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THE FAMILY OF THREE WAS joined by Ricky Bowen at the dinner table that night. It was a bit uncomfortable at first since he hadn't be introduced officially to her father, nor did he really know her mother. He was unsure of how to act or what to talk about, especially since he knew Luna's dad has almost run out of days. Ricky's parents still had plenty of years left to live, so he had never personally experienced someone close to him actually running out of days. He felt weird about it.
The two teens took a seat next to each other at the table, evidently both very hungry. Luna, of course, noticed that her boyfriend was a bit hesitant and nervous due to the situation. So she grabbed his hand under the table, holding it tight to let him know that it was okay.
Mrs. Crawford had dished out on everyone's plate some grilled chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes, leaving the random strawberries she cut up earlier out in the middle of the table.
Once the dinner began, the awkwardness eased up and conversation flowed. It mostly focused on the newcomer, but he didn't mind as long as he didn't have to start a new conversation topic.
"So Ricky, Luna tells me that you are one of the leads in the play. That is awesome, congratulations!" Mrs. Crawford starts, switching from their previous topic.
He smiled gratefully towards her, swallowing his food before replying, "Wow thank you! Yeah, I'm playing Troy Bolton in High School Musical. It's crazy honestly, but I'm loving every second of it."
Luna piped up, "Did you know that this is his first time ever doing any theater work? He used to be one of those too cool for school, skater boys," she nudged him with a playful smile.
"That's interesting. What made you decide to do theater all the sudden?" Her father interjected, interrupting the couple's little giggling session, causing them to straighten up.
Luna wasn't anticipating this question when she brought up the fact that this was his first year. He had only auditioned to get Nini back, but he obviously didn't want to say that in front of his girlfriend's parents. His time in theater turned into actual enjoyment of acting, and he found a love for all of the people involved. It was not about getting his ex-girlfriend back anymore.
The two shared a look, her knowing the reason he joined in the first place. He mustered up a reason that wasn't tightly connected with his ex-girlfriend. "Uh, I had a friend who told me to audition, so I was like why not? Then I got the part, fell in love with the cast and crew, and loved playing the role of Troy." He smiled before turning to Luna, who stared at him lovingly with a grin, "It's also a bonus because I get to see your daughter there practically every day." He winked at her.
This caused her parents to laugh at his comment, thinking he was entirely too sweet. "Oh yeah, I definitely make the rehearsal ten times better just by being there," she sarcastically remarked with a grin.
"You do," he pointed out honestly. Yes, she wasn't in the play, but she had a way of helping keep Gina and Ricky on task and on their best behavior, believe it or not. It was also not a surprise to occasionally see Luna helping Miss Jenn with a couple things or giving her opinion when asked.
Mrs. Crawford once again spoke up, "That's great to hear! We all can't wait to see it when you guys start holding shows at school." The comment kind of hit the bunch hard, instantly realizing that one member at the table would not be able to. Mr. Crawford's smile faded while his gaze fell to the food on his plate.
Luna's gaze fell to her lap when she noticed her dad's behavior. Ricky noticed, grabbing her hand to give it a squeeze. It wasn't long before silent tears were falling down her face. Nobody at the table knew what to do, especially since Mrs. Crawford was now tearing up as well, but quickly blinked them away to not cry in front of their guest.
"Lu, it's okay," her father began, but stopped as soon as his daughter started getting up. She pulled her hand away from Ricky, pushed her chair away from the table, and ran to her room. Her boyfriend was frozen in his spot. Was he supposed to go after her or give her space?
Without another thought, he stood up and thanked Mrs. Crawford for dinner, complimenting her cooking. The mother nodded, mouthing a silent 'thank you' back for going to comfort her daughter. He offered a small smile to the man at the table before rushing upstairs where Luna went.
He opened her door softly, slipping inside before again closing it behind him. "Hey Lu, come here." Sitting on the bed, he opened his arms for her to crawl into, nestling her into his warm embrace once she did. Luna didn't want to talk, and he respected that, especially since he wouldn't even know what to say. The only thing that could help her right now was to just let it all out. So she cried. And cried. And cried some more. Ricky just held her, rubbing her back softly and rocking her slightly in his arms. It was very comforting and soothing, helping the girl calm down.
The amount of times Ricky had seen her cry was way more than she wanted him to ever see. It wasn't like her to show herself crying to other people. It was all too weird for her, feeling way too vulnerable, but at the same she trusted her boyfriend. He wasn't there to judge, but alas he was there because he knew she needed him.
By the time she finished crying, it had gotten pretty late so Ricky thought it would be best for him to go. Well only if she was okay and didn't need him anymore. If she asked, he would stay in a heartbeat. No questions asked.
"You sure you're okay, Lulu?" He asked for the third time as they stood by her front door. She rolled her eyes, loving that her boyfriend cared so much about her, but she was tired of being asked if she was fine.
"I'm 100% sure, Ric. Now be safe going home, alright? Text me when you get inside. I'll see you tomorrow," she pecked his lips, before handing him his skateboard that she retrieved from the porch.
With a sigh, he said his farewell, "Alright, I will. Goodnight babe." After kissing her cheek, he stepped out her front door. She closed the door behind him, watching out the window for a few seconds before going back to her room.
As Ricky made his way down the driveway, he was stopped by Mr. Crawford who ran out the front door after him. Honestly, that was a sight to see.
"Ricky! Wait a minute!" Once he caught his breath, he added, "I wanted to thank you for making Luna's life really good right now, especially with everything going on with both of our amount of days left." Ricky was about to question what he meant when he used the word 'both', but the father continued on.
"I wanted to give you something for Luna. It's really going to devastate her when I go, but I got something for her to help ease the pain, I guess." Mr. Crawford brought out a box that held a necklace with a locket. If you opened it up, on one side was a picture of Luna and her dad from when she was younger. The other side was a freshly printed picture of Ricky and Luna, taken from the dance a few days ago where they cheesily smiled for the camera.
"Oh wow, this is great, Mr. Crawford. I know she will love it," Ricky smiled.
Mr. Crawford offered his best smile back. "I hope so. Anyway, I want to express my gratitude for you being there for Luna tonight. I can tell you guys are really good for each other. So please don't break her heart," he softly joked.
Ricky quickly shook his head. "I could and would never do that, sir. I like your daughter way too much to ever break her heart." The older man appreciated that response, approving of the boy for his daughter to date.
The sun was beginning to set behind where they stood. Extending his hand once more to shake with the teenage boy, Mr. Crawford gave his parting words, "Ricky Bowen, it was nice to meet you tonight. You're a good kid, promise me you'll hold on to that. The world can be a cruel and unpredictable place, but I hope you find the positives in life and have the strength to get through it."
