I Choose You

15. A Humble Home (Edited)

Edited

The last bell signaling the end of school rang moments ago and now Aiden and I were just walking down the empty halls. We didn't get to have our normally scheduled sixth period gym class because today our school was celebrating Veteran's Day. The assembly was scheduled for the last two hours of school.

"You cool studying at my house today?" Aiden asked as we walked side by side.

I'd never been to Aiden's house. We'd always just studied at my house since it was always quiet there, and my dad was never home, so it was strange to hear him offer going to his house.

"Sure," I answered, but I couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like it wanted to erupt into butterflies, but I wouldn't let.

The drive was short and comfortably silent, before Aiden finally pulled into the driveway of his two-car garage, brick home. The pathway that led from the garage to the front door was filled with green shrubbery and decorative stones. It seemed, also, that small snapdragon flowers adorned a small area of the near the front porch of the home. There was even a small little park bench just to the right of the front door, and as we climbed up the steps I had this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Why did this feel so weird?

He unlocked the door and motioned for me to go inside.

"We go can go outside on the back por—" he began, but was cut off by a woman's silvery voice.

"Aiden, is that you?"

A petite framed, medium height woman, with golden brown hair and the exact same brown, doe eyes that Aiden had, appeared from out of a doorway at the end of the entryway. She was dressed in a beige pencil skirt and navy-blue blouse that accentuated her perfect figure. There was a look of surprise as she saw the both of us standing there, before recognition flashed in her eyes.

Aiden's eyes widened, a horrific expression crossing his face. "Mom?!" he cried. "I thought you had to—!"

"Oh!" she smiled, attempting a small run towards me in her beige heels. "You must be Emery! It's so nice to finally meet you!"

I smiled, politely, confused as to how she already knew my name. "Um, yeah!" I gave a small laugh as she smiled again and embraced me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.

She pulled away. "I'm Amanda, Aiden's mother." The smile seemed to be permanently plastered on her face. "I can't thank you enough for what you're doing for my son. You've helped him so much and I am so grateful that someone could manage to straighten him out."

I glanced over at Aiden, who seemed completely flustered at the sight in front of him. His eyes were down, focused on his feet, as he scratched the back of his head and pressed his lips together tightly. Was he...embarrassed?

I smiled, hiding the giggle that wanted to come out of my mouth at the sight of him. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just pointing him in the right direction, he's the one who's doing all the hard work."

She smiled again, her eyes lingering on me for a moment and I could tell there was a deep thought on her mind, but she said nothing about it. She simply offered me her bright, polite smile that had me wondering how anyone's mother could be that beautiful.

"You all are just in time!" she turned towards her son. "I'm making dinner—!"

"Mom, I don't think—we have to stu—!" Aiden began, pointing behind his shoulder.