Jewel

Chapter 7

“That’s no fair,” he pouts.

“I know right!  I can’t stand her” I narrow my eyes at her from across the room.  She notices me staring at her and she just smirks at me and wiggles her fingers at me in an obnoxious wave.  I roll my eyes and take Blake’s hand so we can go sit down away from the people.  I don’t really want to be here anyways.  Before we head outside, we grab the bag of toys we brought to help keep us busy during this long wedding.  

When we get outside, we first run around playing tag.  The mixture of our laughs rings through the open air as we run around the yard dodging through trees and behind bushes to escape each other.  When it is my turn to tag him, I make a long jump and try to tag him.  I catch his leg and he falls down onto the grass.  I quickly crawl on top of him and sit on his stomach, “Ha ha, gotcha!” I laugh.  

“Not fair!  You didn’t say we could tackle.”

“All is fair in love and tag, Lake, “ I laugh again and tickle him. He squirms under me because he is very ticklish and I think it’s the funniest thing in the world.  

Just then, we hear our names being shouted from the doors of the barn.  It’s Blake’s mom.  

“Blake Todd and Meredith Cotton, come here this instant.”  She doesn’t sound happy.  We both shoot each other a horrified look like we’ve both just committed some kind of awful crime and the cops are here.  We quickly jump up from the ground and run back to the barn.  

“Yes?” Blake asks hesitantly.

“Where have you two been the last hour?!  We’ve been looking all over for you.” her hands are on her hips and she is tapping one of her sparkly black heels on the floor.  

“We were playing like you said we could” I answer sheepishly.  

“I said you could play after dinner.  Now look at you two, all messy and dirty from rolling around outside.  And Meredith, look at your dress!” she reaches for the skirt.

“No that’s from Savanna!” I try to protest.

“No, it’s from playing before I told you too.”

“No, really mom, it was!  I saw it with my own two eyes.  Savanna isn’t very nice.” Blake stands up for me.

“That’s enough now.” She scold us.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mrs. Todd so mean.  “Savanna is a very nice little girl.  And she’s part of your family now, Meredith, you have to be nice.” 

I twirl the tip of my white shoe in the gravel on the path leading to the barn doors without making eye contact.  “Sorry, Mrs. Todd.”

She sighs, “It’s okay, sweetie.  I know how you feel, but you have to at least try to be nice, for your dad.  We were all just so worried about you two.  Come on, let’s go wash up before our food is cold.”  Blake and I nod and follow her to the bathroom without another word.  We stay looking down at the floor and the only way we still walk together is that we are holding hands.  

When I pass by the bride and groom’s table on the way to the bathroom, daddy holds out his hand to me to go to him.  I look between Blake and my dad before letting go of Blake’s hand and taking the few extra steps to the table.  “I’ll meet you at our table.”

“Hi, my Jewel.  You look so gorgeous today.  Did I tell you that yet?” he kisses me on the forehead.  He’s already talking kind of funny.  His voice has sounded a little funny lately.  Like he runs some words together sometimes.  It’s kind of silly.  

“No you didn’t.  You didn’t even talk to me until now aside from the wave during the ceremony earlier.  But thanks.”  My voice obviously doesn’t have the same some tone of excitement it did with Blake only minutes ago.