I continued to date Louis every weekend for over three months; we had dates in restaurants, parks, beaches, movie theaters, etc. Louis grew closer to me; he even bought a beautiful pink necklace for our twentieth date.

I enjoyed our time together, but the reminder of Miss Billings’ assignment had kept me on edge. I made excuses in my mind for why Louis was not a good match for me. He was sloppy, awkward in high places, told corny jokes, and had two chipped teeth from his time in pew-wee hockey. Despite everything, all those little things made me love him even more.

My heart aches with regret for not making better choices and saying no to Mackenzie Billings However, it’s too late for any of that. Time wore on, and one day after a picnic in the park, he invited me to the house he shared with his mother, as she’d been eager to meet me.

.                                                                       .                                                                       .

Like Miss Billings said, the house appeared like a pink dot in the middle of a Glendale neighborhood. Pink flamingo ornaments littered the lawn and looked out into the street like curious cats. They stared into my soul and judged me for my dubious actions.

Louis comforted me and said, “My mom loves flamingos, but she’s not insane. The lawn ornaments are a joke for her.”

I smiled and went inside with Louis. To my surprise, his mother wore a yellow shirt with blue jeans and clogs, not in the color of pink. She grabbed my hand and shook it with enthusiasm.

She complimented my hair and said, “So nice to meet you at last, Jessica. My name’s Martha. Lou-Lou’s talked about you so much since your first date! You put a fire in his heart!”

Louis blushed and whispered, “Mom, please don’t make a big fuss about this, and say my nickname in public.”

I giggled, kissed him on the cheek and said, “Don’t be embarrassed. I like the name Lou-Lou.”

Louis smiled while Miss Martha guided us into the house. On the outside, I grinned, but on the inside, I braced myself for my assignment.