All Over Again - Chapter 8: Chapter 8
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"What the hell was that?" Jana demanded as soon as the three of them got into Ruth's car.
Jana had done well holding back her questions until they back got to the car, and Terry was silent about Raffo altogether, but looked up to Ruth at the question. Terry's hazel gaze blinked up at Ruth through the rearview mirror and she chewed at the end of her lip, awaiting her answer to Jana's question.
Ruth's face grew uncomfortably hot, and she glanced away from the mirror, avoiding their scrutiny. Her thoughts scattered about as she backed her car out of the small parking space and then began driving straight for Uncle Rickey's house. She had no reason to have a jumbled mind, but she had one nonetheless. She was stuck on so many things, but that small basketball game with Raffo seemed to be at the forefront.
Not her overbearing mother, for once, or her school work that was making her pull at the curly strands. All of that she could deal with, though. She had dealt with those her entire life. But a boy? She didn't know the first thing about how to . . . handle one. Sure, she had her first kiss in 11th grade with a boy on the football team. Of course she let her prom date, Juan Rodriguez, hold her hand and kiss her at the end of the night like a typical chic flick film before dropping her off at her doorstep, and she maaaybe hooked up with Natasha Jennings before she moved to Oklahoma, but that was about all the experience she had. With an uptight mother and an overprotective father, she's never had the urge to pursue her feelings. Her crushes were fleeting, lasting only a few months at most.
Even now, she didn't understand what she was feeling. Jana and Terry wanted answers, but they were answers that she herself didn't know how to say. Ruth playing basketball with Raffo was nothing, and their short banter was nothing. She enjoyed the sport and was good at talking to people. Why did there have to be something more to it?
Raffo was attractive. Anyone with eyes could see that. Ruth wasn't immune to his beauty, just as any sensible human being wouldn't be. Why was this case any different?
"Why are you being so secretive?" Jana prompted, eyeing her suspiciously.
"I'm not being secretive," Ruth scoffed.
"Then why are you avoiding my question?"
"I'm not avoiding it. I just don't know how to answer it. There's a difference."
Jana didn't look convinced. "Hmmm."
"All we did was talk and play a little of basketball. I hardly think that counts as anything substantial, Jana."
"He didn't ask any of us if we wanted to play," Jana pointed out.
"He probably didn't want to interrupt your guys' conversation." Ruth dismissed. "I mean, c'mon! You, Mirana, and Terry were all talking. I'm sure he didn't want to be rude. We hardly know each other for it to be anything else."
"It's not too early for him to think you're cute," Terry added. Jana smugly turned in her seat and gave her the biggest, triumphed smile she could muster.
"For once, Terry's on my side? Is the sky falling right now? Is lightning going to strike tonight? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A TORNADO?"
Terry shot her a loaded look. "Ha ha, very funny."
Jana smirked mockingly. She swiveled her calculating gaze back to Ruth and patiently waited for her to say more. Ruth shoved her tongue behind her teeth to keep from snapping in frustration and kept her eyes steady on the road. The only sign of strain was the tightening of her fingers on the steering wheel as her knuckles bled stark white. Her lips refrained from grimacing like she wanted to, and instead she just says, "We don't know each other. He's a cool guy who happens to share my favorite sport, and we were just talking. There's nothing more than that."
Jana didn't look convinced, but seeing how upset Ruth was getting by her constant pestering and teasing, she dropped the matter. Ruth didn't say so out loud, but she was really damn grateful for the momentary silence her cousins had brought her. She didn't feel like talking about Raffo anymore.
By the time they got to their Uncle Rickey's house, the children were already riled up in excitement at having company over. The eldest of the three, Hallie, was the loudest of the bunch at eight-years old, following her six-year-old brother, Junior, nicknamed after his father, and their youngest sibling Tallie was the sweetest baby one could ever meet. By the far the easiest out of the bunch despite the seven and five-year age gaps.
When Ruth came through the front door after the girls had greeted everyone, it was like everyone else in that home no longer mattered. In three distinct blurs, a pile of kids singing her name come rushing at her feet as they bombarded her with arms wrapped around her legs in sweet hugs. Tallie was a little slower to get to Ruth, but when she finally did, an almost toothless grin sprawled across her face with her brown arms reaching up for her cousin.
"Hi guys!" Ruth laughed, reaching down to pick up Tallie while awkwardly hugging the other two.
All three of the children were spitting images of their mother. Long raven locks of hair cascading over their shoulders, almond-shaped brown eyes of three different shades, and a heart-winning smile that meant nothing but trouble. Their cheeks were flushed from whatever activity they had been doing before they all arrived. Ruth pressed a kiss to the warmth of Tallie's.
