Authors: Adrienne Williams
At the seafood restaurant later that evening, Kayla said that she had something important that she wanted to discuss with Renee and Elliott. “Well, you both know how excited I have been about coming to California, right? Mik and I did some research on transferring hours and apartments before I left. We’ve decided to move here.” No one said anything for what seemed like an eternity to Kayla. “Well, aren’t you guys going to say something?” she asked. Renee said, “But I thought you really liked living in New York, I mean all your friends are there, you graduate soon, and you were really looking forward to working and living in the city. I just want you to be sure this is really what you want, baby.” Kayla said, “I have given it a lot of thought. I even thought about transferring during my sophomore year, but just let it slide. Now seems like the perfect time to do it.” Elliott said, “I think it’s a great idea, if it’s what you really want to do. You could stay with us or you could . . . Kayla said, “Dad, Mik and I are going to look at apartments next weekend. He gets here Wednesday.” Sensing that Elliott was not comfortable with Kayla and Mik’s decision to move in together, Renee said, “You said you and Mik have already researched some apartments?” Kayla took a sip of water and said, “There are some really nice places around UCLA. He’s already been accepted into the residency program there and I only have one class left.” After they finished discussing Kayla’s and Mik’s plans to move to California, Renee said to Matt, “How is Victoria?” He said, “She’s fine. One of the paralegals at her firm had to take a leave, so she has been really busy, but I think she likes it. She’s getting to work on some really interesting cases.” Elliott said, “She’s a smart girl. Has she ever talked about going to law school?” Matt said, “She’s kinda mentioned it a few times. She might do it one day.” After they finished their dinner, they returned to Elliott and Renee’s house. Matt had decided to spend the night as well, so he and Elliott headed into the living room to watch television and Renee and Kayla went into the room that Kayla would be sleeping in that night. “Mom, is it me, or did Dad seem put off by me deciding to move here?” Renee sat on the bed and said, “It’s not that he’s put off about you moving here. He loves that. He’s probably not thrilled that you and Mik are moving in together, though.” Kayla said, “But Mom, I’m not a little girl. Mik and I have made some plans, you know? This isn’t something we just came up with. We’ve been planning to move in together for a while. I’m in love with him, Mom, and he loves me, too. You understand, right?” Renee hugged Kayla and said, “Yes, baby, I do understand. Your dad is just being your dad. They never handle it well when their daughter falls head-over-heels for some guy. I know that Mik loves you. I’ve seen how is he is when he is with you and the way you two can’t keep your hands off each other when you think no one is looking.” Renee couldn’t help teasing her about that last part. “I’ll talk to Elliott. He’ll be okay. Just needs some time to let things sink in.” She kissed Kayla goodnight and left the room.
When she went into the living room to join Elliott and Matt in watching television, the lights were out and the television was turned off. She went into the kitchen and got a bottled water and went down the hallway into the bedroom. She walked in and closed the door behind her. Elliott was already in bed. She climbed in beside him and kissed him softly on the cheek. “You okay?” she asked. “Yeah. Just a little surprised by Kayla’s news.” She nestled in beside him and said, “Are you really surprised, baby? You’ve seen them together. You know she loves him and he loves her, too. So, tell me, counselor, what’s really bothering you?” He took in a deep breath and said, “I don’t know. I just don’t want her getting serious so fast, I guess. I mean she’s so young, and he’s what . . . 29 or 30?” Renee said, “I know of a couple of people who were even younger than she is and they got serious pretty fast. And if it’s the age difference that you’re worried about, you can see that she’s pretty mature for her age.” He said, “Yeah. I know you’re right. I just can’t help the way I feel. You know they’re going to be sleeping in the same bed, right? I don’t even want to think about that.” She kissed him softly on the lips before getting out of the bed and said, “Then don’t.” She went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, placed her hair into a high ponytail and put on her favorite, softest sleep shirt. When she got back into bed, Elliott was sleepily watching television. She said, “You look sleepy, babe. You should get some sleep.” As she was turning off the television and scooting in close to him, he said, “How was your day today? You didn’t do too much, did you?” She rolled onto her stomach so she could look at him and said, “It was actually fun, and then got strange at the end.” She told him about his dad’s conversation with Dr. Moore. “So, he was actually congratulating your dad about the baby, but your dad took it as congratulations for me being a new addition to the family. Anyway, I just played it off.” He pulled her on top of him and kissed her softly on the lips. “You know we’re going to have to tell them soon, right?” She said, Mmhm, I know, but I wanted to wait until after the ultrasound next week.” They were kissing again, and Elliott started to remove Renee’s sleep shirt. She laughed and before he could remove it, she was back on her side of the bed saying “Ah-ah-ah. You’re sleepy and I’m exhausted.” He laughed and said, “I’m never too tired or sleepy for you. You know, if you make me wait, then it’s going to be just that much more next time, right?” She kissed him on the lips and said, “I’m looking forward to it.” She snuggled under the covers and they went to sleep.
