You know I love you
I always will
My mind's made up
By the way that I feel
There's no beginning
There'll be no end
'Cause on my love
You can depend
I gotta keep it moving
It's written in the wind …
-Wet Wet Wet, “Love is All Around”
Iris, Melissa and Taryn stepped off the plane in
Tulsa, and tried to get their bearings. It was much warmer than it had been in New York, and they found themselves shedding their coats as they walked to the baggage claim.
Melissa was much less used to the idea of actually hanging out with the Hansons than Iris was, and she could scarcely conceal her excitement.
“This is the coolest thing that has ever happened to me,” she said as they retrieved their luggage from the carousel.
Taryn and Iris smiled.
“It’ll be even cooler after you meet them,” Iris said knowingly. “They’re like, the nicest people ever.”
As they began walking down the corridor, Taryn saw Isaac coming, even without the benefit of her glasses. She smiled to herself. She was becoming so familiar with Isaac, she could pick him out of a crowd from yards away. She could tell it was him just by the way he moved.
Isaac caught sight of the group he was looking for, and quickened his pace. He and Taryn were hugging in seconds, before they had even spoken. Melissa, who had never witnessed one of Taryn and Isaac’s displays of affection, stared in awe.
“They’re always like this,” Iris whispered. “You’ll get used to it.”
Taryn held Isaac at arm’s length.
“It is so good to see you!” she said. “I can’t believe it’s only been a little over a week.”
Iris stepped forward. “Hi, Ike!”
“Hey, you!” Isaac scooped Iris into his arms. “How was Christmas?”
“Great,” Iris said. “I got lots of neat stuff.”
She held her necklace up for Isaac to see. “But nothing as neat as your present.”
Isaac grinned. “I’m glad you like it.” He sat Iris carefully back on the ground. “So, introduce me to your friend.”
Melissa’s jaw dropped. Isaac Hanson was looking right at her.
“This is Melissa,” Iris said. “She’s been my best friend since we were 3 and met in daycare. We even kept in touch when we were in California.”
Isaac shook Melissa’s clammy hand. “Hi, Melissa.”
Melissa’s shiny blue eyes were as big as saucers.
“Hi,” she managed to squeak.
“Should we get going?” Isaac asked.
“Definitely,” Taryn said. “I’m travel grimy. I need to get to the hotel.”
Isaac surveyed Taryn. She was wearing a red cable knit sweater, stone-washed jeans and had part of her hair back in a red claw clip.
“You look great,” he decided out loud.
Taryn grinned. “I’ll bet I’ve just never been prettier.”
Isaac put his arm around Taryn’s shoulder, and they began their trek to the car.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Taryn said. “Guess who’s getting married?”
“You?”
“Smart aleck.”
“Who?”
“Cam and Lindsey.”
“No way!”
“He gave her a ring on Christmas Eve. She called me before he did. She is so excited.”
“I didn’t think they were that serious,” Isaac said.
“Neither did I. He’s known her for a while and they’ve gone out quite a little bit, but this blindsided me. I didn’t see it coming at all.”
“Have they set a date?”
“April 10.”
“And do you need a date?”
Taryn smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’m in the party. I get to be the maid of honor. I hope she doesn’t get too frou-frou with the dresses. She’s a little more flamboyant than me.”
“She’s pretty brave to ask someone so gorgeous to stand up for her,” Isaac smiled. “She’s going to have to work extra hard to keep the attention on her and not you.”
Taryn looked at Isaac sideways, unable to believe that he would say such a thing. Lindsey was the quintessential blonde-haired, blue-eyed knockout.
“Don’t you think Lindsey is attractive?”
Isaac looked thoughtful.
“She’s adorable,” he said. “But you’re beautiful.”
Melissa and Iris had skipped ahead and were already out the door and into the Oklahoma sunshine.
“Come on, you guys!” Iris called. “We don’t have all day.”
Isaac looked playfully at Taryn.
“I’ll race you.”
And with that, they took off after the children, feeling very much like children themselves.
