North Tower. It is shocking to her that it's the year 2011. It's already been ten years since her death! Yes, sometimes she has nightmares about it. She's mostly moved on, though. She has a wonderful boyfriend that she is sure she wants to marry som...
"Girl! I just got a date with the cutest guy I've ever met!" My best friend squeals over the phone. She's over fifteen years younger than me, but we've been inseparable ever since we bumped into each other at a Washington Capitals game two years ago.
"Oh, really?" I ask, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I comb my daughter's hair. "What's his name? Where did you meet him?"
"Don't freak out," my friend says slowly. "His name is Mohammed. He plays for the Albany Capitals, and I met him at Autograph Night last night. We just started flirting, and I gave him my number in the end. My dad's really fucking mad at me because Mohammed is Muslim and from the Middle East, but who honestly cares?"
"Who has time to add more hate to an already hateful world, Ryan?" I roll my eyes. "Two great questions that can only be answered by this simple phrase: people that have absolutely nothing better to do."
"Words from the mouth of a poet!" Ryan tries to sigh dramatically, but it just ends up as a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry, Jules. Anyway, Mohammed and I are going to the coffee shop at noon, which is in two hours, and I want you to help me decide what to wear."
"Absolutely!" I agree. "I don't have any other plans today, so I can come over there for however long you want. I'll just have David watch Miriam and baby Ilya for the time I'm over there."
"Thank you so much, Julia!" Ryan squeals.
I am at Ryan's new apartment in Albany in less than a minute thanks to my spirit teleportation that I gained when I died in 2001. We work for about half an hour on what Ryan is to wear to the coffee shop.
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We finally decide on the perfect winter outfit: a light sweater with a wraparound scarf on the top paired with skinny jeans and Ryan's favorite boots on the bottom.
I am braiding her beautiful red hair as she stares into the bathroom mirror, making sure that the amount of mascara she has on is absolutely perfect.
"You look nervous, girlie," I let out a little giggle.
"I mean, it is a first date," Ryan adds a bit more eyeshadow to her pretty face. "I like Mohammed a lot, and I'm excited to see where this goes. I'm just afraid that I'll mess it up and never be able to see him again."
"You won't mess up, Ryan," I assure her as she grabs her purse and rests the strap on her shoulder. "He's probably worrying about the same thing. Just be calm and you'll get through it. You really do love him, right?"
"Of course I do," a small smile spreads across Ryan's face.
"Then don't be afraid of anything," I pat her free shoulder. "Go to that coffee shop and meet the love of your life."
Ryan laughs. "Thanks for all the advice, Jules. I promise that I'll text you during the date to tell you what's going on and if it's working out."
With those words, she walks out the door. I teleport back to my house in the nation's capital and immediately sit down next to my husband and children on the couch.
"Did you girls pick out a good outfit?" David smiles as our son, Ilya, grabs onto one of his fingers.
"Of course we did," I nod. "She just left for the date a few minutes ago. She's going to live-text me as it happens."
As the words leave my mouth, my phone alerts me of a new message. I lift it off the coffee table and check the notification.
NEW MESSAGE FROM Ryan
"She just texted!" I exclaim to my husband. "I wonder what she has to say. Oh, I hope it's something good about the date!"
Ryan Just parked at the coffee place. I see Mohammed. Oh MAN I am so nervous. Oop—gotta go. He just saw my car and waved at me.
"What does it say?" David asks as Miriam climbs up on the couch next to him.
"She arrived safely," I quickly tell him before sending a text back to Ryan.
Me Omg good luck girlfriend! I hope everything goes perfect. Maybe a sweet kiss at the end?
Ryan Oh lordie I hope so! We just said hi to each other and I'm sitting across from him now.
Ryan Aww Julia! He says he loves my outfit. Alright, I'm going to put my phone away for a while. I want to talk to him.
Me Fine with me. Get to know that man!
"It's going really well so far," I inform David. "Mohammed loves the outfit that I picked out for Ryan. I don't want to bother her right now, though, because she says she wants to talk to him."
"It's going better than some of the dates I went on before I met you," David chuckles. "I hope it works out for Mohammed and that girl. Ryan seems like such a nice young lady who deserves a person that treats her right."
"I just hope that her father doesn't try to hurt them," I sigh.
"What do you mean?" David looks at me with a confused expression.
"Her father's one of them anti-Muslim, anti-Arab kind of people. You know what I'm talking about?"
"Oh," David nods. "There's a guy on my beer league softball team that posts stuff like that on Facebook all the time. Jensen, I think. America is a Christian nation instead of a Muslim one kind of stuff."
"Jensen?" I question. "Is he related to Ryan?"
"His name is Micheal, if that helps," David suggests. "We call him Mick."
"That's Ryan's uncle!" I exclaim. "It seems the whole family likes to disparage people that aren't like them. Straight, white, Christian Americans."
"We fit into those four categories," David says. "So does Ryan. Why does her father still terrorize her about dating that Mohammed guy?"
"Her family also dislikes anyone who supports the so-called terrorists," I massage my head.
"You know what?" David pats my shoulder as he turns on a children's program for Miriam. "I'll have a good, long talk with Mick. I'm probably not going to change his mind, but I'll try my best to knock some sense into him."
"Thank you," I kiss his cheek. "Talking nicely works wonders sometimes."
About an hour later, Ryan sends me a message.
Ryan Date just ended. Guess what??
Me What?
Ryan He kissed me before I got in my car to leave!
Me OMG hon! Yes!!! Second date?
Ryan We haven't planned yet, but he agreed when I asked!
Me Sweeeet!
The relationship is going well between the two participants, but will it last between their parents?
