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Linda beamed, the smile flooding her entire being as Bob glided his hands against each other, indicating their labor had reached its end at last. She crossed her arms in the entryway, wanting to take in the culmination of a month’s work. Well, truth be told, Bob had partaken in most of the work, but he’d insisted—not because of long outdated gender norms, but because he’d been so enthusiastic about turning their empty apartment into a liveable space. Linda had adored it from the start, because every time they visited the place, it felt as if they were the only two people in the world. However, Bob was eager to make enough renovations to turn the dilapidated, run-down space into the envy of everyone in town.
And now, she was more than proud to say he’d succeeded. From the framed photographs and paintings hung on various walls, to the stocked kitchen where Bob would prepare future meals, to the living room where they would stretch their weary limbs, she could already picture them staying for years to come. She hoped they wouldn’t get evicted for any reason, though if they somehow found themselves in a tough situation, she supposed she’d be able to smooth over everything. People loved her. At least, she hoped they did.
Well, she was knowledgeable about two specific people who loved her, no matter what. She leaned against the wall, and her expression must have given her thoughts away because Bob let out his signature, familiar groan. The deep rumble of his throat could have shaken the apartment. She raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms again.
“Don’t tell me you’re still annoyed about my parents visiting. You’ve never even met them before! Oh, Bobby, this is going to be such a beautiful moment.” She clasped her hands together, her foot giving an involuntary lift into the air. “You’re not worried they won’t like you, right? I know they will.”
“No. well, maybe a little. But it’s…” He hesitated, shifting his weight from one foot to another. She glanced at him, motioning with her hands for him to continue. “... I just wanted to keep this place to ourselves for a bit longer.”
She placed a hand over her chest, “Awww, Bobby—you’re getting sentimental about this apartment already?”
“I wouldn’t say sentimental .” He made a face, his features scrunching. “Are your parents respectful of other people’s spaces, at least?”
She scoffed, giving a dismissive hand wave. “Of course they are. They’re going to be thrilled about all this. Lord knows they’ve been pestering me to get married forever.”
He became flustered because of her word choice, his cheeks flushing and his usual eloquence replaced with shocked stammering. Linda hadn’t meant to use the “M” word, but now it was out in the open; she was planning to make that sacred promise with Bob one day, but it was soon enough to bring it up.
She wrung her hands, hoping she hadn’t made him uncomfortable.
“Not that we’re getting married anytime soon!” She said, correcting herself. “But they’re relentless about me being in a relationship now. Of course, back in high school, when I had Vinnie, they kept telling me I was too young. They can’t make up their minds.”
“Who can’t make up their minds?” A familiar voice asked. Linda almost leaped a foot into the air, not expecting the sudden interruption. She turned to see her parents standing behind her, fresh off their flight from Florida. They were both donning colorful, tourist Hawaiian shirts, it hugging Gloria’s rather enormous frame, and they even had leis hanging around their necks. It was clear what kind of weather they were used to (and what their shopping habits were like). Gloria even had her graying hair pulled into a tight schoolteacher bun.
“Mom, Dad!” Linda scrambled over and pulled them into a tight hug. “How was your flight? And how did you get all the way up here?”
Gloria grinned, playing with the lei around her neck. “The nicest doorman let us in and told us your apartment number. When we got here, we found the door unlocked.”
“They need to work on the security in this building,” she said under her breath. “Though we left our door unlocked, so maybe everyone needs to be safer from now on.”
“ What ?” Al asked in a loud, piercing tone. His hearing was already fading because of his age, but he refused to purchase hearing aids for himself. This meant conversing with him was frustrating on the best of days.
Gloria gave a disapproving shake of her head, sending Linda’s cheerful attitude plummeting into the depths of her stomach, “Linda, you know your father hates it when you mumble, it makes him unable to hear a word you’re saying.”
Her mother leaned forward, a scowl forming on her face. “What did we say about big girl voice?”
This was the last conversation she desired to have with Gloria, and in front of Bob, no less. She didn’t enjoy being reminded to speak at full volume to be heard as if she were a child. This was not the first impression she had been expecting and hoped it wouldn’t remain that way.
