first date

at the end of the night, Mary walked him to the door and grabbed his coat. she held it up for him to put on, but he stepped into it forward instead of backward and put both arms through the sleeves and wrapped them around her waist. she looked stunned. “you know,” he started, and Mary fixed her big brown eyes on his face. “someday i’m going to get you to marry me.” he smiled. she opened her mouth to say something back but nothing came out. her lips just made the slight movements that could’ve started a hundred different words. “ah – wuh –” came a sound from her throat. he laughed. he kissed her on the forehead and let her go, then was out the screen door and into the night a moment later, never stopping to put his coat on the right way. the door swung shut behind him and Mary’s lips were still trying to make words. careful not to show herself, she snuck to the window beside the door and peered over the sill to watch him disappear into the dark, the back of his sweater exposed, knees bouncing, ankles carrying feet that appeared to be gliding across the gravel.