Scent (Scomiche)

Is This the First Time He's Sacrificed Something for Me? Surely Not...

I’m pulling up to my apartment from work one day, sliding into a street spot I was lucky to snag, when my phone rings. That’s the unfortunate thing about living where at my apartment in Austin: no assigned parking. I turn my wheel the final time to fit neatly into the spot. I’ve had to practice a lot of parallel parking since I got here, and I wouldn’t say I’m the worst at it, but let’s say I’ve given up when my car was pretty much diagonal before.

I grab my phone from the cupholder where I had placed it. Cupholders are for the essentials: empty travel coffee mug and the Scott-contactor (my phone). Caller ID says it’s Lindsey calling. I’m pleasantly surprised but also a little scared.

“Sup, Linds?” I answer the phone with, “trying” to sound especially cool, intentionally coming off as the opposite. Kinda with that “gangsta” tone.

I can feel the eye roll through the speaker. “I have a question.”

“Okay.” I take off my seatbelt and lean back into my seat, but I'm still tense.

“I was talking to Scott,” she begins, and I inaudibly gulp, “and he mentioned that, well he more than just mentioned, he made me have a whole discussion about it with him, that he wants to move us back down to Texas.”

I stay silent. I figure that is the safest move since she hasn’t gotten to the question yet.

She pauses, long enough to where it’s obvious I’m not responding. She asks, “Were you aware of this?”

My throat is starting to feel scratchy. “He told me he was thinking about it.”

“Was it your idea?” Lindsey questions flatly, no emotion to tell me what the answer she wants is.

“No.”

She’s thinking. I can tell from the silence, and I realize I am picturing her thinking face from when she was eight. All bunched up. I wish she was still eight.

“Well, what do you think about it?”

I return it back to her with no answer. “What do you think about it?”

“I don’t know,” she responds, “I don’t care.”

Something is telling me she actually does care. Probably some strong opinions on it, too.

“Well, you’d have to leave your school and your friends. That’s a pretty big deal.”

No hesitation. “My school sucks.”

“Okay,” I laugh lightly. “Then your friends.”

“Yeah.”

“What’s up, Lindsey?” I ask more seriously, trying to get to the root of why she called me.

She sighs. “I don’t know. Scott wants to know how I feel about it. He’s kind of implying that it’s up to me, but I don’t like that pressure. He’s gone through the pros and cons with me a million times.”

It’s nice of him to include her on the decision, but he cannot let a fifteen year old dictate his life. “You’re right. That is a lot of pressure. I sure do miss you guys, but that doesn’t mean I expect you to move to me.”

“Would we live with you?” She asks, again too neutral for me to know the right answer.

“No. Not right away at least. I have a small apartment. Maybe one day, if things work out between me and Scott.”

“You guys better work out if we move to Texas.”

I chuckle, “Talk to Scott about that.”

“I can tell he really wants to move. So we probably will. Because even if I say no, he’ll be moping around so much it will drive me insane until we just move.”

“Yeah, it’s hard to get him unstuck from an idea.”

She sighs once again. “Kay, gotta go.”

“Bye, Linds. Love you.”

Obvious hesitation. “Love you too.”

-

Within a month, I receive an ecstatic Facetime call from Scott. While I feel bad for Lindsey’s turbulent life, I can’t help but get excited when I see that huge smile on Scott’s face and he says, “TEXAS HERE WE COME!”

“What?!” I gasp

He laughs, so carefree and happy. “Someone bought the bakery. I’m gonna use that money to open up a bakery down there.”

“Really?!” I’m not physically jumping up and down, but my organs are. 

He nods vivaciously. “I’ll start looking online. I’m thinking we’ll move down during Christmas/New Year break so Lindsey can finish out her semester and have a little time to adjust before hopping right back in.”

I smile big and wide, but it fades a little realizing that Lindsey could be upset about this decision. “What does Lindsey think?”

“I mean, she agreed to it so that’s a big feat in itself.”

Gosh, I hope she doesn’t change her mind.

-

Even though Scott told me he’s moving to Texas, I don’t quite fully believe him until he tells me his offer was accepted on a building in Austin. It gets even more real when he shows me the font he’s ordering for the Scott’s Scones sign. And even MORE real when he sends me the apartment he’s applying for. 

This has been months coming, but I still don’t feel prepared. I’m going to be in a full-on relationship with Scott. That gives me chills. Not as many as I used to get, when I thought Scott’s only flaw was having people who loved him first. But in some ways, they are deeper chills, if that makes sense. Like, this complex man who I love despite all his flaws, what we’ve been through… when I really think about it, I get whole body chills in a way I don’t get with anything else.

I’ve checked with Lindsey via text a few times, and she doesn’t say much. I’ve tried to call but the few times she’s answered she says a lot of things like “I don’t care” and “I don’t know,” so it doesn’t seem too worth it. When she lives just a few blocks away it will be much easier to spend time with her, even if it’s a little forced. 

Scott calls to ask if I would be willing to pick up Lindsey from the airport on December 23rd and let her stay over while Scott finishes the final packing and makes the road trip down. He will arrive on Christmas, and he will be exhausted.

Apparently, Lindsey told him that she does not want to suffer through that road trip with him. I think it would be good bonding for them, but I know that’s just wishful thinking. I always think that a miracle might happen between them, when it is way more likely Lindsey will put in headphones for the entirety of the drive.

So, I agree, of course I’ll pick her up and give her a great Christmas Eve and Christmas while we wait on Scott.

-

In the days leading up to Lindsey’s arrival, I can barely sleep. My life is about to change. I finally have Scott sacrificing something for me. Well, he probably has before, but now is the time that matters. This is what will make or break us, for real this time.