommy grunted. He had glanced up from his phone just long enough to see the interaction between our parents.
I couldn’t have disagreed with Tommy’s sentiment more. In fact, the scene made my heart swell. My parents loved each other and they weren’t afraid to show it. I had to hand it to them. They definitely knew how to have a successful relationship.
Where Caroline would tell me stories of her parents fighting and threatening divorce, I got to witness the most loving marriage ever. They set a great example of how it should be done and I truly hoped that one day I’d get to experience the same thing.
What I loved most about them is that their love seemed totally authentic. They didn’t hug and kiss each other goodbye in the morning because they thought that was what they were supposed to do. They did it because they actually felt like showing the affection.