I pull in to the parking lot of my uncle's apartment building, right next to his red Hummer. I'm a few minutes early, but I go inside anyways. Apartment number 303. I knock on the door and a short blonde woman answers. Yup, that's Amy. She pulls me in to a hug. "Oh I'm so glad to see you I haven't seen you in forever!" she says overexcitedly. "Oh I know it's been too long!" What is she talking about, she's not even part of the family. She lets go of the bear hug and we go inside. "Hey Caitlin!" Says my uncle. He doesn't try to suffocate me, but I hug him anyways. "So have we decided on where to eat?" Amy asks. They look at each other. "Athletic Club?" "Sure!" I sound too happy about eating pizza at a bar, but it's normal with my family. "Let's go, I'm hungry." Mike said. We went downstairs to the parking lot. "Hey wait up a minute." Mike went to his Hummer and opened the back. Then, he opened my tailgate. "What are you doing?" I ask. He picks up a big box and throws it in the bed of my truck. I give him a confused look, and they both smile at me. We take my truck but I let Mike drive, while I sit in the passenger seat and Amy sits in the back. She's small enough to fit back there.
When we get to the bar, Mike goes inside to get us a table. Me and Amy take our time on the stairs. "Looks like he lost a lot of weight." I remark as we walk far enough behind him so he won't hear. "He has, almost 30 pounds." "And I found it." We both laugh.
The pizza is ordered and we have our table in the nearly empty bar. "So Amy, you were in the Air Force?" I say, sparking a conversation. "Yup, Staff Sergeant." She says remarkably proud. "Nice, I'm a cadet Major. What did you do?" "I worked with radar and computers for a while, then I was a flight-line marshal." "Hey I do flight-line marshaling at air shows! How long were you in for?" "I was in for 8 years." I nod my head in an impressed way. "Ya know, I just applied to the Academy." Both her and Mike got a look of shock. "All I can say is, good luck." she said.
Our pizzas came and halfway through eating, Amy got up to go to the bathroom. Once she was out of earshot, Mike leaned across the table to talk to me. "I want to marry her." He said in a hushed tone. "So do it!" I quietly yelled. "I already bought a ring, I just need the right place and time to do it." "I may just have an idea." I say smiling. "I'm interested." he leaned closer. "Ok is tomorrow too soon?" "We're going to church tomorrow." "Get her in the car thinking she's going to church, but instead, bring her up to the farm-" "That's not very romantic." "-Just listen here. I'll have some horses ready to go, I'll take you up to Great River Bluff- the most beautiful place in Winona, and you can do it there." Just then, Amy came back from the bathroom. "What were you guys talking about?" She asked. "Oh nothing." I said unsuspiciously, winking at Mike.
When the pizza was gone, we paid our bill and went to the other side of the bar, where three pool tables were lined up side by side. Mike bought a beer and me and Amy each got a can of sprite. "I'll break." I say, chalking the tip of my stick. I lean over the pool table and line up the cue ball with the others. Bam. All the balls go in different directions and the number 14 striped ball goes in the corner pocket. "Lucky number 14." I say with a smug look. Mike picks up a stick and leans over the table to line up his shot. He scratched.
We played an estimated twelve games then decided that was enough, and by that time Mike was too intoxicated to drive. "I don't think I'm gonna drive." he said laughing. "That's right, you're sure as hell not." I helped Amy drag him out to the truck, and after a bit of struggle we got him in to the back seat.
"Alright, I'll see you next time!" I say as I leave their third floor apartment, after taking a long time to get Mike inside. I get in my truck and turn up the radio.
As soon as I get inside, I am greeted by Jeff's yellow lab Bella. "Hi Bella baby." I say crouching to the ground to pet her. I go up to my room and Kate is already asleep.
When I crawl in to bed a while later, she wakes up. "Were you seriously there the whole day?!" She asks. "Yes." I say with no regrets. She shakes her head. "Oh by the way, they're coming out here tomorrow." I continue. "What for?" "Well, the plan is we're going to ride up to Great River Bluff and he's gonna propose." she makes an impressed face. "Goodnight." I shut off the lamp. "Goodnight."
