After months of anticipation, the bittersweet season finale of The Bachelorette brightens my 52" flat screen tv screen and I am so hoping it is Jef that Emily picks!
There is a knock at the door. It wasn't the soft knock of the neighbor boys, it wasn't the familiar knock of my parents. Oh no, my show!! I already have it programmed to DVR and I put the show on pause.
I open the door and it is Billy.
I'm stunned. "I came by last night to see you, but you weren't home," he said.
Quick, what am I wearing? Victoria Secret shorts & tank top pajamas, check!
Brooke shouts from down stairs "Who is here?" I tell her Billy, she screams, runs up the stairs and bounces in place inside the front door waiting for him to shut his car off and come in. He walks up and hugs her.
We have spent endless hours sitting outside, that's what we used to do and that is where we go again, to my patio, under the stars.
Mariah comes home and busts through the back door to the patio, "Billy! I knew it was you from your license plate!"
Those two start chatting away catching up on Mariah's life. I'm listening to their dynamics of one year later and waiting to see what position Billy will take on his opinions with her escapades. He slips into dad mode with her. For as much as they were friends, he never took a "friend" point of view with her and I'm glad he didn't last night.
Mariah wanted a guys opinion and thinking Billy is a pretty cool guy, she thought he would have her back. He always shoots it straight to her and he set her straight from a man's point of view, a dad's point of view.
It all felt normal.
I walked to the car with him to say goodbye and honestly wasn't certain if he was going to jump in his car and leave. He opened his door put his drink in, turned the car on, shut the door and turned back to me.
I'm breathless with anticipation. I desperately want to feel his kiss that made me I'm-not-exaggerating dizzy even after 1-1/2 years.
He wraps his arms around me and hugs me for what seemed forever. When he loosened his hold, I stepped back ... he pulled me in and kisses me.
It's that kiss! The familiar beloved kiss where I need time to stop because I need this moment, this feeling, this memory etched in my mind because it feels as if I-am-home kind of kiss. The kiss that all others are unfairly compared to.
His scruffy, unshaven face (did he do that on purpose because he remembers I loved that most?), his scent was intoxicating.
Why is all of this happening?
He climbed in his car, I tell him to come back soon when he replies, "I will, darlin." And there it is, my favorite term of endearment from this boy I loved so so much.
An ordinary day turned extraordinary.
I walked into the house and deleted all the text messages from all the others.