“Um, hi, I’m Bob, I hope Lin— Linda’s mentioned me before.” Bob stepped forward, providing an awkward wave of greeting.
Her shoulders relaxed, grateful for the change of subject. “This is the boyfriend I was talking about, Ma. You should see him in the kitchen. He’s an artist.”
Bob gave a shy smile at the compliment, and if her parents weren’t visiting, she would’ve marched over and pecked him on the cheek.
Gloria scrutinized Bob for a moment, scanning his body as if she was an X-ray, and let out an indignant huff. “I thought you were dating Hugo. What happened to him? What a sweet young man.”
Her days of being with Hugo felt as if they were an eternity ago, long since lost to the sands of time, never to be seen for as long as she wanted. However, her mother had to dig those memories back up as if she were a reckless archaeologist. “That was a long time ago. I already told you, he had no ambition. Bob has goals. He wants to be a restauranteur.”
Gloria shot Bob a look, complete with scrunched eyes and a twitching nose. “Is this true, Bob?”
Linda didn’t appreciate the way she’d said his name. Based on his pinched expression and the way he adjusted the collar of his shirt, he wasn’t eager to answer. She knew she needed to step in, or Gloria would escalate the situation to unimaginable heights.
“Of course it’s true!” Linda leaned against his shoulder, nodding at Bob to continue. “He’s going to have a place one day, everyone’s going to adore it, and you’re going to forget all about Hugo.”
Gloria’s mouth became a thin line, and she glanced at her husband for support, but it was clear he hadn’t been paying attention the entire time. He was swatting at his own hearing aid, so Linda assumed there was a problem with feedback. She let out air through her nose in an annoyed gesture and shook her head. “It’s not just Hugo, Linda. Can you please start being realistic about your future?”
That question struck Linda, her mouth agape.
✧ ✧ ✧
Bob knew it was just a matter of time before he had to face the reality of his and Linda’s relationship. She was an incredible woman with a promising future, and he wanted to flip burgers for a living. Sure, it was the ideal occupation for himself; it was his way of telling his father, “Look at me, I can accomplish everything you have, but better”. Though Linda presented her future prospects to her parents with a smile, he thought Gloria's question was still worth considering.
Not that he enjoyed the woman’s presence. Far from it. He felt as if he were a fraud being paraded around, knowing that their restaurant would face financial difficulties. And oh, how they would struggle in the beginning. The idea horrified him the more he dwelled on it and forced himself to take a breath. He thought Gloria said something, but he couldn’t quite make it out over the roaring waves of his own inner voice.
He didn’t deserve Linda.
But before he could even utter a word, a vivid memory flooded his mind, causing him to take a step back in shock.
It was of himself volunteering to talk to Ginger that fateful night when she’d argued with Linda about not spending enough time with her. Then, when he assumed it was over, another memory struck him. That time, it was of himself making Linda a burger when she was hungry, and her giving her an enthusiastic stamp of approval. And last of all, he saw himself suggest they take out wine and talk about themselves more when Linda had informed him of the stressful day she’d experienced.
It reminded him of all the times he’d given her some form of comfort. Even if he still thought it didn’t compare to how much she’d given him, it wasn’t insignificant.
Maybe, just maybe, that was what she saw in him.
He took a step forward again, clearing his throat, and he realized with a shock that Gloria and Linda had been arguing the entire time he’d been reminiscing.
“What is it, Bob?” Gloria glared, again emphasizing his name in a condescending tone.
“I think this needs to stop.” He wondered for a second if it was too late to stop talking once everyone’s eyes were on him. He shook his head, desperate for the uncomfortable feeling to leave.
“What needs to stop?” He didn’t appreciate how her voice oozed with fake innocence.
“You’re interrogating Linda.” He pinched the space between his eyes, hoping she would get the message of how exhausted he was. “I mean, ‘big girl voice’? Who says that to their grown daughter?”
He could almost see the cartoonish steam flowing out of Gloria’s ears, “I think—”
“No, you don’t think, which is why you’re arguing with Linda.” He knew Linda wouldn’t approve of this comeback, but it felt satisfying to say. He had just spent an hour with these two and was already ready to send them back to wherever they came. “Look, I think one thing we can all agree on is that we love Linda.”
