Kyle chose not to join Anna for church this morning. She might have been worried about this, except that she could tell that he had something in mind—he was “being cagey” as she said. So she wasn’t quite surprised when he appeared on her doorstep this afternoon, but she was surprised by the scowl on his face. “What’s that for?” she asked, laughing.
He turned and pointed accusingly out at the walk, where a torrential rain was coming down. “It’s not going to stop until dark,” he said, slumping into the apartment. “All my plans are ruined.”
Anna closed the door behind him and put her arms around him. “So what were those plans?”
He hesitated. “I might want to use them again sometime.”
“Oh, just tell me, so I can look forward to it.”
He sighed and slipped his hands into her back pockets. “I was going to take you apple-picking.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really? I’ve never been.”
“I know, and we’re going to fix that. Just not today,” he said, glaring out the window. “There’s a great place just outside town that sells cider donuts and they have a petting zoo, and sometimes they do hay rides—”
“Sounds amazing,” Anna said, squeezing his waist.
“I know, which is why I’m mad!”
She laughed and kissed him. “Well, it’s the thought that counts.”
“That’s what people say when they’re disappointed,” he mumbled.
Anna put her hand on his cheek. “How could I be disappointed with you in any way?” she murmured, and kissed him again.
He was beginning to relax when she gasped and stepped back. “Besides, we can fix this! I have to grab my phone—meet me in the kitchen.” She went dashing off.
Of course, it is a small apartment, so it wasn’t long before Anna was back with Kyle in the kitchen. She dialed a number on her phone and set it on speaker, and then started to dig spices out of the cabinets. A moment later a bright voice answered the phone.
“Anna Banana, is that you, baby?”
“Nana Banana, it’s me!” Anna called. “How are you?”
“Oh, so much better for hearing your voice. How long has it been since you called me?”
“Too long,” Anna admitted, jumping off her footstool. “But I have someone here to make up for it—Nana, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Kyle.”
Kyle sat down at the table and leaned over to say, “Hello, ma’am.”
Anna’s grandmother gasped. “You’re calling me to introduce the infamous boyfriend and you didn’t set up Facetime? What are you thinking, banana-head?”
“Oh, Nana, I have my hands full—”
Kyle picked up the phone and hit the screen a few times. “My hands are free, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Oh, honey, please call me Sheila or Nana. And Anna, you come over and stand next to him so I can see the two of you together.” Anna obeyed, and Sheila, who now could be seen on the small screen as a slender woman with short spiky gray hair and a clever smile, made a noise of approval. “Look at you two. I’m taking a screenshot so I can brag to your mom that I got to meet him first.”
“Oh, Nana, don’t do that, she’ll never forgive me.”
“That sounds like your problem,” Sheila said unrepentently.
“Listen, Nana, I need your help with something,” Anna said. “Kyle was going to take me apple-picking today, but it’s bucketing rain out here, so I want to make hot spiced cider instead. Do you have your recipe handy?”
“Now that sounds like a good way to spend an afternoon. I think I’ll make some too, and if you’ll stay on the phone with me it’ll be like making it together.”
“Just like old times,” Anna said with a smile.
“All right, so you’ll need some cider or apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Oh, and you got an orange?”
“Somewhere—Kyle, could you look in the fruit drawer for me?”
Soon enough the cider was simmering beautifully on the stove, and Sheila was getting to know Kyle a bit. They were fast friends, although I imagine it is hard not to be friends with Sheila Winthrop—she is such an energetic and loving woman.
“Now, I gotta ask, and I hope I don’t make you uncomfortable, Kyle,” she said after they had finished talking about Kyle’s music. “Are you a believer, Kyle?”
“Well, that’s a funny question,” Kyle said, glancing at Anna. “In the sense that you mean, I have to say no, but I’m coming around. I wasn’t raised Christian, but Anna’s been teaching me a lot, and I’m interested. I actually missed being in church this morning—and I might as well have gone for all the good it did me,” he said, looking out the window where the rain was still pouring.
“A lot of people asked me where you were,” Anna told him. “Cole was absolutely indignant that you weren’t there.”
Kyle grimaced, snapping his fingers. “Man, I forgot, I told him I would bring him that book this week. No wonder he was mad.”
“Sounds like you’re becoming a part of the family,” Sheila said approvingly.
Kyle smiled at Anna, taking her hand. “That’s the plan.”
Blushing, Anna got to her feet. “Okay, I think this is ready. You want whipped cream on yours, Kyle?”
“What kind of a question is that?”
“Man after my own heart,” Sheila said with a laugh.
Anna laughed, too, and garnished both mugs with whipped cream. She and Kyle both gave Sheila their love and said goodbye, and then they went into the living room to sit with their cider and watch the rain fall.
After a few moments of silence, Anna rested her head on Kyle’s shoulder. “Petting zoos are overrated,” she said.
“Yeah, and apples have worms in them.”
“And I’d get hay all over my nice sweater.”
“It’d be crowded, too. There’d be all these kids around.”
“Ugh, kids,” Anna laughed.
“You’re right,” Kyle said, turning to her. “This is much better. I can kiss you and no one will accuse me of PDA, or tell me it’s gross.” And he did kiss her, and it wasn’t gross at all.