The Only Exception (12 page)

“Oh. My. Gosh. What did you do?” Amy asks eagerly.

“I told him I loved him too and we went out on our first date last night,” I reply. Amy squeals and I laugh.

“You fell in love?! AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!” she exclaims.

“I did tell you! Just now!” I return. “I also dislocated my knee and had surgery. But, the good news is I have completely normal knees now.”

“Ouch. Surfing?”

“I fell off a roof.”

“Okay then. You really did have a crazy summer. So, when are you coming back?”

“Actually, I was going to call you just as you called me,” I reply. “Amy, I’m staying in Oahu.”

“What?”

“I’m getting my own place here in Oahu and I’m staying. I’ll finish school here and I’ll be able to actually train for a pro surfing career.” Amy sighs and it’s quiet for a moment.

“Okay, you can leave on two conditions:” she demands. “You’re place has to have a guest room and I have to be able to come and visit.”

“Done,” I reply, laughing a bit. “First visit is winter break. Don’t miss it.”

“I won’t. So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours!”

“You’re going to freak.”

“Why?”

“He may or may not be gorgeously Australian.” Amy gasps.

“HOW— WHA— Okay, I’m moving to Oahu.”

“You’d like his older brother. Daniel Hensley. He’s twenty.”

“What does he look like?”

“Dark brown hair and tall, but not as tall as Sawyer.”

“How tall is Sawyer?”

“Six foot two? Six foot three? Somewhere around there.”

“Woah.”

“Yep.”

“You are introducing us during winter break. Have you heard the new All Time Low album?”

“Yes. It is amazing. A-MA-ZING.”

“Totally. I’ve gotta go, my mom’s calling me to lunch. Later, Surfer Girl.”

“Later, City Chick.”

Twenty

“Are you ready?” I inquire.

“Just open the door for crying out loud! These are heavy!” Sawyer exclaims. McKayla groans in agreement. I laugh and turn the knob of my front door, which is only five minutes away from the Hensleys’ house and Grammy and Papaw’s house.

My mom found a place right smack dab in the middle of the two houses that couldn’t be more perfect for me and bought it almost upon arrival. Today is moving day. I’ve been accumulating furniture for over a week, and I think I might be the leading expert on buying couches and shelves now. The postal service has been busy this week with boxes upon boxes of my stuff from both of my parents’ houses, all of which is now in my grandparents’ beater and my “new” used car. I ended up not leaving at all, but Amy is coming for a few days of Christmas break so we can hang out. My mom filled out all the paperwork and notified everyone, so I’m now an official North Shore High School senior, as well. The first two weeks of school have gone fairly well.

Regionals were a few days after my birthday, and, with Sally and I out of the game, McKayla placed second to Paige LeGroe in the girls’ under eighteen and Sawyer placed first in the boys’ under eighteen, since registration closed before he turned eighteen. In fact, he did so well, a few sponsors approached him about his pro surfing career. Suffice it to say, he can’t wait until January.

As we enter the house, the entryway is well-lit by the big window to the left of the door, spilling sunlight over the entire open-area kitchen and living room. The walls are a very light tan and give everything a natural, cozy sort of feeling. In the living room to the left is a big leather sectional not unlike the one at my grandparents’ house and a glass-top coffee table with black metal legs. The entertainment center around the TV is white wood with glass panes over the doors to showcase the photos or DVDs displayed there.

On the right is the kitchen and dining room. The cabinets are white, but the countertops are dark granite and an island of the same color scheme is positioned in the center of the room. All the appliances are stainless steel, which gives it a very polished, clean look. The dining room is set up next to another window opposite the kitchen, with one side of the table’s chairs being replaced by a window seat underneath the glass panes, while the other side has a bench, and a chair sits at each end.

I set the box in my arms down at the beginning of the hallway, which the entryway to is between the kitchen and living room. Sawyer and Mac set their boxes on top of mine and follow me back out to the car. Once we’ve piled up a fairly sizable amount of parcels, I begin unpacking and they keep unloading.

After my new dishes are unloaded and the living room and kitchen are put away for the most part, I start dragging boxes into my bedroom and the guest room beside it and unpacking them. My bedroom is very similar to the one I had at Grammy and Papaw’s, yet it feels more like an adult’s bedroom as I unload the boxes.