Their mother, Rose, was next to greet Ruth. Her slender arms wrapped tightly around Ruth's body, being careful of the baby smashed between them, and she pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head. The sweet smell of burnt herbs enveloped her into a relaxed state of comfort and she almost didn't even mind the hint of tobacco radiating off of Rose's body. Almost.
"Hey Ruthie!" Rose greeted. She pulled back just enough to give her a wide smile. "How was California?"
Despite Rose being exactly ten years older than Ruth, she looked relatively young for her age and, if you had to guess; she appeared no older than twenty-five. She took on Uncle Rickey's youthful, espresso eyes and her mother's thick, umber hair. Her high cheekbones perfectly embodied her indigenous heritage to balance out the wide almond-shape of her eyes and her pointed chin finished the oval shape of her face. The beaded earrings dangling from her ears swirled into a beautiful circular design of blues, whites, reds, and yellows.
"Amazing. I missed the lot of you, though," Ruth admitted, pressing a kiss to a babbling Tallie. Her little hands dove into Ruth's curls out of comfort and Ruth allowed it. She never tugged or tangled her fingers deep into them to knot the hair. She just liked to rub the texture between her chubby fingers.
"We missed you too, Ruthie! It hasn't been the same without you," Hallie exaggerated, her arms still wrapped around her left leg.
"What Hallie said," Junior agreed.
Ruth's heart swelled in her chest, but before she could agree with the two of her little cousins, her Auntie Carolyn came rounding the corner with her shoulder-length bob of hair and crimson rimmed glasses. Her comforting smile sprawled across her flushed cheeks, and she opened her arms up to me in excitement. The tired wrinkles around her eyes were suddenly less apparent, her smile blocking them from taking over more of her features.
Ruth talked and exchanged stories with her aunt and cousin Rose while Uncle Rickey cooked in the kitchen. Terry and Jana distracted the kids while they talked to give them all some privacy, and Ruth told embarrassing stories that happened at home. Nothing too bad, but the honorable mentions of her father singing loud songs in the grocery stores and her mother chastising her openly about her weight gain in public after eating her aunt and uncle's amazing food came to mind.
Rose gave her a look of sympathy, while Auntie Carolyne reassured her that her shape was beautiful how it was. Ruth didn't feel that way, but she appreciated the compliment, anyway. It was easy for Rose and Auntie Carolyne to say, with their slender builds and perfect curves that didn't seem off balance. Ruth had the type of figure that you had to watch, because she could easily tip over, and despite her mother's urging in staying on the lighter side of the scale, Ruth wasn't built that way. And what Auntie Carolyne and her mother failed to realize was how hard it was to love a body that she was torn about. Torn between the love for herself, and the need to be what her mother wanted her to be.
Swollen with the taste of Uncle Rickey's delicious food that had been piled high on her plate only fifteen minutes before, Ruth leaned back in her chair at the table, her belly unbelievably stuffed. She placed a loving hand at the center of her protruding stomach and released a sigh of many things. Satisfaction, guilt, fullness, and the desire to take a quick nap.
Surrounding her was her beautiful family, all talking and laughing at the kitchen table with food still on their plates. They joked back and forth, talked about serious topics going on in the world, discussed how their week went, and just enjoyed each other's company. This is what her father missed the most about being in Oklahoma. Koi had mentioned how much he loved having family dinners with Uncle Rickey and Auntie Carolyne and bugging cousin 'Rosie', as he called her, until she got herself in trouble for lashing out at him in front of her parents. Her older brother, Jack, who was currently serving the military, would fist bump Koi under the table after a job well done, before one of the two would finally apologize. Despite their annoyance of each other with a normal sibling-like rivalry among the three, they all absolutely adored each other.
Ruth could tell in the way Rose would talk about Koi and Jack and the fun times they had as children. Koi would do the same thing, but talking about them too much brought an ache to his voice and he would have to stop to regather himself. Then the topic would change to something less emotionally taxing, and that was that.
"You ready to head out?" Jana asked, drawing Ruth out of her thoughts.
Ruth blinked away the sleep from her eyes as she glanced over at Terry and Jana staring at her expectantly. "Oh um- yeah, I'm done eating. You guys want to go now?"
"Yeah, it's getting pretty late. Plus, we still have to drive back so Terry can get some rest before work."
Terry grimaced at the mention of work. "Don't remind me."
"Alright," Ruth agreed.
She didn't want to go just yet, but she didn't want to keep them there for too long since Terry had to work early. So, after helping her aunt and uncle gather the dishes and snagging some in a container for her apartment, she followed the girls out the door. They promised to return soon for another family dinner per usual and turned around to offer some last waves before going back home.
