Reid
I scheduled our one-year anniversary at a special location on the university campus. Our anniversary was during Easter, when everyone was visiting their families, so we had the place to ourselves.
When I knocked on the door to Mallory's dorm, she opened it with a bright smile. "Hi."
"Hey." I greeted my girlfriend. I showed her the gift in my hand, and Mallory squealed. A few days ago, I went to the nearest Sephora and carefully picked out makeup that I knew she wanted. I knew the products my girlfriend liked because I watched her get ready every day.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, reaching up to kiss my cheek. "You're the sweetest boyfriend ever."
I grinned. "You know it. Ready for our date, or do you need more time?"
Mallory gave a thumbs up. She looked stunning, in a sunflower-colored dress and sunglasses on her head. "Any requirements?"
"Just you." I said, kissing her cheek. I looked around Mallory's room, taking in the pale yellow walls and simple, tasteful decoration. I helped her paint the room last week.
Mallory beamed and rushed over to grab her phone. She slipped on her heels, then turned to me expectantly. "So, can I have a hint on the location of our date?"
"It's five minutes away." I answered, gauging her reaction.
Mallory smiled, knowing exactly what I planned. "Sounds perfect."
We walked hand in hand through the corridors, leaving the building to see Collard's gorgeous exterior. Collard University was reputed for its gorgeous parks outside the campus. It was only a five minute walk to our favourite hill, where I'd set up a picnic for us.
The hill was surrounded by a perimeter of glittering blue lake. I got one of the seniors to lend us their boat to get across the water. Mallory looked ethereal against the blue of the water. This scene reminded me achingly of Capricorn Woods, and the Lake back home.
Mallory lifted her sunglasses so they rested on her brunette hair, tilting her head as she smiled at me. Her sunflower-colored sundress made her skin glow. "What are you thinking about?" she asked me quietly, as we listened to the hum of the day fading into silence.
I reached over to take Mallory's hand in mine, lightly skimming the silver ring on her middle finger with my fingertips. I had an exact replica on my index finger. "You, of course. I'm so lucky to have you."
She snorted lightly, laughing at me. "Even after a year, you're still infatuated with me?"
I held a hand to my heart. "Don't tell me you're not infatuated with me anymore?"
Mallory shrugged, taking my hand in hers. "I'm in love with you, Reid. I think that's better than infatuation."
"And I'm in love with you." I said, leaning over to kiss her. She cupped my jaw in her hands as she kissed me back.
She smiled mischievously at me, adjusting her knee-length dress as she stood up from our blanket. "I have an idea."
I followed suit, loving her enthusiasm. "What is it?"
Mallory took my hand and pulled me over to a massive oak tree nearby. She picked up a stick from the ground and carved two letters into the dirt we stood on. An 'M' and an 'R'.
I frowned. "Our initials?"
She rolled her eyes. "I put them together, like us. It's cute."
"But not permanent." I reminded her. "In a year, those letters will be gone. What will that say about our relationship?"
Mallory raised her eyebrows at me. "So how do we make us permanent?"
"Leave that to me." I said with a grin. I wandered down the hill in search of a jagged rock. Once I found one suitable for the job, I returned to Mallory, who was waiting by the tree. I held up my prize with a smirk, then I got to work on the tree bark with the stone. A tiny streak of bark sap marred the sharp edges of the rock once I was done.
Mallory sighed at me, grinning. "I never thought I'd see you carve our initials into a tree. You're such a vandal." she teased.
I shrugged. "It's better than getting tattoos of our names together."
Mallory wrinkled her nose in response and pushed me away. She took the stone from me as she surveyed my masterpiece critically. "I want to add something to it." She used the stone to carve a tiny heart onto the bridge of the 'R'.
Mallory looked gorgeous against the sun's golden tones, as it disappeared past our hill. She turned back to look at me, and gave me a radiant smile.
That night, when we were lying in bed together, I watched the steady rise and fall of Mallory's chest as she slept. Her parted, full lips were pink from kissing me. I marveled at how gorgeous she was, even while resting.
Moonlight filtered in through the window, cast blue and purple from the glass ornaments lining my windowsill. The colors painted over the lines of Mallory's nose and eyelids. If she looked like sunshine in the day, she was a goddess at night. Cool-toned, mysterious, ethereal.
Mallory cracked open one bleary eye to look at me, resting her palm on her pillow. "Aren't you going to sleep?"
