Dominoes 107b: Home

They walked back to the car, Robert’s arms full of purchases. It seemed unfair to him that, having paid for them, he should have to carry them, but everyone else’s hands were filled with bags.. Their free hands, that is. Caleb was still stolidly holding Jenny’s hand.

“Grace, grab my keys, will you, and open the door?” Robert said, “Thanks. Is everyone ready to go back to the house?”

‘I think we had better,” Grace said.”Your car is about to break down with all we have bought.”

Robert laughed and they drove off in silence. “Did you get everything you needed?” Caleb asked Jenny as they sat awkwardly together in the back.

“Oh, I did great. Did you two get some good books at the bookstore?”

“No. Their was a good story, but I didn’t buy it.” Robert looked at him in the mirror, and he was grinning. He looked over at Grace, who was busy fingering her ring.

“It looks good on you,” Robert said.

“I think so too. I need to call my mother.”

“Probably a good idea. But you might want to wait until we get home.”

“OK.”

They pulled up in front of the house, and Caleb and Grace helped Jenny and carry her stuff up to her room. Then Grace went to Robert’s room to make her call. Robert went into the kitchen where his mother was cooking.

“Did you have a nice shopping trip, dear?” His mother asked him.

“Very nice, mother. I bought Grace a ring.”

His mother was facing away from him, and froze in the act of cutting up a tomato. “A ring, dear?”

“Two rings, actually.”

“Nice rings, dear?”

“Very nice. The one has a diamond on it…”

“Oh, oh, Robert!!” Mother said, screaming and leaping into his arms (having put the knife down). “Oh, I’m so excited. Jenny, Caleb, Robert just told me….” Her voice trailed off as she stared at the two of them, as they stood there holding hands. Jenny, suddenly realizing what she had done, blushed. “Jenny? Caleb?”

“I’m going upstairs,” Robert said, leaving the two to their awkward explanations. His heart beat almost out of his chest. He heard Grace on the phone,

“Yes, of course I was surprised. It just came out of the blue. I had wanted him to… well, I had been pressuring him to sleep with me. Well, yes, that wasn’t very nice of me. But I couldn’t believe he kept saying no. I thought he didn’t want to. I guess he really…”

Robert came in, and closed and locked the door. “Ummm, Mom, I think I need to go now. Yes, I’ll talk to you later. Thanks Mom.” She flipped her phone closed and looked at him. “Where is everyone else?”

He moved over toward her, reaching out to touch her face. “Downstairs.”

“Did you tell them?”

Robert started playing with the buttons on her blouse. “I told mother that I had given you your rings. But then Jenny and Caleb came downstairs, holding hands, and she got distracted.”

“Oh, Bobby,” Grace said.