When It Rains In Ocala

10- Remember When I Met Your Dad

Love and fear.  Everything the father of a family says must inspire one or the other.
-Joseph Joubert

Dread.

Terrifying, blood boiling dread.

That’s all I could feel the next night. I’d texted Evan that morning and he assured me, with too much excitement, that he would be very happy to come to dinner tonight.

I told him to be at my house at six thirty, and it was six twenty, so I was sitting on the couch, shaking with nerves. Brendon, Cody, and my dad were sitting in the living room with me and dinner, Chinese takeout- my family doesn’t cook- was ready on the dinner table.

“Don’t be scared, Maggie.” Cody told me, crawling onto my lap.

I wrapped my arms around him and forced a shaky smile. “I’ll try.”

“I don’t know why you’re so nervous anyway.” Brendon piped. “It’s not like I’m going to bite his head off.”

“When you met Aaron, you made him cry.” I stated.

Brendon laughed. “He was seven, that doesn’t count.”

“And he’s still slightly terrified of you!” I argued.

“Both of you, calm down. Maggie, Brendon will behave. Brendon, you better behave.”

“What about me, Daddy?” Cody asked, raising his hand.

Dad gave him a soft smile. “You behave too.”

Cody nodded. “I will, I promise.”

I chuckled and kissed his temple softly just as the doorbell echoed through the house.

“Okay, I can do this.” I chanted to myself, plopping Cody on the couch as I stood up. The walk to the door took way longer than it normally did. I don’t know if that was because I might have been walking slower than normal, or if I was just psyching myself out and it just seemed to take forever, but it was a painful walk.

My shaky hand reached for the door knob and in one quick motion, I swung it open to come face to face with a grinning Evan Mathews. Despite my nerves, I took a short moment to take in his appearance. His jet black hair wasn’t disheveled-looking like it usually is, it was combed to the side. He was wearing impressive-fitting dark jeans and a red plaid button up that he somehow made look effortlessly formal.

I was wearing a light wash skinny jeans with a floral blouse, I didn’t look nearly as amazing as he did.

“Hey.” I breathed.

“Hello.” He chirped. I wanted to strangle his beautiful self when I didn’t see one trace of nervousness in his features. Either he was a really good actor, or he really underestimated my brother.

“Come in.” I mumbled, moving out of the doorway and opening the door wider so that he could come into the house, which he did. When I turned around, I noticed that everybody else had stood from the living room as well.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Harris.” Evan spoke first, which surprised me. “I’m Evan.”

I stood silently beside him as I watched Evan shake hands with my dad. “You too, Evan.” My dad responded with a firm nod.

“And this is my brother, Brendon.” I said, motioning towards Brendon who was standing beside my dad with a stern look on his face.

Evan smiled at him and again, I was taken aback by his beaming confidence.  Since when was he so bold? “Hello.”