It wasn’t long before Jake walked over and quietly said something to his friend, and they walked outside together. After that, no one saw Hillard again that evening.
The next thing I knew, we were seated around Julianna’s massive dining room table with the kids seated next to their parents. Mrs. Truman was playing the loving grandmother to Jude as he kicked his feet and banged this spoon against the high chair tray. I chuckled when Caley and Addison gave their moms pouty looks when they were asked to put their phones away before being served.
About halfway through the meal, I clinked my glass with my knife and stood. “If I could have everyone’s attention for just a few moments. I just want to toast Jake and Julianna and Richard and Annie too, for including us in your family Sunday dinner.”
Just as I sat back in my seat, Richard stood up to say something. “I’d like to add just one more thing to the toast. Gavin, you have been my best friend for many years now. The second I knew that you were officially dating Crystal, I was hoping that you had found true happiness. She has always been like a sister to Annie, and as I’ve gotten to know her over the years, I should have done my part in setting you two up sooner. Since I didn’t, I’m glad you two ran into each other… literally.”
Everyone laughed as I glanced at Crystal, whose face was beet red with embarrassment. She and I had been dating steadily over the past few weeks, so I was surprised to see her embarrassed by what Richard was saying. Seeing the way she was reacting made me wonder if we were moving too fast. Crystal was actually a very sensitive person, and I certainly didn’t want to scare her off. I extended my hand under the table and held hers, doing my best to reassure her that everything was alright.
Richard continued his speech. “Crystal, you have always been an honorary member of the Truman family, and now you’re with Gavin. It’s like watching two of our favorite people find each other in this crazy world, and even though I know the relationship is new, something tells me that it’s meant to be. Every time I see Gavin, he has the biggest smile on his face, and I know that it’s because of you. So, cheers to both of you!”
Everyone clinked their glasses and went back to eating, but all I could think about was how Crystal had reacted to Richard’s speech. Maybe I had been moving too fast for her? I ran my hands through my hair and snuck away into the bathroom, where I tried to calm myself.
I started to wonder if I was acting this way because of my weird childhood. I had never been in a serious relationship before. All I had ever known were flings with women who only wanted money. I was always under the impression that once you had sex more than a few times, it was time to move on. The only reason I had taken it slowly was because of Crystal’s apparent apprehension.
Once I calmed myself down, I splashed cold water on my face and walked back into the dining room. Jake and Richard were getting coffee for everyone, and I sat down just in time for dessert.
Crystal leaned into my ear. “I can’t remember the last time I had cheesecake.”
I laughed and wrapped my arm around her, then took a piece off with a fork and fed her a bite. She didn’t seem that embarrassed anymore, but then again, she had been drinking quite a bit of wine.
After coffee and dessert, the rest of the family went into the living room to start a couple of tables of bridge. The Truman’s were known as cut-throat bridge players. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Truman always argued otherwise, but when it came to bridge, the duo was almost impossible to beat.
Mr. Truman was eager to include us, too. “You guys are coming to play, aren’t you?”
I looked at Crystal, who made it clear that she didn’t know how to play bridge. “I think we’re gonna pass.”
Crystal and I grabbed some more wine, and then made our way outside for some fresh air. We sat down on the front steps and stared up at the stars for a few minutes.
“When I was a little girl,” she said, “I used to try and jump up to grab the stars.”
“You must have looked adorable trying to do that,” I replied while running my hands through her hair.
“My mother always told me that if I jumped high enough, I would finally reach one. It never happened, of course, but that’s what I remembered the most about her. She was always telling me to reach for what I wanted in life.”
I sat up and turned to face her. “So, what do you want in life, Crystal?”
She just gave me a blank look. “Well, I want my holistic medical practice, a house with a backyard, and a —”
I held my hand up. “That’s not what I mean, Crystal. I need to know why you were so embarrassed earlier. Were you bothered by what Richard said about us at dinner?”
She sat up, and I could tell that she felt terrible about how she had reacted. “Oh, God no, Gavin. Not at all! I guess, well, I’ve always been a private person, and we haven’t had that conversation yet. I mean, we’ve seen a lot of each other lately, and obviously, I’m happy with you, but it just threw me off guard a bit. That’s all.”
I watched her knees start to shake as she tapped her feet. “It’s not cold outside, Crystal. Why are you shaking so much.”
She turned away. “I know, it’s just something that I sometimes do. We all have nervous ticks.”
“So that’s what it is,” I said. “You’re nervous about being in a serious relationship with me.”
Crystal threw her head back and shook it from side to side. “Not at all, Gavin. As I said, I love dating you. I’m just a private person and was thrown for a loop. You know how us free-spirited people can sometimes be.”
“So what do you want, Crystal? Between us, I mean. What are you looking for?”
Her feet and knees began to shake more, and when she didn’t answer me for a full two minutes, I realized that I’d have to do the talking. “I’ll tell you what I want, alright? I want you, Crystal. Just you. I want to be exclusive and make you my forever girlfriend. You’re the only one that I want to spend time with, nobody else. I want to be able to tell people about you and know that you’re in it for the long haul, too. So tell me, is that what you want?”
She took a long sip of her wine, looked up at me, and nodded. “Yes, Gavin. That’s what I want. I think that’s always what I’ve wanted. I just needed to hear it from you first.”
Listening to her say those words made me feel better about everything. “I want to make sure that you’re fine with where we are right now, because I tend to move too fast, and that’s the last thing that I want to happen with you.”
