Chapter 3
Lani tipped the taxi driver and stepped out in front of her family home. It was picturesque, the large trees stretched upwards and offered shade, and seasonal flowers had been planted along the pathway making the air fragrant. To her surprise the fountain that had long been broken was burbling and splashing once again, birds bathing within it until she approached the red front door. Using her key to enter, the brightly lit interior welcomed her inside.
"Mom I'm home! It smells great in here!" She called out sentimentally. Hellen, her mother appeared out of the kitchen to meet her in the hall. She was a short woman, with dirty blonde hair cut in a neat bob, her cheeks covered in freckles, and brown eyes that squinted with her genuine smile.
"It's so good to see you honey, I've missed you so much." They hugged tightly.
"It's nice to see you too. I love what you've done with the front yard, it's beautiful!" Lani complimented.
"Thank you, I've been trying to revive the garden this year." A loud ring sounded in the kitchen and Hellen hurried to the oven. "I made our favorite cookies." She grabbed the oven mitts and bent down to retrieve the fresh baked goods. The mouthwatering scent intensified as Lani sat on one of the nearby wooden chairs.
"Oh, Mom, you didn't have to trouble yourself making those."
"Does that mean you don't want them and I can eat them all?" Hellen teased.
"Wait a minute, I never said anything about not wantin 'em." She said slipping into a southern drawl. "Let's share." They laughed at their playful banter.
"Okay, but they have to cool for a few minutes or we'll both burn our mouths." Her mother said more seriously. They sat with two glasses of milk and warm chocolate chip and cranberry raisin cookies that were golden brown, soft, and cakey. It was not a popular combination but it was one that Lani grew up with and loved. Biting into these cookies was like traveling back in time, they were her dad's favorite too and she could almost hear his full bellied laughter as she ate them.
"How did you know you loved dad?" Lani asked, pulling away from the memory, setting the cookie down, and took a swig of milk to wash away the gooey chocolate on her tongue.
"It's hard to pin point just one thing because I loved so much about him. Raymond was an interesting man who followed his own path. So many other people just grazed the surface of life but he dove right in to new adventure, hungry for more. I couldn't help but get swept up in his spark. I was drawn like a moth to a flame and the rest is history." Hellen explained, a sad longing in her tone.
"Don't moths burn up when they touch flames?" Lani asked skeptically.
"True, but most relationships are built on sudden passion that burns hot and fizzles out. Love like we had was constant, Ray's heart burned with a kind and generous heat." Her throat felt tight, her voice cracked, and her eyes welled with tears. "He was the goodness I hoped was still in the world." Hellen said, silently wishing fate hadn't taken him from her so early. She took a few calming breaths, the scar of grief for her dead husband still tender and raw.
"I miss him too. I wish I could remember more." Lani admitted, reaching out to sooth her mother's pain.
"Oh honey, it's not your fault, you were so young when he passed." She dabbed at her eyes, "What I want to know is who has got you thinking about love?" She smiled coyly taking another bite of cookie, packaging away her grief and bringing the conversation to the present instead of the past.
"Just a guy I met when I was out with Stacy. It's nothing yet, just one night." Lani admitted, feeling her cheeks warm slightly.
"You miss all of the shots you don't take." Hellen said, eyeing her daughter over the rim of her glass, taking a slow sip of milk.
"I guess I'm just trying to figure out if he's worth my time. I haven't had the best track record with guys before and I don't want to get swept up into someone just to find out six months later it meant nothing." Lani admitted.
"I know dating can be hard, especially these days with the internet but you should follow your head and your heart, not just one. So, tell me, what's he like?" A bigger smile spreading across Hellen's face as she waited for the answer.
"He's a gentleman, handsome, and witty." She said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger slowly in thought.
"Well, you don't find many of them around anymore. How does he make you feel?" She asked, seeing how her daughters' eyes glazed over in memory.
"Like I've got butterflies in my gut. Like I'm special, he wasn't just looking at me, he was seeing me, even asked to see my art when that came up." Lani said, feeling those butterfly wings flap inside her as she spoke.
"You are special, you are my only daughter and very talented in so many ways. I trust your intuition, your father always said to follow mine. I made some of the best choices for my life that way." Hellen encouraged.
"How do I know if he feels the same way? If he's serious?" Lani asked, feeling the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her chest. She'd been hurt before and it was hard to make deep connections with people she wasn't sure would stick around.
"Sometimes it comes down to if he's there for you when times aren't so easy. If he sticks around when life gets tough, you'll know his answer. You could also go out with him and ask." Hellen answered sagely.
"You make is sound so easy." Lani grumbled.
"Communication and honesty go a long way. Talk, spend time together, get to know each other. See if what you want and what he wants are compatible, if it doesn't work out for one reason or another, know that it won't be the end. There is someone for everyone. Do you have any pictures?" Hellen smiled again, as Lani shouted a little too loudly.
"Mom! Way to ruin a perfect motherly moment." Lani snorted.
"Looks aren't everything but they sure do factor into the mix." Hellen shrugged and laughed.
"Wow I didn't know you were so vain." Lani joked, then opened her socials to check his page. Dozens of new photos popped up, his blue eyes piercing and bright in each one.
He accepted my friend request!
She thought with glee, handing her phone over.
