Just Good Friends

Chapter 33

SAM's POV

When I came back home, my mom was sitting on the floor leaning against the couch with a whole bunch of magazines and paper spread out in front of her. She was holding a black sharpie between her fingers as she flipped through some magazines. She had the television on -- it was Family Feud. Steve Harvey asked: "What kind of animal noise would you not want your husband to make while in the bedroom?" Some black lady with curly hair and a pink dress hit her buzzer and yelled: "LION!" Steve looked scared and stepped away from the loud mouth woman. My mother looked up and laughed.

"Mom!"

She jumped and turned her attention to me. "Ah! Girl, you scared me. When did you get here?"

"Just now," I replied.

"Did you have fun with Jake?"

"Yep." I hold back my blush as I remember our long make-out session. Ahh... the memories.

"That's good." She begins doing what she was doing and circles something with the sharpie.

"What are you doing?" I ask, keeping my stance at the doorway.

"Oh, I'm looking through magazines to find some wedding dresses... and shoes, and other accessories. You wanna help me?"

"Mm... no thanks." I start to leave.

"Hold up." - I turn back around - "Antonio is upstairs. He's setting things up with the wedding planner and making a list for guests and stuff. Why don't you help him? I'm sure he'd appreciate it." She grins. I scrunch up my face.

"Mama G, don't you think you're moving too fast? I mean, are you ready to give up your freedom to have some guy live in your house and eat up all your food for the rest of your life?"

"Sam, I know how you may feel right now, but--"

"No, you don't. How could you possibly know how I feel? Did you ever ask me?!"

"Hey, now, don't raise your voice with me. Alright? Now I know that this is hard for you--"

"Ha!--"

"BUT, I'm the parent and I can make my own decisions and you're just gonna have to deal with it," she says in a stern tone.

"So that's it? I'm gonna have to deal with it?"

"Yes! You are going to deal with it. And watch your mouth, young lady. I don't have time for your attitude."

"Whatever," I groan and walk upstairs. 

I hear someone talking in my mom's bedroom. I creep down the hall to her room and slowly crack open the door. Antonio was sitting at her desk talking on the phone. He had a pencil and notepad in front of him as he jotted down whatever the person on the phone was telling him. I open the door all the way and enter the bedroom, leaving the door open. He looks up and mouths "Hey" with a friendly grin. I nod my head at him with a fake grin on my face. I walk over to the bed which is right next to the desk, and look through the wedding magazines that are spread out over the comforter. What the heck is all this stuff?

"Alright. Sounds good. Thank you very much, ma'am... have a great holiday... thank you. Bye." He hangs up the phone.

"This is a lot of stuff..." I say.

"No kidding." He swivels around in the desk chair to face me and rubs his head.

I turn around to face him; he looks stressed. That's what you get for asking someone to marry you when you ain't ready, buddy boy.

"My mom told me to see if you needed help." I sigh and cross my arms over my warm sweatshirt.

"That would be great. I just called the wedding planner to set a meeting time to talk about the wedding. Your mom wants me to come up with some ideas of where we should have the wedding - and the reception - and then make a list of some of my friends and family that I'm going to invite. Do you have any ideas for the location?"