The bedcovers still display the poster for
The Endless Summer
, although my posters have moved to the basement, along with both of my guitars. The walls are my favorite shade of teal, almost identical to the board Sawyer gave me, which is now propped up against the wall in the corner. Julia’s artwork is displayed not only on the board, but around several rooms of my house. A painting of roses practically interchangeable with the ones on the board hangs beside a few photo frames in the living room on the wall to the left from the entry.

Sawyer hangs on the door frame and glances around the room. “Looks good,” he states. “Are you done? Because we’ve got a few things we need your help with outside.”

“Yeah, I’ve just got one more box and it’s for the bathroom,” I reply, standing and toting said box across the hall. The bathroom is a coral pink, with a white sink, toilet and bathtub, and it’s small enough that it only takes me a few minutes to get my stuff put away. “Done,” I state, picking up the box and throwing it in the trash. He smiles deviously and I raise an eyebrow at him.

I follow him back out, but this time, he leads me past my car to his dad’s car, a silver Chevy that Sawyer doesn’t usually drive. McKayla leans up against the side of the car, waiting for us. “Okay, what’s the one thing you told me you wanted and your new house wouldn’t be complete without?”

“Uh,” I say, unsure. “Your sister’s artwork?”

“Nope,” he rejects.

“A movie theater?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“The original Starry Night painting by Van Gogh?”

“Not even close.”

“I’m lost here, Sawyer,” I give up.

“Alright, open the door, Mac,” Sawyer instructs. She does so and he reaches in for something I can’t see, but I can hear. Something gives a little tiny “yip!” and I gasp as Sawyer straightens up again, holding a little brown, white and black Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in his arms. “Oh my gosh!” I exclaim, my hand automatically clapping over my mouth.

“She’s a little girl, only seven weeks old,” Sawyer informs. “And she doesn’t have name yet.”

“Where did you find her?” I ask, petting her silky fur.

“A friend of mine works at the pet shelter over on the other side of the island and Julia wanted to get a cat,” he explains. “So we were already planning to go that day you told us you were staying. That’s why I called you to ask what kind of dog you’d want. When I saw her, I knew she had to be yours.”

“She’s mine?” I repeat incredulously.

“She’s yours,” he answers, smiling.

“She’s perfect,” I state happily. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” he laughs, handing her to me. “So, any name ideas?”

“Not a clue.” I pet the squirmy little ball of fuzz and she licks my chin, making me laugh.

“What about Jane?” Mac suggests. “After one of your favorite authors, Jane Austen, and one of your favorite characters, Jane Thompson, from
Three Hours Too Soon.
”

“Jane,” I echo. “I like it.”

“Jane it is, then,” Sawyer agrees.

“Thank you,” I repeat to Sawyer, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

“You’re welcome,” he answers. I set Jane down on the grass and hold tightly to her leash as she excitedly sniffs the dirt. She looks back at me with her big brown eyes and starts running around my feet.

It turns out that Sawyer got everything she’d need already, so he starts carrying in her crate and some toys, while McKayla and I take her around the back to the yard, which, thankfully, is already fenced in. “Jane!” I call, getting down in the dirt to play with her. “Come here, Jane!” She looks at me for second, then runs up to my lap as I pat the ground.

“She’s all settled,” Sawyer announces a minute later, appearing from inside. “Her kennel is in the basement.”

“Perfect,” I say. I ruffle Jane’s floppy ears and scratch her head. “I need to get moving on dinner.”

“Fajitas!” Sawyer exclaims in a somewhat Mexican accent. I laugh. “To the kitchen!”

Sawyer and Mac take turns helping with dinner and playing with Jane, which sort of qualifies as helping with dinner, because it’s not exactly easy to cook fajitas with an energetic puppy prancing around your heels. Around 5:30, the doorbell rings and Jane races to greet Grammy. “Aw!” she exclaims, seeing the surprise addition to the household.

“Grammy, meet Jane,” I introduce. “Sawyer got her for me.”

“She is adorable!” Grammy gushes, scratching Jane’s ears.

“Where’s Papaw?” I inquire curiously.

“He had to run an errand before he could come,” she replies with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Before I can question her further, the doorbell rings again and the Hensleys enter.

“Hey little one!” Julia cries, dropping to her knees to pet Jane. “She’s gotten so big! What’d you decide to name her?”

“Jane,” I reply.

“Cute,” she compliments, nodding.

“Oh, Andrea,” Melissa sighs. “Your house is so cute! It’s very you.”

