Slammed

head, not my heart?”
     
    My mother sits up on the bed and takes my hands in hers as she speaks. "Lake, do you want some real advice that doesn't include a list of foods you should avoid?"
     
    Has she been holding out on me? "Of course," I reply.
     
    She's lost the authoritative, parented edge to her voice, which makes me aware that this conversation is less from a mother-daughter standpoint and more woman to woman. She pulls her legs up Indian style on the bed and faces me.
     
    "There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before they commit to a man. If you answer no to any of the three questions, run like hell."
     
    "It's just a date," I laugh. "I doubt we'll be doing any committing."
     
    "I know you're not, Lake. I'm serious. If you can't answer yes to these three questions, don't even waste your time on a relationship."
     
    When I open my mouth, I feel like I'm just reinforcing the fact that I'm her child. I don't interrupt her again.
     
    "Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally , does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes to all three, then you’ve found a good man."
     
    "Wow, those are some intense questions." I take a deep breath as I soak in even more sage advice from her. "Were you able to answer yes to all of them? When you were with Dad?"
     
    "Absolutely." She doesn't hesitate. "Every second I was with him."
     
    I watch the sadness enter her eyes as she finishes her sentence. She loved my dad. I start to regret bringing it up. I put my arms around her and embrace her. It's been so long since I've hugged her, a twinge of guilt rises up inside me. She kisses my hair, then pulls away and smiles.
     
    I stand up and run my hands down my shirt, smoothing out the folds.
     
    "Well? How do I look?" I ask.
     
    "Like a woman,” she sighs.
     
    It's seven-thirty sharp so I go to the living room, grab the jacket Will insisted I borrow the day before and head to the window. He's coming out of his house so I walk outside and stand in my driveway. He looks up and notices me as he's opening his car door.
     
    "You ready?" he yells.
     
    "Yes!"
     
    "Well, come on then!"
     
    I don't move. I just stand there and fold my arms across my chest.
     
    "What are you doing?" He throws his hand up in defeat and laughs.
     
    "You said you would pick me up at seven-thirty! I'm waiting for you to pick me up!"
     
    He grins as he gets in the car. He backs straight out of his driveway and into mine so that the passenger door is closest to me. He hops out of the car and runs around to open it. Before I get in I give him the onceover. He’s wearing loose fitted jeans and a black long sleeved shirt that outlines his arms. It's the defined arms that prompt me to return his jacket to him.
     
    “ That reminds me,” I say as I hand him his jacket. “I bought this for you.”
     
    He grabs the jacket and slides his arms inside. “Wow, it even smells like me,” he laughs.
     
    He waits until I've buckled up before he shuts the door. As he's walking around to his side, I notice the car smells like... cheese . Not old, stale cheese; but fresh cheese, cheddar maybe. My stomach growls. I'm curious where we're going to eat.
     
    When Will gets in, he reaches into the backseat and grabs a sack. "We don't have time to eat, so I made us grilled cheese." He hands me a sandwich and a bottle of soda.
     
    "Wow. This is a first," I say as I stare at the items in my hands. "And where exactly are we going in such a hurry?” I twist open my lid. "It's obviously not a restaurant."
     
    He unwraps his sandwich and takes a bite. "It's a surprise," he says with a mouthful of bread. He navigates the steering wheel with his free hand as he simultaneously drives and eats. "I know a lot more about you than you know about me, so tonight I want to show you what I'm all about."
     
    "Well, I'm intrigued," I say. I really am intrigued.
     
    We both finish our sandwiches and I put the trash back in the bag and place it in the backseat. I try to think of something to say to break the silence, so I ask him about his family.
     
    "What are your parents like?"
     
    He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. "I'm not big on small talk, Lake. We can figure all that out later. Let's make this drive interesting,"