Cookies and Lemonade (part 11)

Crystal looked down the aisle and saw him, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

James was the boy she grew up with. The boy she despised for years. The boy who always wore that light tan Stetson. The boy who gave her the cat she always wanted as a peace offering. He was the boy who wooed her over a plate of Nana Mae’s famous cookies. Somewhere along the way he became her best friend. He was the boy who slowly stole her heart. And now he was hers forever. To have and to hold, for better or worse. 

Cookies and Lemonade (parts 8, 9 and 10)

Crystal walked around the blue house to the backyard. She heard Nana Mae rustling around in her kitchen. This backyard held so many memories. This yard is where she played with her childhood friends, where they quarreled and laughed. This yard is where she wrestled with James Bowers that once when he wouldn’t let her play a game with him and his friends. This is where Crystal had tea parties with her friends, where they raised ‘families’ of their own, and where they traveled the world. As they grew older, this backyard became a place for gossiping, laughing and dreaming.

Crystal walked to the rope swing, a smile slowly growing on her face. The rope felt so familiar in her hand. She pulled the swing back and hopped on with as much dignity and grace as she could muster. Even though she was now nineteen she still loved the feeling of swinging. Going higher, and higher, swinging back and forth. It never got old. Suddenly she felt a push on her back. She turned her head to see James Bowers with a smile on his face. As she swung back again, he reached out and firmly pushed the swing again.

After a few more minutes of him pushing her swing, he grabbed the supporting rope and stopped her momentum. She got off the swing and they sat underneath the big maple tree. They talked about everything under the sun. They talked about their friends, most of whom were married and raising families of their own, and shared memories and new hopes and fears.

Nana Mae looked out her kitchen window and smiled. She knew the looks that passed between James and Crystal. She knew that with each word spoken and each stolen glance, Crystal and James were falling in love.

Cookies and Lemonade (part 7)

James was right.

He overtook Crystal as they reached the end of the drive. Still laughing, they stopped at the end of the drive. Crystal, breathing heavily, sat down.

“I told you couldn’t beat me now,” taunted James, sitting beside her.

Crystal looked over at James with a glare, but that glare quickly dissolved into a smile.

“Alright, I give up. You were right. You won,” laughed Crystal. She sighed. “I haven’t done that in years.”
“Me neither.” James got up, brushing off his pants as he stood. He offered his hand to Crystal. She took his hand and stood. 

Cookies and Lemonade (part 6)

“Nana Mae, I come bearing hungry youngsters,” laughed Crystal as she led the posse into the kitchen. “Thank you for the visit, Nana Mae, but I have to go help Mother with dinner.”

“I’ll walk you home, Crystal,” offered James.

They each said goodbye to Nana and the children, then walked outside.

“Remember when I beat you in that race down Nana’s drive?” Crystal teased.

“Bet you couldn’t do that now,” retorted James.

“I bet I could.” Crystal hiked her skirts above her ankles and ran, looking back over her shoulder with a laugh.

James took off after her, laughing.

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(I am trying to think of a different name for this series. If you have any ideas comment them) :)

Cookies and Lemonade (parts 4 and 5)

James greeted Nana with a kiss on the cheek.

“Hello Crystal,” he said slightly bashfully.

“Hello James.” Crystal smiled.

He sat down with Crystal and Nana. The three of them conversed and laughed over the plate of Nana’s cookies until there came shouts from outside. A posse of children playing outside on the beloved rope swing had gotten themselves into an argument.  The two young adults looked at each other and laughed, remembering the times when they would have been the two causing a similar row. Nana rose stiffly from the table, knowing that she needed to referee the skirmish. 

“Nana Mae, you stay here. I’ll take care of it.”

Crystal rose from the table, as Nana sat gratefully down. Her skirts swished softly as Crystal walked to the backyard.  The two people in the kitchen heard her inquire of the problem involving the rope swing.

James stood, walked to the door and looked after Crystal. She was kneeling in front of a boy and girl, gently reprimanding them in a manner like Nana Mae. The children nodded their heads.

James smiled softly as Crystal rose and walked back towards the house, the posse of children following her like ducklings.