Other things haven’t changed a bit. The fishing’s still the best around and, well, there’s Austin. Austin Rivers: He’s the main reason I came back every summer without complaint all those years. He’s the reason I’m here now too. Pappy, who loved Austin like the son he wished he had, always joked that I’d caught the biggest fish in all of Endings when I hooked Austin. We’re getting married in just under eight weeks, here, at Happy Endings, where the whole thing started.
I can’t say I loved Austin the first time I met him. For starters, I was super young, ya’ll. I wasn’t exactly looking to pick out a husband. He was just another kid at the campground who was too loud, too rough, and who thought he’d invented the world’s fastest way to light a campfire. Plus, he was an only child and thought he should be the center of attention. In short, he was annoying. Mostly, I tried to avoid him. But, because he was friends with John, I sort of had to tolerate him. And, over time, we became friends.
I was in seventh grade the year I first noticed Austin’s smile. His teeth reminded me of tiles I’d just helped Pappy put in in Grandma’s new Raleigh kitchen—perfect squares, glossy white. I remember looking twice, the first time I noticed how his top lip stuck to his front teeth right before he smiled. Then, when he did, his smile was so big it carved huge dimples perfectly symmetrical into his cheeks. I found myself concocting ways to make him smile, just to see how deep his dimples went. Answer, after three seasons of silent study: Austin’s dimples were bottomless.
To Austin, I was John’s baby sister. I doubt he looked at me twice before his parents’ accident. When I ask him about it now, he denies everything, saying he always thought I was pretty but didn’t dare ask me out; thinking Pappy would go after him. I reckon Austin just likes to give me a hard time, or, maybe, argue with me.
These days, I live with Austin’s grandmother. Maggie Rivers is pretty much the best replacement for a grandmother I could get. Grandma’s best friend, I’ve known Maggie since my early days at Happy Endings, back when I was sneaking pictures of her grandson behind fat trees near the lake.
Sadly, Maggie’s had a run of bad luck. Two strokes and a mild heart attack later, she isn’t able to take care of herself. It was about when Austin was set to leave for boot camp that he asked me if I’d mind moving in with his grandmother to watch over her. With my eyes set on a nursing degree and a love for Happy Endings anyway, the decision was easy. It’s been almost a year, and I’ve managed to become a paid direct support provider to Maggie. I’m also her legal guardian, not because she can’t make her own decisions, or that she’s any less capable of solving a Sunday crossword puzzle.
That choice was made so Maggie could keep the state off her modest trailer, one she’s put her heart into, at the park. And, so I could get paid. Basically, we made it a win for everyone. Mostly, Maggie and I get on well. She’s known me all my life. Sometimes, when she calls me an “old soul” and tells me to “live a little,” I swear she’s Grandma, reincarnated. It makes me smile when she tells me not to be naïve and reminds me that my momma was “a poor decision maker” who missed out on a great thing. It’s these times where I think the rumors about Maggie and Grandma could be true. And, it’s these moments that make me believe in soulmates, too.
It’s quiet at Maggie’s house. She made it clear, years ago, that all socializing is to be done on the front porch only. She rarely invites anyone in the house since Grandma passed and is the best secret keeper I know. She takes her tea black and listens for hours as I run color swatches or nursing school applications by her. Usually, she nods, and tells me I’ll make the right decision. I can see why Grandma loved her the way she did.
The downside to living with Maggie is that I don’t have as many friends as I used to. For the six months after Pappy died, Grandma and I rented a trailer three streets down. It was then that I got to know Callie, Stixx, Julie and Izzy. I don’t see them as much as I’d like anymore. If I want to visit, per Maggie’s rules, I have to go to their houses.
It’s okay, though. Callie’s so tied up in the dance studio she doesn’t have much time. Stixx is probably literally tied up to something I don’t want to know about by her boyfriend, and Izzy, well, that friendship sort of just faded out. I do still see Julie. I don’t know what it is about her. We don’t have much in common. She’s older than me with a son with special needs. Her husband, a guy she rarely talks about, is in jail, and she’s constantly stressed out, juggling jobs and appointments with specialists.
Austin says I’m close to her because she’s what I would have wanted for a momma, had I had one. He doesn’t like when I talk about Julie all that much. It’s not that he’s jealous. It’s that she reminds him of his momma. I guess it’s just complicated. Men can be strange creatures. Grandma always said so, too.
Austin’s currently up north, in Richmond. He’s on a base where he’s studying to become an army mechanic. He hopes to use the National Guard and the certifications he’s earning to pay for college. Eventually, he wants to open an auto body shop. He says it won’t be in Endings. I don’t believe it. There’s no way Austin could leave his grandmother behind and he’s never lived anywhere but South Carolina. Besides, when he used to visit us in Raleigh, he was like a deer in headlights. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that Austin Edward Rivers talks a good game, but he’s an Endings, South Carolina lifer: “While I breathe, I hope. Ready in soul and resource.” I’ve learned to humor him, like Maggie, and like the state motto.
Austin will be home in less than seven weeks. We will be married in eight. I can hardly believe how quickly his training is going by. My days are filled with taking care of Maggie, college registrations, and planning the wedding. This week, Julie and I are going to a cake tasting. I plan to ask her to be my Matron of Honor. Normally, I’m not about labels but I reckon this will be important to Julie. She needs something positive in her life right now, and she’s done so much for me. I hope she agrees. I reckon she will. She, and my sister-in-law Sonya, will be the only ones standing up for me. I’m not into big crowds, fusses and being the center of attention. The wedding will be casual, small, and right here, at Happy Endings. Catfish and oyster fries…
With Austin gone, I’m making wedding decisions mostly alone. Maggie thinks WiFi Internet is a waste of money and all of mine is going back into the wedding. Austin and I trade text messages but we have to watch the data on my phone, which leaves out Skype and other ways of communicating. It’s okay. It’ll be worth it. In just about two months, I’ll be Austin’s bride: Callalily Meadow Rivers. Wow, talk about a hippie name. I bet my momma would be in heaven. And Pappy? He’s rolling over in his grave. Zero doubt about it. At least Austin didn’t dodge the draft. At least Austin’s not a coward. And Pappy did love Austin. So, there’s that. I guess he could forgive it.
Tonight, I’m going to Pam’s. Pam lives six trailers down, just round the way. She works as a manager of a hair salon in downtown Endings. Because she’s known me forever, she said I could come over to practice hair styles. She said she’s going to “fix me up real good and make that boy cry when he sees ya, doll.” I can’t wait.