I propped my chin on my arm, looking back at her. I ran my fingertip along the strap of her bra, across the top of her cups. "I'll sleep in a bit, I swear."
She smirked, turning on her side to face me so I could wrap my arms around her. I kissed down her neck, along the graceful lines of her shoulders. When I reached the curve of her breasts, I brushed my mouth against the lace edges of her bra, moving to the dip in between.
I playfully kissed back up Mallory's skin until I reached the shell of her ear. "Get some sleep, okay?"
"That's not fair." Mallory murmured sleepily against my skin. She pulled me closer.
I smiled, burying my face in Mallory's slender neck. I breathed slowly in time with her heartbeat, sinking back into a black river of dreams.
Night-time was always my favorite time of day, where the hours grew silent. Mallory was the girl of my dreams. I knew how lucky I was to love her. Within minutes, I fell asleep as I held her in my arms.
The next morning, I rolled over to see Mallory looking at me. Her eyes without makeup were softer in the early hours.
I kissed Mallory's forehead, snuggling into her warmth. "Morning, sweetheart."
Mallory smiled, running her fingers through my hair. "Morning. Could you make us coffee?"
I glanced at the time on my phone, then my eyes widened. I cursed, getting out of bed. Mallory sat up, looking stunned. I glanced over, hoping Mallory would agree with my idea. "It's my Ma's birthday, Mallory. She's expecting me over for lunch today."
"Of course, go get ready then." Mallory said supportively. She looked at herself in the mirror, then turned to me. "Can I come with you, or is it a family thing?"
I sighed, relieved that Mallory knew what I was asking. "She wants to see you too, obviously. You're family to her."
Mallory wrinkled her nose. "Thank goodness I'm not actually family, though. Can you imagine if we were siblings?"
I laughed, looking through my wardrobe for a good outfit. "That's something I don't want to imagine. What shirt should I wear?" I asked, holding my options out to her.
Mallory scrutinised them. "I always liked how brown looks on you. It matches your eyes."
I tugged off my shirt, buttoning up her choice quickly. Mallory padded over to my closet in her underwear, looking through the drawers for some of her clothes. Because we went over to each other's rooms so often, our clothes often got mixed up.
She took out a white dress and put it on. She glanced at me, lifting her hair up and turning around. "Will you zip me up?"
"Of course." I placed a kiss on her bare back, which made Mallory laugh as I then zipped her dress up. I took her hand. "Ready to go?"
Mallory smiled. "You know I am. How's your mother doing?"
"She's good, don't worry. Tony's coming too, but he's driving there with Nina." I said. I tried not to think badly about Nina when I spoke of her, but I plainly didn't like her.
Mallory frowned, looking into my eyes. "You're okay with Nina being there, right?"
I softened, holding her hands. Mallory knew me, inside out. She intuited my emotions before I felt them and usually, it was perfect having a partner who knew me so well. But recently, it weighed on me that Mallory carried all my burdens, and I carried none of hers. "I'll be fine, Mallory."
We left her room and chose to take the train to my parents' house. I sat with my head resting on Mallory's chest. I felt her lips kiss my head as I pulled her into me.
It was a short five-minute walk to my mother's house. We waited anxiously for her to open the door, but my worry dissipated when my short mother answered the door, glowing with health.
"Mallory, my love, welcome." my mother Jada greeted, embracing Mallory before she turned to me. My mother's frown appeared as she poked my chest. "You didn't call us every day, Reid."
I sighed. "Ma, I called four times a week. My coursework is heavy right now."
Ma smiled heartily, giving me a hug. "It's good that I can feed you now, son. Tony will be coming soon with his girlfriend." she addressed Mallory.
Mallory's smile disappeared. "Jada, Tony's not dating anyone."
I flushed, embarrassed by the mistake. "Ma, Nina is Tony's friend. They're not dating." I told my mother.
Ma chuckled. "My mistake. I've cooked duck and miso soup for you all. Come inside, my sweethearts. I want to hear all about university."
Mallory was a gem with my mother. She answered all my mother's questions, even asked how Ma was keeping with my father.
My mother adored Mallory like she was her daughter, because my girlfriend was so lovable. When Nina arrived with Tony, my mother was equally as cordial. Tony was happy with Nina by his side, but I felt on edge.
"Your house is beautiful, Mrs Fenworthy." Nina addressed my mother.
Ma smiled at her, then looked for my cousin. Tony was my ma's favourite nephew. "Thank you. How are you both?"