“Thanks. I like it,” I reply. I wink at her and she smiles.

“These pictures are good. Who took them?” Daniel inquires, gesturing to the photos hanging on the living room wall.

“Most of them, my friend Amy took. The polaroids are mine, though.” I cross to the wall and glance around, looking for a photo of Amy. “That’s Amy,” I point out, indicating her image in a snapshot of the two of us.

“Cool,” he comments. The doorbell rings yet again and this time, it’s Papaw, carrying a familiar bright pink suitcase under one arm. I say familiar, because that same suitcase has sat in my bedroom in New York for countless sleepovers and weekends together. Behind him trails the very girl I have just shown Daniel.

“Amy!” I cry, dashing to hug her. “What are you doing here?!”

“I couldn’t wait until winter break,” she says. “So I just decided to come!”

“You are crazy,” I laugh. “Everybody, this is Amy, my friend from New York. Amy, that’s Sawyer,” I introduce, pointing each person out. “This is McKayla. You two have met before. You’ve also met my Grammy and Papaw. Then, this is Sawyer’s sister, Julia, his mom Melissa, his dad Eric, and his older brother Daniel.” I give her a wink as I introduce Daniel, who seems to have gone mute since Amy walked in the door. Amy’s mouth falls open ever so slightly.

“Oh, sorry,” Daniel says, shaking his head a bit and holding out his hand. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Amy replies. Jane starts running around their feet and barking, breaking their trance. “Aw! Who’s this one?”

“That is Jane, my puppy Sawyer got me,” I inform. “Who’s ready to eat?”

“Let’s go!” replies Sawyer. We all gather in a circle and join hands to pray. Papaw says grace.

“Heavenly Father, we thank you for Annie and here new home here. We pray your blessing on her home and her relationships, and the same for the rest of us here. We thank you for this food and for the hands that prepared it. In Jesus name we pray, amen.”

As we unlink our hands, I can’t help but notice that Daniel is a little hesitant to let go of Amy’s hand. “They look friendly,” Sawyer comments softly to me. I follow him through the line and dish up my fajitas.

“Well, meeting like normal people probably helps a relationship. You know, as opposed to getting kicked in the eye,” I reply.

He dramatically mimes stabbing himself in the heart, sticking his tongue out to fake his death. “That hurt.”

“You know I’m kidding,” I say, kissing his cheek and taking a seat next to him on the couch.

“I really never thought I would see you do that,” Amy comments.

“Ditto,” Mac agrees.

“What can I say?” I reply. “I found my exception.”

“Exception to what?” Daniel inquires.

“The exception to my promise that I’d never fall in love,” I explain. “I swore I’d never fall in love, because it didn’t exist. He showed me it does, and I made an exception and fell in love with him.”

“That is the cutest thing ever,” Amy states. Jane barks, reminding us that she is actually the cutest thing ever, and noses my fingers. I pet her small body and continue eating and chatting with the others.

Later, Amy gets settled in the guest room and everyone but she and McKayla go home. I pop the disc for
Pride and Prejudice
in the player and camp out on the couch. Jane curls up on my lap and falls asleep almost immediately. “You never stop watching this movie, do you?” Mac says.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman in possession of a love of literature can never have enough
Pride and Prejudice
,” I retort.

“Good point,” she laughs, collapsing onto the other side of the couch.

“So, Amy, was I right or was I right?” I question.

“You were right,” she admits, unable to suppress a grin.

“I’m lost,” Mac interrupts. “What are we talking about?”

“I told Amy she would like Daniel,” I fill her in.

“Ohhhh,” she replies understandingly.

“I can’t believe you live here,” Amy says, looking around.

“I don’t either, yet,” I reply, doing the same.

“Well, you’ve got plenty of time to adjust,” Mac laughs. As we watch the movie, I think about what I said to McKayla a few weeks ago about being wrong about Sawyer and love.

So, maybe I was wrong. Most people hate admitting they were wrong. In my case, though, being wrong means that I don’t have to look to stories and music to distract me from life and feel like someone who is loved. It means I am loved, not just by Sawyer, but by my mother and father and all of my friends and family. It means I’ve recognized what was already there for the most part and have accepted what wasn’t there. My life is, in fact, a hundred times better than any girl just getting swept off her feet by a handsome stranger. You think getting swept off your feet is crazy? Try getting kicked in the face. It’s much more interesting. All I know is my life is finally good enough to me.

I’m glad I was wrong.