Coming Home

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” my best friend said as I dragged her through the mall, bags in one hand, an empty coffee cup in the other. “You know I hate weddings,” she complained, her voice sounding more like my five year old sister’s than a soon to be twenty year old. 

My best friend is what people call a cynic. Though her parents have been happily married for fifty long years, she swears love is a myth. I, on the other hand, love love. I love those sappy Hallmark movies and Taylor Swift love songs as much as I love weddings. 

Which is why I convinced Hayley to be my plus one to my cousin’s wedding at St. Luke’s Church tomorrow. And why we were up to our elbows in pink taffeta and blue silk dresses. The only thing I loved more than weddings was shopping.

“You know you’ll have fun once we get to put on these dresses and those cute wedges you got and dance your heart out!” I replied.

If Haley was yin, I was her yang. Though we’d been friends since the third grade, we couldn’t be more opposite. She was six-foot with raven hair that fell to her midriff. I was just shy of five-feet with my father’s Irish red hair, curlier than a corkscrew. Where she was boisterous and the life of the party, I preferred a good book in a corner. Yet, when Rudy Meyers had called me a carrot stick in Mrs. Crawford’s third grade class, Hayley had come to my rescue and we’d remained best friends since.

“And you can finally dance with a boy,” she chimed.

“Only if Drew is there!” I said, laughing.

I had had a crush on Drew for as long as I could remember. He was often the third in our trifecta. Drew had moved to our small town in seventh grade. Hayley had quickly invited him to sit at our lunch table, and soon we were going on adventures around town together. 

I could never admit to Drew my feelings. What if he didn’t feel the same? I didn’t want to mess up our friendship, and yet I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be more. 

“I’m going to make you look so beautiful tomorrow, he’s not going to know what hit him,” sang Hayley.

I rolled my eyes and pulled her towards my car, secretly hoping her words were true.

—- 

“I hate this song,” Hayley whined as Bon Jovi’s Always played through the speakers in the church’s auditorium. “Let me ask the DJ to play something more upbeat and from this millennium.” 

I had been impressed with how my cousin’s new wife had transformed the auditorium into a winter wonderland theme for their special day. Gone were the rows of red and gold chairs, and in their place, a sea of blues and whites draped over the walls with twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling. I had been even more impressed with how Hayley had somehow gotten my curls tamed into gentle waves cascading over my shoulder. She had slept over the night before so we could have enough time to prep ourselves. Though I tried to deny it, my stomach had been in knots all morning waiting for Drew to see me like this.

And yet, he still hadn’t shown. Hayley had texted him last night to confirm he was coming, and he assured her he would stop by. I hadn’t seen him in four months since he went off to college in the fall. One thing Hayley and I had in common was our desire to stay home and go to the community college down the road. Not Drew. He had applied to a college in Georgia, a full twelve hour drive away and had excitedly left our small town for bigger pastures. But he had texted us last week to tell us he was coming home for winter break and said we should catch up.

Now, I stood by the food table, waiting awkwardly for Hayley to come back by my side. Where was she anyway?

“June? Is that you?” A deep voice shook me out of my reverie. 

I turned and looked up. “Drew! You came!” I said, going in for a hug. 

“Hey June Bug,” he replied, wrapping his arms around me. He held me for a moment longer.

“Drew! Is that you? Finally!!” Hayley’s voice cut in as she skipped towards us. She wrapped him in a hug and then proceeded to swat his arm. “What took you so long? We’ve been waiting for you for an hour. Doesn’t June look great?” 

She really was a faithful friend. I blushed under his gaze. 

“She definitely does,” he said. He cleared his throat and put on a smile. 

“Oh! June!” Harley squealed, turning to me, “I asked them to play your favorite! Drew, aren’t you going to ask her to dance?” Hayley smiled innocently. 

“Erm. Yeah,” he stumbled, “June, would you like to dance?” 

I nodded as he took my hand and led me to the middle of the dance floor. He pulled me close and started swaying to the slow Taylor Swift song in the background. 

“I’ve missed you, June,” he said. 

“I’ve missed you too, Drew. Though I had figured you would have made other friends by now to replace us.” I teased him, half hoping it wasn’t actually true.

He shook his head and sighed. “You know, I couldn’t wait to leave this small town, but now that I’ve left, I can’t seem to get it out of my head.”

I smiled up at him warmly.

“Well actually, if I’m completely honest, there’s just one person that I can’t get out of my head.”

I looked around. Did he really just say what I thought he said? My face must’ve showed my confusion because he continued, “June, I’m sorry it took me leaving to realize.” He brushed his hand through my hair gently. “I think I love you, June. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Words left me, but I found myself nodding. He gently lifted my chin up and as his lips met mine, I knew he had come home.