Tony grinned, putting his hands in his pockets. "Good, Aunt Jada." He kissed her cheek, then wandered over to Mallory and I. He sat at the dining table, looking at the food. "Roast duck is my favourite dish! How did you know?"
"Liar." I coughed. Tony glared at me, then smiled prettily at my mother. I glared right back, sending him a clear warning. He needed to stop sucking up to my mother.
"Play nice." Mallory whispered, but she was clearly suppressing her smile.
"He's jealous, because I'm the favourite." Tony asserted, brimming with confidence. I reached over to hit Tony's head, but my cousin clearly anticipated it, and rolled his head to the side. My hand caught his neck instead, to which Tony let out an agonised exclamation of pain.
"Reid!" my mother scolded, walking over with a bowl of fresh, steaming rice. "We're about to eat. No violence at the dinner table."
"I'm aware, Ma." I confirmed to her. She frowned at me.
"What Reid means is that the food looks amazing." Mallory intervened, putting her hand on top of mine. Tony scowled opposite my seat, and Nina was staring at Mallory and I in utter confusion. "So should we start eating?"
The meal went without interruption for a solid five minutes. My mother and Mallory were talking eagerly together, which made me smile. Tony and Nina were arguing over the roast duck, which was only expected.
"Hey!" Ma banged the table. Nina and Tony stared at her, wide-eyed. "No arguments today. It's my birthday, and my favourite boys are here with their lovely partners. Now stop fighting and eat."
She stared at us impassively. Tony and I glanced at each other, then lowered our eyes to the food. I surreptitiously smiled at Mallory. Her eyes were alight with happiness as she grinned back, focusing on her rice.
I leaned back in my chair and smiled, tilting my head as I appraised my friends and family. This was going to be a long afternoon.
By the time I finished my dessert, I felt extremely sleepy and content. Ma always knew how to satiate Tony and I, and her tiramisu was beyond delicious. Mallory was looking equally tired, from the way she rested her head on my shoulder. I buried my face in her hair, focusing on her quiet breathing.
"Can you stop the PDA while I'm eating?" Nina complained.
I glanced over at her impassively, then looked away. "No, sorry."
"Reid." Ma warned. "That's rude. Apologise to your friend."
"What's gotten into you?" Tony asked me, his eyes bewildered. Beside him, Nina was watching me with a poker face.
I sighed, wishing I could sink into the floor. "Sorry."
"Like you mean it." Ma scolded.
I stood up from my chair, accidentally waking up Mallory from her doze. "I'm not hungry anymore. Is it okay if Mallory and I leave?"
"No, there's no need to." Mallory said quickly. I felt her touch my arm, and I glanced over at her. She was looking at Nina entreatingly. "Reid didn't mean it, and he apologised. Is that okay?"
Ma looked at Mallory, then glanced at Tony and I. "You boys should play something together. I'd like to talk to Nina and Mallory, alone."
Tony and I looked at each other. "But Ma, there's no need." Tony entreated.
"There really isn't." I agreed with my cousin. He looked surprised that I was on his side.
Ma glared at us to inform her disapproval. Before we knew it, Tony and I were sitting in my old bedroom, playing UNO together. "You can't use a skip twice!" Tony shouted, throwing his cards down.
I frowned at him, because this was the second game where he rage-quitted. "Lighten up, this is a two-player game. We have to make adjustments somehow."
"You're the problem here, Reid. There's no adjustment I can make." Tony said, gathering up his cards. "I'm going to see what Ma's doing with Mallory and Nina."
Tony rushed out of the room and ran down the stairs. I followed him at top speed- thankfully our staircase didn't creak. We fought for the prime eavesdropping spot outside the kitchen door.
"Can you hear anything?" I whispered to my cousin.
Tony had the left side of his face stuck to the kitchen door, aiding his efforts to listen. "Nothing, except Ma's voice. It carries pretty far."
A moment later, Mallory appeared around the side of the door. Tony banged his head on the door and groaned, massaging the spot. My girlfriend frowned at me. "What were you doing?" she asked suspiciously.
I sighed. "Nothing. What did my mother talk to you about? Are you okay?"
Mallory gave me a tiny smile as reassurance, fixing her earrings. "I'm perfectly fine. She's talking to Nina now. Should we go?"
She took my arm and lead me out of the front door. I watched Mallory lead the way, noting the sureness of her steps, and the calm expression she wore. We stepped into the sunshine.
à½à½²à½à¾