summer romance (e.d.)

eleven

anna

"good morning!" lisa singsongs as she bustles past me, clearly in a rush of some sort.

"good morning," i smile. "i saw on my schedule that sundays are family golf?"

she nods as i spot cameron walking down the stairs, sporting a white lululemon golf skirt and nike headband.

"finally someone to talk to on these days," she gushes excitedly. "do you know how bored someone has to be to talk to grayson?"

"hey," grayson frowns, appearing behind her. "i'm a fun person to be around."

ethan steps out beside grayson, and gives me a narrowed look.

i don't return it, because he would enjoy it too much. instead i grab the keys from my pocket and readjust the visor on my head.

"ready guys?" lisa asks as ms. valerie retrieves their clubs from the garage.

they all nod simultaneously and i follow behind them out to the cart. they load their bags in the back and i stick the key into the slot.

i turn it on, but it doesn't move.

then i remember what i forgot to do.

"oh my god," i whisper. "i totally forgot to put gas in here the other day."

lisa checks the meter and frowns slightly.

"i'm so, so sorry, mrs. dolan—" i scramble to explain, but ethan cuts me off.

"you forgot to put gas in the tank? this job has very little qualifications and you still can't meet them," he says, scoffing.

lisa scolds him. "everyone makes mistakes, ethan. this is anna's first week working with the cart, and i'm sure we can all extend her some grace, right?"

"i'll fill it up immediately," i rush to say. "where are the gas cans?"

"out back, but they're a little heavy," lisa says warily. "ethan, could you help her?"

all eyes turn to the man himself, and he locks his jaw.

"yes," he forces himself to say. "follow me."

i follow him down to the back patio, where he frustratedly swings open the door to a small, hidden shed.

inside is a weed whacker, a zero-turn, and gas cans.

he lifts on up, grunting from the weight of it and gives me a glare as he pushes past me.

"ethan, wait," i say.

he sighs, setting the gas can on the ground and turning to me. "what now?"

"you were right. i shouldn't have talked to you like that last night," i say quietly. "i'm hoping you'll forgive me."

he swallows and his adam's apple bobs as he thinks of a response.

"just don't do it again," he says, which makes me smile.

in ethan language, that means "i forgive you."

i'm certain i'll be fluent in it by the end of the summer.

i follow him back up to the front where everyone stands back as he teaches me how to fill it up. i try to store everything in my brain for next time, so it'll never happen again.

"again, i'm very sorry," i apologize once again as soon as everyone is in the cart.

lisa sitting beside me waves it off and says, "don't worry about it. i've forgotten plenty of times."

ethan's face tells me that's a lie, as he squeezes in the second row in between cameron and grayson.

i make sure to drive extra carefully to the course, and come to a slow, and complete stop in front of the first hole.

lisa goes first, swinging almost perfectly and having her ball travel a good distance.

"nice one, mom," grayson says, patting her shoulder as he tees up immediately after.

after his hit, cameron goes.

then all eyes turn to ethan.

by the looks on their faces, they expect ethan to protest and try to get out of it.

even i'm surprised when i hand ethan his driver, and he walks up the the tee-off point confidently.

i watch closely as he very slowly gets into his stance, checking his form over many times.

but, i notice his grip isn't that good on the club.

i catch his eye and try to motion choking up on the handle, but he gives me a weird look and turns away.

trying again, i draw cameron's attention as she watches me try to get ethan to read my lips.

but before he can swing, i blurt out, "choke!"

lisa immediately jumps into her mother instincts, looking at all of us rapidly. "what? who's choking?"

"no one, mom," ethan comes to the rescue, fixing his placement on the grips. "i just... needed to choke up."

she places a hand on her chest, letting out a relived breath. i don't think she knows that i was the one who yelled it.

ethan focuses in on the ball again, and i try to send him brain messages.

focus. don't take your eye off the ball. swing proudly. rotate the hips. shift your weight on the insides of your feet.

i hold my breath as ethan's club comes in contact with the ball, and send it soaring in the sky.

the smile on his face is undeniably pure joy as he looks at his family member's shocked faces.

"ethan," lisa says quietly, pulling off her sunglasses. "i think that's the farthest i've ever seen you hit it."

i send him a discrete thumbs up as everyone loads back into the cart, and i drive to the nearest ball.

it's ethan's, but i can still sense his pride as his mom peppers him with questions about how he improved so quickly.

i'll take that as a compliment to myself, thank you.