All Of Me

Chapter 15

(Hey guys! If you wanted to listen to "Dancing In The Moonlight" by Van Morrison the last half of this chapter, you'd probably enjoy it more. Just a tip! Thanks so much for the reading and voting yall are the best! :*)

My off-day was more productive than I thought it would be. I had planned to sit and sulk in self-pity the whole day, but that wouldn't get me any food to eat. So I did some grocery shopping, had my cable installed, and cleaned everything to my liking.

Much to my advantage, the apartment came with a small white love seat, a twin size bed, and the big appliances. It still needed some things to feel more like home, so I went to Target to pick up some things. Plastic spoons and forks, paper plates, a microwave. It's like I'm in college already.

College.

I need to enroll.

I file that in the back of my mind, and continue filling the cart with anything I thought I might need. I skipped completely over the 'baby' section of the store, and went straight to check out.

What I said to Brian yesterday was still nagging at me from the back of my mind. "Me and my child are none of your business."

They really came out before I could even think about what I was saying, but something rose up inside of me when he made a comment about my...current state...acting as if my...child...were nothing more than a small set-back keeping me from my mother's approval.

As sad as I was that I wasn't able to see my mother, it was by her own choice. I told her the truth, and she rejected it. I couldn't very well force her to believe me. However, she shouldn't be telling people I lied. In fact, I wish she wouldn't talk about me to Brian, period. It was none of his business. One day I'm going to find out why I have such a bad feeling about him.

I checked out and headed home. I smiled at the thought of my home. I finally had a place that was all mine. I had pictured living in a dorm, and having Paige and my mother visit occasionally, but I need to stop comparing what my life is now, to what I had planned for it to be. My plans are no longer possible.

I'll just have to make new plans, I thought and smiled.

I spent the afternoon, hanging up some pictures I bought, and empty photo frames. I would make new memories, and put them in those frames. I was excited to find out what memories would end up in those picture frames.

I stood back and looked at what I had done so far, and nodded in approval of my work, just as there was a knock at the door.

Tripp's POV

She had given me her address on the phone last night when she was going on and on about her new place. I wanted to see where she'd be staying. It was a good part of town. The reviews I read online looked good.

Would it be weird if I did background checks on her neighbors?

I knocked and she opened the door, looking beautiful in her yellow button-up and bluejeans. Her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail. My mother sent me to the store for a few more packs of hotdogs, and then I ended up here.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and stepped inside. The walls matched her shirt. The light let in the large windows made the place look so...happy. She looked so proud as she took me around to each room and showed me. One bedroom, a bathroom, and a small office-looking space. She had bought a polka-dot bedding set for her bed, and purple throw pillows for her couch.

The last button of her shirt pulled slightly against her little bump. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth to keep from smiling.

"What is it?" She tilted her head and I chuckled a little as I headed for the door. "Nothing. I gotta get back to the cookout." Every year for as long as I can remember, my whole family came together for a cookout on the 4th of July.

"Why don't you come with me?" I offered quickly before my bravery could dissipate. Why do I need bravery anyway? I'm just asking Brooke to come to a cookout.

She looked around at the apartment and then down at her clothes. "I don't know...I'd need to get dressed and everything. You need to get back."

"Well, get dressed and then come over. Please? Mom would love to see you." I pushed.

She sighed and smiled. "I might do that."

And with that, I gave her a warm smile and left.

When I got back home, I tossed Uncle Todd the hotdogs and he immediately placed them on the grill.

I helped Mom and Aunt Sherry lay table cloths across the two large picnic tables and my cousin, Jennifer, asked me to help her bring out the fruit trays.

I have a large family; my aunts, uncles and grandparents on my Dad's side still come around just as they would if he were still alive.

I was helping uncle Todd get the burgers and hotdogs off the grill onto plates and was pretty sure Brooke had changed her mind about coming until I heard her car pull into the driveway. She came walking around the side of the house and toward the gathering in the backyard just as I sat down the plates of hotdogs and hamburgers.

She took my breath away in dark wash jeans, a simple white t-shirt, and her hair peeked out of a camouflage ball cap in a ponytail. Her cowboy boots topped it off and I needed to go take my shirt off.

That sounded weird. I mean because it was hot. I mean hot outside. Never mind.

"You look beautiful." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them and I'm sure I was beet red. She just smiled and looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry." I shook my head. "No, thank you." She smiled at me and mom called her over to introduce her to my family. I'm sure my family assumed we were dating, but I was okay with that.

I wouldn't be the one to correct them.

I made up my mind on my way back home that I would flirt with Brooke tonight. Intentionally this time, just to change things up a bit. But when I saw her, I thought it wouldn't hurt to put it off a few more weeks.

We all sit down for dinner and Brooke seems to blend so well with my family. When Brooke laughs, she squeezes her eyes shut and her smile seems to light up her whole face. Everyone is eating and talking when my Cousin Susan arrives late with her very pregnant belly, and eight year old son, Dylan. I glance at Brooke to see her reaction, and she just smiles at Susan.

Susan sits down and pats her belly. "I'm not the only one late. I wish he would hurry up!" She announces, and everyone laughs. She takes the seat beside my mother on the other side of the picnic table.

The radio that had been playing on the patio was turned down too low, but Aunt Sherry went and took care of that. "First couple to dance is the next to get married!" I've always hated this game, it was pretty ridiculous, but they insisted that it always worked. My parents danced first together 20 years ago and got married that next Spring. I highly doubt that had anything to do with dancing at a cookout, but I'll let them have their fun.

I shrugged and grabbed Brooke's hand, pulling her from the table. Everyone 'oohed' and clapped and I just shrugged them off. Brooke was red as could be but I pulled her to my chest and swayed to an old fashioned version of "Dancing In The Moonlight."

A few other couples joined and Brooke looked around, smiling and taking it all in. She had always had just her mother and Paige. They had no family in Georgia. They moved here to get away from the memories in Texas, and for new writing opportunities for her mother. So seeing such a large happy family seemed to make her light up.

Brooke giggled when my mother danced past us with my dad's brother, Thomas, doing a pitiful version of the cha-cha.

She looked up and her eyes looked so pretty. I didn't even pay attention to how long we stayed that close until my head was tilting closer to her's and she wasn't moving it away.

The song ended and she stepped back, tucking non-existent hair behind her ear as every one went to go sit down on blankets with pillows to watch the firework show you could see from the lake on the other side of the town.

What's gotten into us? We've never even come close to kissing in the four years we've known each other. Never crossed my mind to try, but lately, something was different. It felt natural to want to walk up and put my arms around her. She was in a vulnerable position in life, and I shouldn't use that against her.

Whatever that was wouldn't be happening again.