Uniquely Normal

Chapter 5: Bloom

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"I'm here."

The text message alert from Coen lit up my phone. I walked over to my windowsill, overlooking the front yard. He pulled into the driveway, the black mustang sleek against the paved driveway and the warm lanterns lighting up our pathway to the front door. He began backing up, parking the car on the street. Assumably, to give my parents space to come and go without worry.

I walked down the steps, the smell of my dad cooking grilled cheese on the stove vibrant to my nose. Macy was sitting at one of the kitchen stools playing a game on Wesley's iPad. The chef of this afternoon's head perked up at my sounding arrival. "Is he here?" I nodded. "Just in time for grilled cheese."

It was the weekend, both my parents had off from work on the weekends. My dad liked to get an early start on Saturday since the weekend was the only time he got to cook as much as he liked to. By the time 10 a.m. hit, he had cooked a big breakfast. Now at 1:24 p.m., he's cooking grilled cheese and homemade steak fries for lunch. He wanted something a little 'jazzy' since Coen was coming over.

I walked out from the kitchen toward the front door just in time as the doorbell rang out. The matte black front door swung open, and I was meant with Coen looking nicely groomed. His navy-blue backpack slouching down his shoulders, the furry collar of the burnt orange corduroy jacket he was wearing being unfolded. Ripped black jeans, black turtleneck, and black boots completed the look. His hair styled back away from his face, minus the platinum blond superman strand dangling down by his eye over a pair of wire-framed glasses.

I smiled at his appearance, tugging at the collar to fix its position. He looked very attractive.

I moved out of the way, swinging my arm out to let him walk in. A smile instant to his lips. He sighed, turning his head to look back at me. "Even better than I remember. Wow. Your house looks so homey and warm." Our house had two floors excluding the storage-filled attic. Our exterior had always been perfect for fall and Christmas time. It was colonial style and the red and brown bricks and wooden accents looked storybook in the cold weather.

"No shoes past this point. In the closet right here to your left, there should be some house guest slippers you could put on."

"Your house is already better than mine and all I can see is the stairs, a closet with slippers in it, and gray walls with decor." He awed in amazement at my home interior, it was nice don't get me wrong, but I was used to it. This was my parents dream home. They put a lot of work into it.

I led him past the stairs into the main part of the house. He could see the garland and bows running up the stair railing out the corner of his eye. Our living room had chestnut-colored hardwood flooring with a large faux fur rug in the center. We had a cream-colored sectional, two accent chairs, and a white brick fireplace with our tv on top and lots of pictures of us kids. throughout the room.

"Who decorated?"

"Me, and my mom. Pretty much, Joey helped a little bit." He walked over to get closer to the Christmas tree. Jingling began coming from his slippers, so he stopped walking. He looked up at me with a shocked expression. "I didn't know they came with bells!" The childlike joy on his face.

"Is that Coen I hear?!" My mom's voice rang out through the quiet. He hurried to the kitchen, giggling once he saw my mom standing their arms wide open waiting for a hug. They embraced, the momentum taking them to take a couple of steps back. Excited words leaving both of their mouths. She stepped back to get a good look at him. "Holy-you've gotten so big and handsome. How have you been honey?"