Chapter Five

“Nina this is, Arnie, Marie and their son Lucas. Kids this is Nina”

“Pshht kids, I wish I still had youth” Arnie commented, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little. They seemed to be easy going and a bright bunch.

“It’s nice to finally meet you sweetie” Marie smiled over at me “here” she rose to her feet “take a seat, take a seat” she waved me into the seat beside her son before sliding herself into the seat beside Uncle Jesse across from me.

“Wow you look just like your mother, doesn’t she boys” she smiled adoringly at me as if she was fascinated to see me.

“She sure does” Uncle Jesse smiled widely.

“You knew my mum?” I asked surprised at the information.

“of course, I did honey, Elizabeth was a beauty let me tell you your father was hooked on her the second he laid eyes on her right here in this very bar” she shared as it all snapped into place.

The story of how my parents had met was that my mum and two of her friends took a two-month tour of America when she hit twenty-one. Every night she visited the same bar where she met a local who insisted he be the one she danced with. She spent exactly three days and three nights in samsonville and fell head over heels in love with my father, my father too so much that he followed her back to England. I know it sounds crazy knowing someone for only three days before deciding you love them, but it was clear to me from a young age that my parents truly did have love for each other.

“This is the bar?” I asked turning my gaze from Marie to Uncle Jesse who gave me a small nod.

“back then they had no grill it was more of a party place for the locals to let lose. There’s a photo of them on the wall behind the juke box, it’s been there for... oh god how many years has it been?” Marie pondered

“Twenty-Two years” Uncle Jesse confirmed, and my heart felt so warmed at the information I was learning. I heard the story from my parents many of times growing up but to be here in this place gave me so much feels.

The adults fell into a conversation between themselves about the good old days leaving me to drown in my thoughts of my parents, my now dead parents. I knew this was my father’s hometown and I was bound to hear a story or two about him but to hear of how he met my mother and how the locals remember the pair had been a stab to my unhealed heart.

“hey” I felt a light touch to my elbow.

I looked up to the guy sat beside me, blonde hair with blue eyes staring back at me.

“Are you doing, ok?” he asked seeming concerned as he tapped his index finger to his cheek bone. It was only that second I realised as I watched his actions that I had so stupidly let a tear slip.

I wiped at my cheek swiftly, clearing my throat and shoving everything to the back of mind. Three weeks without breaking… I was not about to do it now in bar with all the locals.

“Yeah, I’m cool” I smiled “it’s nice to meet you...erm” I halted like an idiot, feck I forgot the guy’s name. can my night get any more embarrassing first I cry then I have the audacity to forget names?

“Lucas” he smiled his bright white teeth on full display.

“Nina” I smiled back grateful that he didn’t ask any questions or pry on my tears.

He seemed like a nice guy, his smile looked genuine, and it felt welcoming. Maybe I had judged the locals too soon, nobody seems to be staring at me like I had imagined they would be, and that fact eased my shy confidence.

“Righty, can I get yall anything to eat, drink?” Arlene’s loud and happy voice snapped the entire tables attention to her.

“Usual steak and fries with a house beer for me darlin” Uncle Jesse was quick to answer as everyone began firing orders at the waitress who seemed to have managed to catch everything everyone had thrown her way.

“How about you sugar?” she asked her brown eyes landing on me.

“Erm, I’ll have the same as Uncle Jesse, with a coke” I answered unsure of what the menu option was as I didn’t get the chance to read through it yet.

“Alright ill have that too you guys as quick as we can” she smiled a blush thickening on her cheeks as Uncle Jesse yet again sent her one of his dashing winks. Man, she had it bad for him and he was eating that shit up.

“So, Nina, are you excited for school tomorrow?” Marie asked leaning her elbows to the table as she focused all her attention on me.

“More nervous than excited” I admitted, I was Hella nervous. I thought I was done with high school being seventeen, but the Americans stick around a few years extra before heading straight to university, or college I believe they call it. I don’t know I can’t keep up anymore.

“Oh, don’t be. Those kids are harmless and you will have our Lucas here as a friendly face” she waved a hand in the direction of her son without removing her eyes from me. I was learning that when Marie gives you her attention, she completely gives you her entire attention.

“I can give you a ride if you like. You know to ease your first day jitters with a friendly face to enter the building with” Lucas suggested his body turned in my direction as he placed an arm across the back of the booth behind me.

“Sure, I’d like that” I agreed, I was kind of thankful for the offer because I was totally dreading my entrance into the school. I’ve watched many American movies growing up and they are far from how I experienced high school in the UK.

“cool” he nodded his head, seeming pleased at my answer.

our food arrived soon after and an easy conversation settled between us all.

The Millers where a lovely family and so welcoming. It was easy to keep conversation with them and surprisingly I enjoyed having dinner with them. The food was amazing like for real I could eat at that place every night and from the information I got from the conversations tonight Uncle Jesse did eat here most nights. By the time we had got home I was drained, I threw myself straight on my bed eager to fall asleep.

I pulled out my phone to set my alarm for school the next morning seeing I had three texts, two from Natalie and one from Ashton. I was quick to click on his name. ‘Missed you today’ his text was simple forcing the cheesiest grin to fill my cheeks. It was silly I know, I was fully aware that I now had no chance with Ashton, he was all the way in Liverpool, England whilst I was all the way in Samsonville, Texas but I couldn’t stop that one voice in my head that insisted... ‘Mum and dad managed, why can’t you and Ashton?’ I huffed aloud throwing myself back against the duvet it was nothing more than wishful thinking, me and Ashton where never going to happen and that’s something I need to accept sooner rather than later.