Control Freak ✔️

35 country girl

"This is the place," Ivy said. "Sure brings back memories."

They sat in the car for a while, as if Ivy was still deciding if she wanted to go inside.

"Hey," Caleb said, putting his hand on her shoulder as he smiled into her eyes. She returned a faint smile of her own.

Ivy took a breath, her fist hovering over the front door. She looked again at Caleb standing beside her.

A woman came to the door once she knocked. Her expression was puzzling to Caleb; it was as if she didn't quite know how to receive Ivy. Her eyes said she knew her, but there was no glow; her countenance remained fixed in almost stoic composure.

"Ivy," she finally sighed.

"Hey. I'm home."

They stood in more silence. Two kids, a boy and a girl, both no older than three or four, came racing to the door.

"Ivy Ivy Ivy!" they screamed, straddling her knees and refusing to release her.

"I'm sure you two are pretty hungry. C'mon, dinner's almost ready."

She was a pretty brunette with narrow cheeks and lips. She had a slight hint of crow's feet partially concealed by a bit of makeup, no doubt a result of those two kids, who sat there playing with their food instead of eating it.

"Well, dig in," she offered, taking a bite herself. "It's not nothin' fancy, but it eats pretty good."

Caleb picked at it with his fork before finally separating a piece of chicken breast and poking into it. He timidly gummed at it for a moment, but then she slowly began to nod in approval. The kids sat on each side of the mother, the boy at one head of the table, and the girl beside her mother in one of the center chairs. She had her cheeks stuffed, looking like two ripe peaches getting plumper with each helping she shoveled in.

"Thank you for the meal, Ms.—"

"Call me Cassidy," she replied. "And if you're worried about leaving a good impression on Ivy's folks, don't be. I'm not 'her folks.'"

"Oh." Caleb was still confused.

"Cassidy was here when I moved out here after graduation," Ivy assisted. "She's always been so kind, opening her home to me and such."

"Well, it wasn't for free, I'll tell you that. You was a workin' gal around here."

"So many chores you had me do," Ivy agreed with a bright grin. "Taking care of the twins or dusting or changing the linens, polishing all the wooden fixtures, or I had to tie bags over my socks, put on the white apron, some rubber gloves and get this big, thick, rugged brush to scrub the carpets."

"That's right, with animals running in and out of the house, you wouldn't believe how messy it can get so quickly," chirped Cassidy. "Ivy never complained."

"That's funny, because her house back home is a mess," joked Caleb.

"Well, that's city-livin' for ya," she grumbled, meanwhile scooping up her glass of white wine and putting it between her lips. "That's where y'alls met, wasn't it? In the city?"

"Well, yeah, sorta," he conceded. Ivy lowered her head in an attempt to hide that she was blushing.

"We met online gaming, actually," said Ivy, finishing a lingering bite and wiping her mouth with her napkin.

"Really?"

"Yeah, we've been friends since we were kids."

He could hear the twins smacking their lips making kissing noises with their hands cupped over their mouths. Cassidy hissed a quiet "stop that," with a stern look on her face.

"So what now?" she said, returning her attention to the couple. "Wedding bells?"

At this point, Ivy's whole face was cherry red. Caleb laughed.

"We haven't thought that far down the road yet, Ms. Cassidy."

"Well, take my advice and make it sooner than later." Their eyes hid from each other. "If it's real and you're sure you love her, then what's the sense in waiting?"

Her words hung between them, enough to pull at their ears and make an uncomfortable smile feel itchy like coarse paper and just as flimsy. Caleb carried the words with him long after they'd finished dinner. Underneath the pouring water of the showerhead, he exhaled and let his shoulders sink heavily. He wiped the matted hair from his brow and shut off the water. In the silence, he thought more of Ivy.