Remember me

Chapter 17

Mia

We pull into a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant called Mi Casa Su Casa. ""I love this place!" I exclaim. "They have the best guacamole." My eyes roll back just thinking about it. Nick chuckles as I practically skip inside.

The waitress sits us in a small booth and I become aware of just how tall Nick really is when his knees knock mine under the table. "Sorry" he murmurs and I laugh. It feels so good to sit here with Nick, and I can't seem to keep from smiling, but there's an air of awkwardness between us.

The waitress takes our order and I make small talk about school to break the ice. Nick is being attentive and actually giving me more than just one word answers so I take that as encouragement to go deeper. Eventually I work up the courage to ask something I really want to know. "So" I say, "what brought you back to Arizona?" He twiddles his straw wrapper between his fingers and replies, "My sister, April. I'm living with her."

His sister? I think for a moment and then reply. "I honestly forgot you had a sister, she was a lot older than you, right?"

"Yeah" he replies. "12 years older. She never lived with me growing up."

I nod my head. "What about your dad?" I cringe, not sure if I should bring him up or not, but I am so curious. Thoughts of Jack have  plagued me since I first saw Nick again a couple weeks ago.

His eyes shoot to mine and he holds my gaze as he says "he's dead."

My eyes widen. "Oh my gosh, Nick, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked." I put my face in my hands "I'm so sorry."

Just then the waitress sets our food on the table, breaking the intensity.

My face is still in my hands when she leaves and Nick says "Mia. It's fine."

I look up from my hands and say "No, it's not. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be prying."

"No, it is ok, Mia" he says. "I wouldn't have told you if I didn't want you to know."

I nod slowly and tentatively ask "Are you ok?" It's a loaded question, and I mean a million things by it.

His eyes soften and he seems to understand. He nods, "I'm okay." He grabs his fork and digs into his beans and rice and I take that as my cue that the conversation has ended. I begin to eat as well, having no idea what to talk about anymore after that bombshell.

Jack is dead. The thought brings relief, for a lot of reasons, but especially for Nick.

Eventually we finish our food and Nick says, "What about your mom?"

"Marilee?" I ask, slightly stunned. It takes a moment for my brain to catch back up with the conversation. "She's, err, fine. Better. She doesn't drink anymore." I feel guilty even saying that. My life got better and his didn't change at all. It probably even got worse. The thought makes the food in my stomach sit like a rock.

He meets my eyes "You call her Marilee."

"Uh, yeah" I reply.
"Not mom?" He clarifies.
"Right" I say. "I don't call her mom. Not anymore."

He looks at me for a long moment, we seem to be speaking with our eyes, yet I'm not sure what is being said. Finally he nods, figuring out whatever it is that he needed to.

"I saw her this week" he says.

I drop my spoon and splutter "what?!"

"Yeah" he says nodding his head, "at Save Mart."

So that explains the box of pictures.

"Did she say anything?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "No."

That's it? We both sit there quietly for a moment and I stare at my lap, wondering what to say.

"Hey.." he says tentatively. I look up to see him studying me. "I want to show you something."

I'm not sure what to make of his expression, but he's opening himself to me in a way I was afraid he never would again, so I nod in agreeance, "Ok."

Nick pays the bill and I try to give him some cash but he refuses to accept. We walk companionably to his truck and hop in. We sit there quietly as he drives, both lost in our own thoughts. Eventually I look out the window and realize we are pulling onto a street I swore I would never set foot on again.

He wouldn't.. would he?

My heart starts beating rapidly and I clasp my hands together, squeezing my fingers. He turns the truck off at a vacant lot, opens his door and climbs out. I sit there for a moment, frozen, afraid to turn my head to look out the window. My door swings open and Nick bends down to look me in the eyes and grasps my chin lightly. "Hey, it will be ok, I promise". Slightly stunned from his touch and proximity,
I take a deep breath and step out of the truck.

Slowly I lift my head and face the past, Nick standing beside me. The house of my nightmares is gone. They probably condemned it and tore it down. I take a deep relieved breath and look further. At the far corner of the lot stands an over grown tree, it's limbs brushing the ground.

I gasp and walk towards the tree, pushing past the long branches to what I know I will find beneath. Our tree house. I look over my shoulder and Nick comes to stand beside me, hands in his pockets. He's watching my reaction closely. This is why he brought me here. It's such a personal place of memories, and it's ones that only he and I share.

Together we look up at the old wooden beams, shoulders brushing and I softly say "You do remember."

Nick grasps my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine, "Yes Mia, I do."