Jana had done well holding back her questions until they back got to the car, and Terry was silent about Raffo altogether, but looked up to Ruth at the question. Terry's hazel gaze blinked up at Ruth through the rearview mirror and she chewed at the end of her lip, awaiting her answer to Jana's question.
Ruth's face grew uncomfortably hot, and she glanced away from the mirror, avoiding their scrutiny. Her thoughts scattered about as she backed her car out of the small parking space and then began driving straight for Uncle Rickey's house. She had no reason to have a jumbled mind, but she had one nonetheless. She was stuck on so many things, but that small basketball game with Raffo seemed to be at the forefront.
Not her overbearing mother, for once, or her school work that was making her pull at the curly strands. All of that she could deal with, though. She had dealt with those her entire life. But a boy? She didn't know the first thing about how to . . . handle one. Sure, she had her first kiss in 11th grade with a boy on the football team. Of course she let her prom date, Juan Rodriguez, hold her hand and kiss her at the end of the night like a typical chic flick film before dropping her off at her doorstep, and she maaaybe hooked up with Natasha Jennings before she moved to Oklahoma, but that was about all the experience she had. With an uptight mother and an overprotective father, she's never had the urge to pursue her feelings. Her crushes were fleeting, lasting only a few months at most.
Even now, she didn't understand what she was feeling. Jana and Terry wanted answers, but they were answers that she herself didn't know how to say. Ruth playing basketball with Raffo was nothing, and their short banter was nothing. She enjoyed the sport and was good at talking to people. Why did there have to be something more to it?
Raffo was attractive. Anyone with eyes could see that. Ruth wasn't immune to his beauty, just as any sensible human being wouldn't be. Why was this case any different?
"Why are you being so secretive?" Jana prompted, eyeing her suspiciously.
"I'm not being secretive," Ruth scoffed.
"Then why are you avoiding my question?"
"I'm not avoiding it. I just don't know how to answer it. There's a difference."
Jana didn't look convinced. "Hmmm."
"All we did was talk and play a little of basketball. I hardly think that counts as anything substantial, Jana."
"He didn't ask any of us if we wanted to play," Jana pointed out.
"He probably didn't want to interrupt your guys' conversation." Ruth dismissed. "I mean, c'mon! You, Mirana, and Terry were all talking. I'm sure he didn't want to be rude. We hardly know each other for it to be anything else."
"It's not too early for him to think you're cute," Terry added. Jana smugly turned in her seat and gave her the biggest, triumphed smile she could muster.
"For once, Terry's on my side? Is the sky falling right now? Is lightning going to strike tonight? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A TORNADO?"
Terry shot her a loaded look. "Ha ha, very funny."
Jana smirked mockingly. She swiveled her calculating gaze back to Ruth and patiently waited for her to say more. Ruth shoved her tongue behind her teeth to keep from snapping in frustration and kept her eyes steady on the road. The only sign of strain was the tightening of her fingers on the steering wheel as her knuckles bled stark white. Her lips refrained from grimacing like she wanted to, and instead she just says, "We don't know each other. He's a cool guy who happens to share my favorite sport, and we were just talking. There's nothing more than that."
Jana didn't look convinced, but seeing how upset Ruth was getting by her constant pestering and teasing, she dropped the matter. Ruth didn't say so out loud, but she was really damn grateful for the momentary silence her cousins had brought her. She didn't feel like talking about Raffo anymore.
By the time they got to their Uncle Rickey's house, the children were already riled up in excitement at having company over. The eldest of the three, Hallie, was the loudest of the bunch at eight-years old, following her six-year-old brother, Junior, nicknamed after his father, and their youngest sibling Tallie was the sweetest baby one could ever meet. By the far the easiest out of the bunch despite the seven and five-year age gaps.
When Ruth came through the front door after the girls had greeted everyone, it was like everyone else in that home no longer mattered. In three distinct blurs, a pile of kids singing her name come rushing at her feet as they bombarded her with arms wrapped around her legs in sweet hugs. Tallie was a little slower to get to Ruth, but when she finally did, an almost toothless grin sprawled across her face with her brown arms reaching up for her cousin.
"Hi guys!" Ruth laughed, reaching down to pick up Tallie while awkwardly hugging the other two.
All three of the children were spitting images of their mother. Long raven locks of hair cascading over their shoulders, almond-shaped brown eyes of three different shades, and a heart-winning smile that meant nothing but trouble. Their cheeks were flushed from whatever activity they had been doing before they all arrived. Ruth pressed a kiss to the warmth of Tallie's.
