I closed my umbrella and stepped through the slightly opened front door. The scent of mom's signature enchiladas filled up the hallway and went roaring up my nose, making my stomach speak to me. I haven't eaten since lunch, and whatever mom was cooking, I was drooling to get a taste.
I walked into the kitchen to find mom and Mrs.Spencer sitting at the table giggling at something. I smiled as I sauntered through the kitchen and dashed straight for oven. When I opened it, the enchiladas were freshly made and waiting for me to gnaw down on, but when I reached my hand inside to take one, my mom reached over and slapped my hand out of the oven.
"Those are for our guest tonight," She turned to Mrs.Spencer and grinned. I almost bursted out laughing because mom hates Mrs.Spencer.
I rubbed my hand from the little heat that sprung on my hand from my mom's slap. "Who's our special guest?" I asked. My stomach was literally screaming 'feed me' at this point. I sat down and rubbed my stomach to calm her down.
"Maura, she's coming back from Alaska tonight!" Mrs.Spencer's eyes lit up like New York City just at the break of dawn. "She said she can't wait to see everybody, especially you Savannah," She grinned.
I hadn't seen Maura in over two years and for some reason I didn't seem as excited as I thought I would be when I actually heard it. I don't know why, but hearing it made my stomach twist more than it filled my stomach with joy. I like Maura, but just hearing her name makes me go, still.
"Aren't you excited?!" Mrs.Spencer brought me back from my shock.
I gave a fake smile and nodded. "Yeah, it's been so long," I didn't sound as excited as I thought because Mrs.Spencer's wide grin dimmed a little.
"Have you guys talked at all since she left?" She asked.
"No, she never gave a number or an email or anything like that. I'm sure if she did I would be talking to her everyday,"
Her grin appeared again she got out of her seat. "I guess it's time to finish where you guys left off then, right?"
I nodded and pressed my lips together.
"Okay then," She finally removed her attention from me to my mom. "I'm going to go pick her up at the airport, now. Make sure those enchiladas are at my place by six," She put her hand on my moms shoulder softly and then walked out of the exit of the kitchen. Then we heard the front door slam.
My mom looked at me and busted out laughing hysterically. "That lady is a trip," My mom got up and went to the oven to turn the heat down. "You didn't really seem too happy about Maura being back,"
"I am," I said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "But it's just that, Maura's, a bit--"
"Outlandish?" My finished for me.
"Exactly. It's just that, we didn't really leave off on the right foot, well, she didn't leave off on the right foot," I explained.
My mom sat back down in her seat. "All I'm going to tell you is, you've known Maura since kindergarten, she practically lived here and her house was also your second home, whatever beef--"
"Mom please don't say beef," I cut her off. Hearing her use modern lingo made me cringe.
"Well, whatever altercation you guys have, can be settled. Build a bridge, and you and Maura can meet in the middle, got it?"
"Aye aye captain," I saluted her. Then my eyes turned to the stove. "Can I please just have one," If I wasn't mistaken, I'm sure there was drool leaking from my mouth?
She laughed. "You must wait for the special guest, I'm sorry,"
I groaned and got up. "She better be walking in here with Ferrari car keys for everyone if I'm waiting this long," I mumbled. And I limped up the stairs and into my bedroom.
When 5:45 hit my mom knocked on the door signaling me to go downstairs.
I walked out of my room and my mom was already gone. I put on my sneakers and tied my messy dark brown hair in a high pony and went next door.
Mom was already setting the table and Maura's father and older brother were setting up the welcome home decorations. You would think she graduated out of Yale or something. I sat down in my spot at the dinner table, which was obviously next to the enchiladas. When mom, Mr.Spencer and brother Spencer (his name was actually Marvin but I called him brother Spencer to get him pissed) were done, we all stood in front of the door after Mrs.Spencer called to say they were driving into the driveway.
I stood way in the back. I couldn't believe I was nervous to see Maura. Being away from people for too long, you sort of get scared of them because you probably might not know who they are anymore.
Then the door began to unlock. And what stepped inside was a beaming Mrs. Spencer and a dark but seemingly excited Maura. Her hair was a darker red and her eyes were a bluer blue and her lips were a coarser pink. She seemed ecstatic to be here, or maybe she had us all fooled.
Then her eyes trailed over to me, and a grin spread across her face. She hugged and kissed her father, her brother roughed her up a bit and my mom hugged her. Then she got to me, her smile still pasted on her face.
"Hi," She smiled wider, a bit of teeth showing. Her eyes had turned this unbelievably icy blue, and her freckles were more defined. She looked the same, but she totally looked different.
"Hey," I finally said, after I finished surveying her.
Her smiled turned more warmer. "You look pretty,"
I was taken aback by the compliment that I hesitated my next sentence. "As do you," I said. "Your hair is--"
"Darker? Yeah, I don't know, everything's gotten a little dark while I was in Alaska," She sort of mumbled. And she slipped her arm into mine. "What'd your mom make?" She asked as we walked to the dining table.
"Her delicious enchiladas,"
"Mmmmm," Maura closed her eyes like she was smelling something. "I could taste it now. I definitely want to eat that first," She said. And we sat down at the table.
"Maura I'm so glad you're back," My mom pressed her lips in a smile.
Maura didn't say anything but I felt her grin to my mom.
"So Maura, tell us about the polar bears and stuff," Marvin said.
"I didn't get to see not one polar bear up at that place. Such a sham," She murmured.
I turned to Maura. "Anybody new?" I asked.
"Nope," She poked at her enchilada then she shoved it in her mouth.
The whole time at the table we mostly asked Maura what'd she do, who'd she met and where'd she go, but it just seemed she was alone most of the time. She told us she liked her own company anyway and she didn't mind doing things on her own.
After the dinner was done we left the dishes to the guys and Maura and I went outside to the backyard.
I sat down on the chair and watched as Maura poked at the skin on her index finger.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She looked up at me and smiled. "I'm fine, I just, want to talk about--"
"Where we left off?" I finished.
"How we left off," She said. "I mean, I was just pretty pissed off about leaving and all that and you were just sort of making me feel like shit for it," She shrugged. "I'm sorry if I said anything that hurt your feelings, it was all out of anger and I swear none of it was meant to harm you in any way,"
"It's cool," I replied. "I couldn't handle you leaving either. It's in the past. You're here now and that's better than anything right now," I smirked.
"Yeah, being here, right now, with you is better than anything," She placed her hands in her lap and looked straight at me. "I wasn't lying when I said you looked pretty," She leaned over and pushed my hair behind my ear, then she placed her cold, soft hand on my cheek. "Your eyes remind me of fireworks," She said. She was so close to my face, I felt her sweet breathe tapping my face like a soft knock on a door. "Big, bright, and amazing to look at," She moved her hand from my cheek and slowly traced it onto my jawbone, to my chin and onto of my lips. She slid her thumb gently across my bottom lip and licked hers.
"Maura, Savannah!!!" Maura and I jumped back in our chairs as my mom came from around the corner. "Everybody's looking for you guys,"
"Sorry," Maura stood up. "We were just trying to finish something we never got to finish when I left," Maura gave me a quick look then turned back to my mom.
"Alright, go inside. Sav, lets go,"
And as my mom and I walked out of their backyard gate into ours, I looked back to look at Maura, but she'd already went inside.