Gloria didn’t say a word in response.
“And some days, well, most days, I feel afraid of our future. Who wouldn’t be afraid of our future? But I think Linda’s stuck with me all this time for a reason, and it’s not fair for you to decide what she wants. She already has.”
Her chest heaving with excitement, Linda turned towards him, a wide, beaming grin spreading across her face. “Oh, Bobby, that was beautiful.”
Gloria's expression grew even more displeased, and she gave Al’s shoulder an aggressive shove. “You know what, Al? I think it’s about time we left.”
Bob gave an innocent bat of his eyes. “Already? You just got here.”
“No, we’ve seen all we need to. Linda, you’ve made your choice, haven’t you?” Gloria asked, her words sharp and unforgiving.
A small part of Bob felt a pang of guilt because he remembered how excited Linda had been to have her parents visit. She believed it would be a “beautiful moment”. In some ways, it was cathartic, but he wouldn’t call it beautiful now.
However, the guilt dissipated when Linda leaned toward Gloria. “Yes, I have. Am I saying this loud enough for you?”
“Al! Are you still not going to say anything?” Gloria’s words did nothing to gain any sympathy from Al, or even stir him from his reverie.
“I think I want everyone to stop yelling,” He then faced the door. “Why is everyone so upset with each other?”
“Have you not been— what is wrong with you?”
That seemed to be the last straw for Linda, who pointed towards the same door her father was facing. “You need to leave now. Thanks for coming, though.”
With a dramatic huff, Gloria snatched Al’s arm and marched out with him, making sure to slam the door behind her.
Once they were gone, Linda slid against the door to the ground, letting out a weary sigh. She shook her head.
“Those were the worst people I’ve met in my life,” He said to break the silence settling over them. That earned him a “Hey!” from Linda.
“But I am sorry about all of that, Bobby. I love my parents, I do. They can just be a bit… much.”
“Your mom belittled you, Lin. I… well, you’re amazing, and I don’t deserve you, but—”
“You need to stop saying that.” She put a hand on her forehead, something she did when she had a hangover or a long day at work. “I’m not worried about the possible financial repercussions of owning a restaurant. Can we think about all of that later, and for now, just sit together?”
“Oh. Of course.” He eased himself next to her on the ground, and without hesitation, Linda let her head rest on his shoulder. He looked away so she wouldn’t see how bright his face was getting. It intensified once she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, the soft, familiar feeling of her lips lingering on his skin. “I love you.”
She let out a small hum in response. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now.”
“I can imagine how your mother would’ve reacted if you did it in front of her.” The image appeared in his head, and he let out a deep, throaty chuckle.
“She would’ve been like ‘Al! Are you seeing this right now? The nerve of our daughter!’” Linda scrunched her face to better match Gloria’s constant disapproving expression.
“It’s kind of scaring me how accurate your impression of her is.”
“I lived with her forever,” she said when her stomach let out a low, but perceptible, rumble.
He nodded his head to the left. “Do you want me to try out our new kitchen for the first time?”
“Do you think I’ll ever say no to a meal from you?”
He chuckled again and forced himself off the ground, his knees making a loud popping noise as he did so.
“Don’t get old on me already,” Linda teased, earning her an eye roll from him.
“No, I think it might be a sort of good thing,” He said, striding in the kitchen’s direction. “Older means we’re still here, right?”
Linda’s voice then turned serious all of a sudden. “Do you think it’s always going to be like this? Us arguing with my parents?”
“I don’t know. Just like I don’t know what our future holds. And based on today, things in that regard don’t look good.” When he saw her expression fall, he continued as fast as he could. “But we might be okay. We’re still surviving somehow.”
She let out a breath as if she were sighing with relief. “Thank you. Oh, and can you also make me something with chocolate? I don’t care what, as long as it has those dark, savory bars of deliciousness.”
He nodded, and as he entered the kitchen with its familiar porcelain counters and walls, it was as if someone had lifted a weight off his shoulders, at least a little. Despite everything, maybe his and Linda’s future wasn’t as bleak as he thought. Maybe they could make things work. Maybe they could be okay. Maybe they could survive.
Gloria and Al were still the worst, though.