Their mother, Rose, was next to greet Ruth. Her slender arms wrapped tightly around Ruth's body, being careful of the baby smashed between them, and she pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head. The sweet smell of burnt herbs enveloped her into a relaxed state of comfort and she almost didn't even mind the hint of tobacco radiating off of Rose's body. Almost.
"Hey Ruthie!" Rose greeted. She pulled back just enough to give her a wide smile. "How was California?"
Despite Rose being exactly ten years older than Ruth, she looked relatively young for her age and, if you had to guess; she appeared no older than twenty-five. She took on Uncle Rickey's youthful, espresso eyes and her mother's thick, umber hair. Her high cheekbones perfectly embodied her indigenous heritage to balance out the wide almond-shape of her eyes and her pointed chin finished the oval shape of her face. The beaded earrings dangling from her ears swirled into a beautiful circular design of blues, whites, reds, and yellows.
"Amazing. I missed the lot of you, though," Ruth admitted, pressing a kiss to a babbling Tallie. Her little hands dove into Ruth's curls out of comfort and Ruth allowed it. She never tugged or tangled her fingers deep into them to knot the hair. She just liked to rub the texture between her chubby fingers.
"We missed you too, Ruthie! It hasn't been the same without you," Hallie exaggerated, her arms still wrapped around her left leg.
"What Hallie said," Junior agreed.
Ruth's heart swelled in her chest, but before she could agree with the two of her little cousins, her Auntie Carolyn came rounding the corner with her shoulder-length bob of hair and crimson rimmed glasses. Her comforting smile sprawled across her flushed cheeks, and she opened her arms up to me in excitement. The tired wrinkles around her eyes were suddenly less apparent, her smile blocking them from taking over more of her features.
Ruth talked and exchanged stories with her aunt and cousin Rose while Uncle Rickey cooked in the kitchen. Terry and Jana distracted the kids while they talked to give them all some privacy, and Ruth told embarrassing stories that happened at home. Nothing too bad, but the honorable mentions of her father singing loud songs in the grocery stores and her mother chastising her openly about her weight gain in public after eating her aunt and uncle's amazing food came to mind.
Rose gave her a look of sympathy, while Auntie Carolyne reassured her that her shape was beautiful how it was. Ruth didn't feel that way, but she appreciated the compliment, anyway. It was easy for Rose and Auntie Carolyne to say, with their slender builds and perfect curves that didn't seem off balance. Ruth had the type of figure that you had to watch, because she could easily tip over, and despite her mother's urging in staying on the lighter side of the scale, Ruth wasn't built that way. And what Auntie Carolyne and her mother failed to realize was how hard it was to love a body that she was torn about. Torn between the love for herself, and the need to be what her mother wanted her to be.
Swollen with the taste of Uncle Rickey's delicious food that had been piled high on her plate only fifteen minutes before, Ruth leaned back in her chair at the table, her belly unbelievably stuffed. She placed a loving hand at the center of her protruding stomach and released a sigh of many things. Satisfaction, guilt, fullness, and the desire to take a quick nap.
Surrounding her was her beautiful family, all talking and laughing at the kitchen table with food still on their plates. They joked back and forth, talked about serious topics going on in the world, discussed how their week went, and just enjoyed each other's company. This is what her father missed the most about being in Oklahoma. Koi had mentioned how much he loved having family dinners with Uncle Rickey and Auntie Carolyne and bugging cousin 'Rosie', as he called her, until she got herself in trouble for lashing out at him in front of her parents. Her older brother, Jack, who was currently serving the military, would fist bump Koi under the table after a job well done, before one of the two would finally apologize. Despite their annoyance of each other with a normal sibling-like rivalry among the three, they all absolutely adored each other.
Ruth could tell in the way Rose would talk about Koi and Jack and the fun times they had as children. Koi would do the same thing, but talking about them too much brought an ache to his voice and he would have to stop to regather himself. Then the topic would change to something less emotionally taxing, and that was that.
"You ready to head out?" Jana asked, drawing Ruth out of her thoughts.
Ruth blinked away the sleep from her eyes as she glanced over at Terry and Jana staring at her expectantly. "Oh um- yeah, I'm done eating. You guys want to go now?"
"Yeah, it's getting pretty late. Plus, we still have to drive back so Terry can get some rest before work."
Terry grimaced at the mention of work. "Don't remind me."
"Alright," Ruth agreed.
She didn't want to go just yet, but she didn't want to keep them there for too long since Terry had to work early. So, after helping her aunt and uncle gather the dishes and snagging some in a container for her apartment, she followed the girls out the door. They promised to return soon for another family dinner per usual and turned around to offer some last waves before going back home.
End of All Over Again Chapter 8. Continue reading Chapter 9 or return to All Over Again book page.