A surprise visit

Chapter 4

The following day, after making our plans yesterday, I called Mrs. Rachel to inform her about our visit to Cole. She sounded thrilled, as it appears Cole hasn’t seen her recently. I wonder what’s keeping him; is he too busy to see his closest friends? This made me question why I am heading to visit him today. As I got ready to go to Mrs. Rachel's house so we could head to Cole’s together, the doorbell rang. "No worries, mom, I'll get it," I said, while my mom was getting ready in her room.

I swung the door open to find Cole waiting for me. I was frozen in place; the very person I intended to visit was now standing at my threshold. "Why do you look upset?" Oh, I frowned, "Well, that's because you got here first." He lifted an eyebrow and grinned, ugh, please stop, my heart. "Were you thinking of coming to see me?" I nodded my head, "and we planned to do it today," he laughed, "well, I can head home and you'll come over." I heard my mother's footsteps, "Anne, who...oh Cole, you're here, let him in." Oh, I must have forgotten to invite him in; he entered and glanced around the living room. Not much had changed since his last visit, just a few pictures added to the wall. "I'm sorry for arriving unexpectedly, ma'am," he said, what a gentleman. "Oh, there's no need for that; we were just on our way to Mrs. Rachel's house, so we can go together to visit you," I was already in the process of excusing myself when I felt his gaze on me. Instinctively, I turned to him, unable to read his thoughts; what is causing that look on his face? Abruptly, I sensed my body heating up, and he grinned, then looked at my mom saying, "How about we visit Mrs. Rachel together? I can drive."

I entered my room, my mom didn’t notice; even without him speaking a word, I sensed why he was watching me. On that significant day in Mrs. Rachel's backyard, he remembered. I grabbed my purse and looked at myself in the mirror; my blonde hair was in a ponytail, and I had on minimal makeup. At first, I struggled with what to wear, then I recalled a cream dress I possessed, which I seldom wore, so it appeared almost new. After fixing myself, I made my way to the living room, where he was gazing at the pictures displayed on the wall. "Where is my mom?" I remarked while glancing around, "she's gone to the restroom." Since my mom was diagnosed with diabetes, she has needed the bathroom more often than in the past. While he responded, he continued to gaze at a specific photo; I leaned in and noticed it was my high school graduation picture. I appeared so joyful back then, in contrast to now. Oh, how things have transformed.

After taking his fill of the photo, he glanced at me just as my mother entered. “Sorry for the delay; Mrs. Rachel will be thrilled to see you,” he laughed. “I will be as well.”

We entered his car as we were heading to Mrs. Rachel's; I took a seat in the back while my mom sat in the front with him. A lot was racing through my mind as I settled in, resting my head against the car window. Emilia is coming tomorrow for the holiday, and if she returns to college, she will need enough money. Although she has a job at a diner, it barely sustains her. I pulled my shawl loose; I wore it along with my jacket because it was chilly, but once I was in the car, it felt warm. I glanced at the front seat and caught Cole’s gaze in the rearview mirror; my heart raced as he quickly looked away. How long had he been looking at me? He needs to concentrate more on the road.

We reached Mrs. Rachel's and stepped out of the car. I quickly went to the door and knocked; she opened it right away, saying, "Oh, I was just waiting for..... Cole!" Cole stepped towards her and they embraced. The next thing he says is, "I thought you might be dead by now." I chuckle, and my mom does too. "Ugh, why did I forget you have such a foul mouth? You were the one who taught Anne," he gave me a quick look. "Come on in." Mrs Rachel says.

The atmosphere was pleasant and warm; how delightful can one make it? The apple pie he received seems to bring him joy, as every bite makes him close his eyes, savoring it and reflecting on the past. I stood up from the dining table, having eaten little of the pie, and moved to the couch, sitting with my head resting on my knees. His glances suggest he wants to talk with me privately, just the two of us. I’m aware there’s much for us to discuss, but I lack the courage to confront him. Why do I feel so shy in his presence? It’s not as if I haven’t experienced love or had crushes before, yet something about him feels unique.

I sensed a large hand on my head; when did he arrive? I sat up straight as he removed his hand from my hair; he then sat next to me and asked, "Are you angry with me, Annette?" He inquired, I glanced at him and saw he was already watching me. "What made you believe I’m upset with you, Cole?" I replied, clearly I am angry, you fool. "I left without saying anything, and I regret it." I nodded my head and say "I accept your apology." Now, what should I say next? Hmm, "so, how have you been doing?" I asked, he grinned; he does that frequently. I can't think anything about myself that is amusing.

"I've been well, Annette," he paused briefly and went on, "I got married and now I have a son." I smiled at him; he has indeed accomplished a lot in life. "I heard you brought your son along?" His eyes lit up. "I certainly did; would you like to meet him?" He replies, "Absolutely, I do. So, what age is he?" I look forward to meeting a mini Cole, "he just turned three, I aimed to take him to my hometown." What a caring dad he is! I genuinely wished to inquire about his wife, but I realized it might not be suitable. It would be nice if he mentioned his wife himself, it seems he doesn't want to talk about her to me, he then asked me, "what about you, Annette?" How have you been doing?" My life has been pretty dull, I wanted to say “there's not much going on, other than we all grew up; Edmond has a son now, and Emilia is in college.” My family means everything to me, and as long as they find happiness, so do I. He nodded as if my response didn’t satisfy him; he seemed eager to learn more about me, and I could feel it. “There’s really not much to share, Cole. I graduated from high school, and currently I work for Miss Brighton as a cleaner to assist my father in ensuring Emilia succeeds in school,” I replied. For some reason, I felt a sense of pride for being honest about my life, despite feeling embarrassed about my job.

His expression showed no judgment; it felt as though he comprehended my situation because, after all, there's not much opportunity in such a small town.

To redirect the conversation, he remarks, "Mrs. Rachel's apple pie tasted just as I recalled. Has she shared her recipe with you yet?" Even Cole is aware, lol "nope, she hasn’t, she believes she has more years ahead" and we both laughed, then we heard her say "of course, and who informed you both that I wish to die anytime soon?" We continued to laugh, and even my mom got in on it; I can't remember the last time I laughed this much; it feels great.

It was five o'clock in the evening and Cole was looking at his watch; he appeared to miss his son. "Annette, would you like to visit today? To greet my son? I assure you I'll take you home afterward," I nodded, sensing his eagerness for me to meet his child. "When do we head out?" I inquired, he grinned, "Shall we go now if you'd like?" I smiled as well, "Mom, I'm going to see Cole's son, Mrs. Rachel could you spare me some of the leftover apple pie?" I looked over at Cole, "Do you think he'll enjoy it?" Cole nodded his head, saying, "He'll really love it; if there's anything he enjoys more than me his dad, it's food." I smiled, and Mrs. Rachel added, "Well, he definitely got that from you." He chuckled and Mrs Rachel says handling the apple pie "Here you go, Anne. Send my regards to the young man and let him know his great-grandmother gave him this pie." I accepted it, and Cole approached her to plant a kiss on her forehead. "I promise to bring him another time. Take care, Mrs. Rachel," he said. She smiled, replying, "I'll be expecting him, and you take care of yourself too, Cole." My mom came over to me, reassuring, "Don't worry about me; I can go home by myself." I nodded, saying, "I'll be back before you know it." Both Cole and I exited the house and made our way to his car. He opened the door like a true gentleman and let me in, then went to the driver's seat, and we departed for his home.