The next morning, Renee was up before everyone. She had showered and put on a mink-color cashmere jog set. While she was making breakfast, Matt came in and asked if she needed any help. “I got it, baby. Want some juice?” She poured him a glass of orange juice and sat it in front of him. Matt noticed that she wasn’t making her usual egg white breakfast. Instead she was making buttermilk pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and mixed fruit. He walked over to the stove and gave her a quick squeeze and said, “Mom, you hungry?” She smiled and said, “I just wanted to change it up a bit. But if you want, I’ll make you some egg whites.” He said, “No, this is great.” Elliott came into the kitchen next. He kissed Renee’s lips and said, “You’re up early. What gives?” She said, “I know you have a busy day, so I just wanted to make sure you had a good breakfast to start the day.” As she was saying this, Kayla was getting seated onto one of the barstools. “I like that jog set, Mom. Can I borrow it sometimes?” Renee smiled and said, “Who knows? I might feel generous and just let you have it.” Elliott gave her a sideways glance and wink. “So,” Renee said, “What do you kids have in store for today?” Kayla said that she was going to take one last look at the apartment and then she was going to look at furniture. Matt had become friends with Lena’s and Ben’s next door neighbor’s son, Simon. “Simon and I are going to hang out for a while and then I’m going to dinner with Sonya.” All was quiet for a moment and then Renee said, “Who’s Sonya.” Matt said, “Oh, yeah, I met her at Simon’s. She’s best friends with his sister.” To break the second round of awkward silence, and to get her brother’s back, Kayla said, “She came over the last time you and Dad were at Grandma’s and Granddad’s house. You guys had just missed her.” Renee knew that Kay was filling in some space for her brother, so she just said, “Oh.” She put the last pancake on a plate and told everybody to help themselves and that she would be right back. Renee was feeling a little nauseous and just needed to get away from the food for a few minutes. When she came back into the kitchen, Elliott said, “You okay, honey.” Matt and Kayla were watching them, a little confused. She said, “Oh, yeah. I had something in my eye. Does everything taste okay?” She made herself a small plate of food and ate a few bites. Matt said, “Is that all you’re eating. This is all so good. You should chow down.” Right now, just the thought of “chowing down” made Renee want to hurl. “I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach. You guys eat up, though.” She was on her way to the bedroom again when Kayla said to her, “Wanna come with me to look at that apartment today and maybe we can look at some furniture?” The way she was feeling right now, she just wanted to lie down with a cold towel on her face. “Sure. What time do you want to leave?” Kayla asked if it would be okay if they left at around one o’clock. “Okay with me.” Renee figured by that time her queasiness would be gone. Matt told her that he would clean the kitchen and then head over to Simon’s. Elliott got a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator and left Kayla and Matt in the kitchen. He went into the master bathroom where he found Renee at the sink splashing cold water onto her face. “Is there anything I can do or get for you?” She took a deep breath and said, “I’m okay.” He gave her the bottle of water and said, “Maybe you should take it easy today.” She took a small sip of the water and said, “I’ll be okay in a bit. I just won’t stay out very long.” He kissed her softly and asked, “You sure?” She replied, “Yeah. I’m already starting to feel better.” He held her close and said, “Okay, but take it easy today, and call me if you need anything.” She said that she would. They kissed again before he left.
