Social Norms

Chapter 12

I pull up to Logan's house at exactly six o'clock. 

I'm wearing a short black spaghetti-strap dress with black suede high-heel mary janes. Normally, I would wear leggings under the dress and a cardigan to cover my shoulders, but I want to look sexy, so I go without either. I just make sure that my legs are extra smooth from shaving and vanilla-scented body butter. I bring a bouquet of flowers that I picked from my yard and tied together with a ribbon. 

I knock on his door, and he answers wearing an apron over his jeans and t-shirt. He looks so cute! I hand him the flowers and say, "These are for you." He takes them from me, "You shouldn't have!" and kisses me sweetly on the lips. "Come on in. I like your dress. You look smokin' hot." 

I follow him into the kitchen. Instantly, I'm hit with the smell of spaghetti sauce. "Are you cooking dinner for us?" I ask surprised. "Yeah, I'm just whipping something up in the Instant Pot. Sound good?" 

I can tell that he's kidding. I laugh and say in my most dramatic tone, "Oh no! My mother's gotten to you! That's it. I'm leaving. Goodbye forever, Logan." I turn and pretend like I'm leaving. He grabs my elbow laughing, "Come on. You can't leave until you at least taste my special spaghetti sauce recipe. I call it Prego." I smile, "Oh, well, in that case, I guess I can stay for a little while."

I try to help him cook, but he physically gets in the way between me and the stove. "No, ma'am. Not tonight. It's our project presentation celebration, and I'm cooking dinner tonight. ...I'm putting my foot down. You're not cooking. Here, I got you this. It's a Montoya cabernet." He gets out a wine glass, pours iced tea in it, and hands it to me. "Now, go sit down and enjoy it." 

I realize what he's doing and exclaim, "A Montoya cab! I've always wanted to try this. Thanks, Sweetie." I make a big deal about smelling and tasting it and give him a taste. He shrugs, and I laugh and go sit down at the kitchen table.

He cooks for a little bit and then takes out his phone and plays a song. It's Fade into You by Mazzy Star. "For some reason, every time I hear this song, it makes me think of you," he says as he comes over and takes me by the hand. He pulls me into the center of the kitchen, and we start slow dancing. 

The music is beautiful and feels intoxicating as we're swaying back and forth with the warm smell of spaghetti in the air. ...Fade into you. Strange you never knew. Fade into you. I think it's strange you never knew... 

I look up at him and say, "Logan, if reincarnation is a real thing, and we get to live our lives over again, I think we should go to the prom together." He smiles that warm smile and says, "It's a date." 

When the song ends, he lets go of me, and I feel light-headed. I sit back down at the table and collect myself. "Are you sure that there's nothing that I can help you with?" I ask. "Nope," he says. "This dinner is for you. For being such an excellent English project partner and for everything you do for everyone else."

We eat dinner at the table on fancy plates and drink tea from wine glasses. All of the sudden, I'm overcome with the feeling of what our life would be like together when we're adults. I'm aware that Logan was trying to specifically create this moment by reenacting my parents on Valentine's Day, but I'm really feeling it now. I imagine that we're an old married couple eating dinner together on a Friday night. It feels peaceful and somehow just right. 

I ask him, "Logan, what do you think life will be like when we're older? You know, when we're officially mature adults?" He smiles and says, "I think it'll be exactly like this." I feel such love for him right now. I feel like I could easily spend the rest of my life with him.