be home.
It was not going to go over well.
A thousand times I wanted to beg Tristan to turn around because I was too afraid to actually go through with it. But each time my mouth just couldn’t form the words.
“This is so cool!” Tristan sounded like a little kid as he drove his Jeep into the belly of the boat. I could hardly breathe. “I’ve never driven in to a boat before!”
“Yeah,” I tried to look past the problem I’d created myself to enjoy the adventure. There was no turning back now. “It is cool.”
“I’m so glad we’re doing this today, Callie.”
“Me too.” His smile always made me feel better.
We left the car and spent the trip on the top deck, watching the ocean as we travelled. Tristan had never been on a ferry before, and I didn’t get to go on it often, either. He loved every second of it. He belonged outside, soaking in the sunshine.
About an hour later the boat was docking in Woods Hole. We went back to the car to wait for our turn to drive off. Tristan punched the address information into his GPS. We weren’t far from the fairgrounds.
The gates had been open for less than an hour, but the parking lot already hosted a good sized crowd. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought this was the main event. Everyone was outside of their cars, with tables, chairs and even grills set up. Loud music played from many of the cars as we drove by. Some people played horseshoes, others catch with a football, and someone had even set up a volleyball net. Beach balls floated lazily through the air. Many people flew flags from their cars or had other landmarks set up.
Once the attendant guided us to our spot, Tristan jumped out of the car and started to unload the hatch. Not knowing what to do, I got out to help him.
“Our neighbors seem cool,” he said as he pulled the cooler out. He spread the blanket out on the tailgate. After retrieving two cans from the cooler, he hopped up on the blanket and motioned for me to join him.
I climbed up next to him. He kissed me as he handed me a can.
“Isn’t this great?” He said, looking around at the celebration all around us.
“It’s not what I expected at all.”
“What did you expect?”
“I don’t know if I expected anything, to be honest.” I looked down at the can before I opened it. “Oh my God, Tristan! You gave me beer.”
“It’s a party. People drink beer at parties.” He took the can from my hand, popped it open and gave it back to me before opening his own. I stared down at it, as carbonation fizzed from the opening. I looked back at Tristan, who was already enjoying a sip like it was the most natural thing to do at eleven on a Thursday morning.
I lifted the drink to my mouth slowly, knowing that I should stand up to Tristan, to try to stop him. After all, I was a good influence, right? But what was the big deal about this, that Tristan was so gripped by it? I took a sip, surprised by the bitter, dry taste of it.
“It will grow on you,” Tristan said out of the corner of his mouth as he threw at least half the can back.
I put my head down, looking at the hole in the can for a minute. “Have you had much time for it to grow on you?”
He finished the beer faster than anybody should, and looked at me piercingly. “What does that mean?”
I got really nervous, and took another sip, wincing a little. “Nothing, nothing. I, just, you just seem to know what you’re doing.”
I felt him smile wide, and looked up. He was staring at me with a glint in his eye. “That’s what they all say.”
I flushed and looked away. All the things Taryn had said flooded me, and my nerves got the better of me again. I sipped the beer again without being sure why I did it. It let me down a little that Tristan was right; the taste was already easier on me.
“We didn’t bring anything to do,” I said looking around at everyone else grilling, playing cards or football, being much more social than us. I wanted to distract
It was not going to go over well.
A thousand times I wanted to beg Tristan to turn around because I was too afraid to actually go through with it. But each time my mouth just couldn’t form the words.
“This is so cool!” Tristan sounded like a little kid as he drove his Jeep into the belly of the boat. I could hardly breathe. “I’ve never driven in to a boat before!”
“Yeah,” I tried to look past the problem I’d created myself to enjoy the adventure. There was no turning back now. “It is cool.”
“I’m so glad we’re doing this today, Callie.”
“Me too.” His smile always made me feel better.
We left the car and spent the trip on the top deck, watching the ocean as we travelled. Tristan had never been on a ferry before, and I didn’t get to go on it often, either. He loved every second of it. He belonged outside, soaking in the sunshine.
About an hour later the boat was docking in Woods Hole. We went back to the car to wait for our turn to drive off. Tristan punched the address information into his GPS. We weren’t far from the fairgrounds.
The gates had been open for less than an hour, but the parking lot already hosted a good sized crowd. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought this was the main event. Everyone was outside of their cars, with tables, chairs and even grills set up. Loud music played from many of the cars as we drove by. Some people played horseshoes, others catch with a football, and someone had even set up a volleyball net. Beach balls floated lazily through the air. Many people flew flags from their cars or had other landmarks set up.
Once the attendant guided us to our spot, Tristan jumped out of the car and started to unload the hatch. Not knowing what to do, I got out to help him.
“Our neighbors seem cool,” he said as he pulled the cooler out. He spread the blanket out on the tailgate. After retrieving two cans from the cooler, he hopped up on the blanket and motioned for me to join him.
I climbed up next to him. He kissed me as he handed me a can.
“Isn’t this great?” He said, looking around at the celebration all around us.
“It’s not what I expected at all.”
“What did you expect?”
“I don’t know if I expected anything, to be honest.” I looked down at the can before I opened it. “Oh my God, Tristan! You gave me beer.”
“It’s a party. People drink beer at parties.” He took the can from my hand, popped it open and gave it back to me before opening his own. I stared down at it, as carbonation fizzed from the opening. I looked back at Tristan, who was already enjoying a sip like it was the most natural thing to do at eleven on a Thursday morning.
I lifted the drink to my mouth slowly, knowing that I should stand up to Tristan, to try to stop him. After all, I was a good influence, right? But what was the big deal about this, that Tristan was so gripped by it? I took a sip, surprised by the bitter, dry taste of it.
“It will grow on you,” Tristan said out of the corner of his mouth as he threw at least half the can back.
I put my head down, looking at the hole in the can for a minute. “Have you had much time for it to grow on you?”
He finished the beer faster than anybody should, and looked at me piercingly. “What does that mean?”
I got really nervous, and took another sip, wincing a little. “Nothing, nothing. I, just, you just seem to know what you’re doing.”
I felt him smile wide, and looked up. He was staring at me with a glint in his eye. “That’s what they all say.”
I flushed and looked away. All the things Taryn had said flooded me, and my nerves got the better of me again. I sipped the beer again without being sure why I did it. It let me down a little that Tristan was right; the taste was already easier on me.
“We didn’t bring anything to do,” I said looking around at everyone else grilling, playing cards or football, being much more social than us. I wanted to distract
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