Chapter 23
When it was time for Kayla and Renee to leave to look at the apartment, Renee’s morning sickness had gone. Kayla had showered and changed into jeans and a
chocolate brown ribbed turtleneck sweater. While Renee was driving she said, “So, how does Mik’s parents feel about him moving to California?” Kayla said, “They’re cool with it. He has a younger brother in San Diego.” Renee changed the subject to Matt. “So, Sonya, huh? What’s that all about?” Kayla said, “Mom, wait until you see her. She is ridiculously cute and she is so nice. She’s a registered dietician and works at one of the hospitals around here.” Renee said, “Well, what’s going on with Victoria? I thought they were getting serious.” Kayla explained that from what she understood, Matt did want to get serious, but Victoria wasn’t ready and they decided to take a break. “Victoria got really upset when Matt told her he was coming here for the holiday. She had wanted him to spend it with her and her family, but with everything that’s happened, he really wanted to come here. He asked her to come along, but she didn’t want to do that, so they’ve been on the outs since before we left.” Renee said, “Well, it is what it is. Sounds like they need a break.” As they drove into the gated apartment complex, Renee said, “This is a beautiful neighborhood and the outside of this place looks very nice.” Kayla said, “Wait until you see the clubhouse and the apartment. It’s beautiful.” Renee and Kayla entered the clubhouse and were greeted by an employee who remembered Kayla. She gave them a tour of the state-of-the-art clubhouse, complete with swimming pool, hot tub, tennis court, workout facility and theater. Afterward, they went to look at the apartment that Kayla had picked out. It was a beautiful space with dark hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, kitchen with separate eating area, a small bar, and all new kitchen appliances. The living room had built in shelves and there was a private patio. The private patio was accessible from the bedroom which faced the courtyard. The bathroom had a garden tub and separate shower, and double sinks. Renee said, “Kayla, this place is lovely. I can see why you like it.” She said, “I know, right? I can’t wait to get it furnished. The model that they showed us is beautiful.” Renee said, “I’m just putting this out there as a suggestion. Did you inquire about furnished units?” Kayla had not asked about that option. The leasing agent did inform them that they did have units that are already furnished and took them to look at a two-bed/two-bath with den. Kayla fell in love with it immediately. “This is perfect!” she squealed with delight. She called Mik to tell him about the furnished option and the cost difference. Of course, Mik was happy with anything that Kayla was happy with. Back in the main office, the agent told them that there was a special going on that month and that college students get a discount. The difference was roughly a couple hundred dollars for a furnished unit. Kayla explained that she and her boyfriend were interested in the unit and that he was coming into town on Wednesday. “I really want to get moved in before then, if possible. The agent made a few calls and explained to Kayla that she would be required to pay security deposit, last month and this month’s rent, and that Mik needed to fax or scan the paperwork to them by Sunday. She called him to let him know the terms, and he agreed. Renee said, “Do you need me to do anything, Kayla?” Kayla knew that her mother was asking her if she needed any money. “No, Mom, we got this.” The agent emailed the paperwork to Mik who in turn scanned the completed forms back. “Honey,” Renee said as they were leaving, “are you sure you don’t need me and Dad to help out a little?” Kayla was giddy and practically skipping back to the car. “Mom, we’re fine. We’ve been saving up, so it’s really okay.” Kayla hugged her mother and said, “Thank you, though, for everything.”
When Renee got home, she was feeling much, much better than she did that morning. She was in the refrigerator debating what to cook for dinner that evening. Elliott came in shortly thereafter and slipped his arms around her waist. He kissed her and said “Thought you were going to take it easy.” She stood on her tiptoes and quickly kissed him and said, “I’m feeling much better. You’re home early.” He led her into the living room and they sat on the sectional. He said, “Are we alone?” She smiled, sat back, and said, “Yeah. What did you have in mind?” He leaned in and kissed her again and said, “You know I love you, Renee. More than you can imagine.” She said, “I know, baby. I love you too. I’m always going to love you.” He said, “This time, I want us to do everything right. No stones left unturned.” Before she could speak, he was removing a small box from his jacket. He opened the ring box and inside was a simple, elegant diamond. Tears ran down Renee’s face. “Will you marry me?” He took the ring out of the box and placed on her left ring finger. She looked at him with those beautiful brown eyes of hers and simply said, “Yes.”