Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Ben and Mae

Ben and Mae




Ben set down the last box in their house. It still echoed, but there was a lot to unpack. And it wasn't until now he realized his face was dripping in sweat.

"Did you turn on the A/C yet?" He said as his voice carried. At the moment, Mae was filling glasses with ice cubes and getting him some lemonade that his mother brought.

He listened. He hardly noticed the air on. Maybe that was a good sign, as he went to find a vent to put his face near.

"Here, you go." She brought him his drink.

It didn't feel right, to not have Caden with them, but his mother thought it might be best if the two of them set up things first and spent the night here, alone.

"So what should we do first?" He looked at her as if she were the wise one.

"I don't even want to think about the kitchen." She looked beat. Her face was washed out, and she looked like she needed to rest.

"Are you sure you're OK with this?"

"How could you ask this now?" She almost laughed at him. "The cable is set up and the wifi too." She told him she was glad to be out of the apartment complex. "And..and we are close to your parents."

"Maybe, too close." Ben was beginning to think.

"They don't live next door." She told him as she plopped herself on her old couch. He found a place to sit on the floor, close to where he could talk to her.

"Are you sure you're Mae Caldwell?" He smiled. She always found something to bicker about. Mae always had a say, but not today.

"What are. you talking about?" She looked at him all serious. "You know, your family is my family."

He looked at her a bit shocked.

"All we need to do now, is get married." She shrugged.

"Huh. I don't guess you'd ever change your name." He pondered.

"Why not?" She said Mae LeBarron had a nice ring to it. Of course, Ben had always gone by his mother's last name Anderson.

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