After the night in Adam’s dorm over winter break, and returning to LSU for the spring semester, I was ready to go home and see my friends for the summer. That was when Sheena and I nearly got arrested. No more than a few weeks after that, Adam invited me over for dinner at his parents’ home.
When I got there, his parents weren’t home. He had grilled a dinner of kabobs for us—they were perfect. Each wooden stick had the same pattern: tomato, onion, pepper, chicken. They were so perfect, in fact, I remember questioning him over and over about making them. I was certain he bought them.
He fixed my plate and I was a bit smitten. We talked, and I wish I could say I remember the exact conversation. But it was on that night we decided to try to date. For the first time in many years, we kissed.
Over the next few months, our relationship wasn’t much different from our friendship. We still hung out with our friends, but of course, we spent time alone.
Adam and I had already met each other’s parents over the course of our friendship, so there was no ta-da over that. However, Adam’s mom and dad because a problem in our relationship that I didn’t see coming.
I was out shopping with my mom one day, and I wanted to bring Adam and I home some dinner from PF Chang’s. I told him not to eat, and showed up at his house with the food. Adam’s mom was there, she had made something for herself, which made me feel bad—I hadn’t thought to include her.
While we ate, she made a big deal about how expensive PF Chang’s was, which was incredibly awkward. Then, she asked me about a few new lamps she just put in her family room. I told her I thought they were, “okay” after she asked for my honest opinion.
Big mistake.
She told me she loved them and they were expensive. I tried to backtrack, but all I could do was put my foot in my mouth. From that point on, I felt like Adam’s parents didn’t like me as much as they could because I wasn’t raised in a church and I didn’t dress as preppy as they did.
At the end of the summer, Adam wanted to take me on a fancy date. I showed up at his house in a white, strap-less dress, with printed red flowers on it. As I stood outside on his front porch, Adam’s mom asked, “Who is THAT?” Who would’ve thought that I could clean up nice.
That night, Adam drove us up to Indianapolis to eat dinner at The Eagle’s Nest—a rotating restaurant. We ate delicious brie.
Weeks later, Adam came with me to a family fish fry. It was the first time I’d ever brought anyone I was dating around a family member other than my parents. After the fish fry, Adam had a surprise for me. He drove me way out into the country, to a clearing by a lake. There, Adam set up a fire and all the proper camping fixings.
We watched the sunrise, for what would be one of our last moments together.
The Bitter Lemon 