Living In The Now - Tag Graham

[Cera Lamprey]

After sending a quick text to her boyfriend about her plans for the night, Cera yelled at her dad that she was getting last minute groceries for their night in. It had seemingly been ages since the little Lamprey family got together. John had finally been recognised for his cooking and was accepted to a culinary school which led him to be a sous chef for an upscale restaurant in Hollywood so the commute was a bit crazy and by the time he arrived home, Cera was usually asleep. So they decided to set a date for them to just have a small dinner with good food, great company and a bunch of Robert de Niro movies.

Although John didn't have any problems with having Cera invite Graham for their little dinner party, Cera thought it was time for her to give her favourite boy some breathing room. Although she had high hopes that they were going to at least survive high school, she was becoming incessantly clingy, something she didn't like about being a girilfriend. Sweet Graham didn't need a girl like that hanging on to him like a koala bear.

So that was how she found herself alone in the fruits aisle of a grocery store, humming an old song remade by a ska band she liked. Grabbing a bunch of fresh fruits she thought might go well with her cupcake dessert, Cera paid for her merchandise and practically skipped her way home.

For Cera, it was usually the preparing that made cooking fun and as she set her workstation up that was right opposite John's, the pair chatted about trivial things and laughed every now and then as they were reminded of the little things that happened. Cera was smart to stray away from any touchy subjects like relationships, or in John's case his lack of one.

The night progressed on and John seemed to pick up on Cera's peculiar mood and asked her. "You don't look sick, which is usually the only reason I can actually sense that you're upset..."

Cera almost tried to ignore his question and comment on the movie but she had never dodged anything with her dad. She shouldn't start now. And besides...he was a guy. He could give her some pointers on not being too clingy with Graham.

Putting her fork down, Cera leaned back in her chair with a little sigh quite uncharacteristic of her. "It's about me and Graham." She admitted quietly. "We're doing great and all but lately I feel like I'm being way too dependent on him. Like I'm suffocating him? I don't wanna do that. I really love him and I wanna believe that we can work out in the long run like you and mama...And I'm scared that if I actually think too much of us being like you and mama that I'm gonna go all crazy and really suffocate him." She managed to say all that in one breath and miraculously, her father caught every word.

Pushing his food away from him, he leaned forward on the small table they were occupying. "What your mama and I had was kinda different, Cer." John started. "We already had you to think about."

"So what, you saying I have to get pregnant?"

The harsh no from John was accompanied by a nervous laugh and Cera widening her eyes. "Crazy girl. Getting pregnant doesn't solve things. Although admittedly, I would do it all over again if the end result was you."

Cera's eyes and smile softened before she cleared her throat and grinned slightly. "Dad, that's sweet and all but really the focus is kind on me now." John laughed at his daughter's candidness. "I know, baby girl. I'm just going to give you a simple advice. Just love him. If he can't handle it, it's his loss. Graham's a good guy he really is but if he can't show my daughter the same love you show him then it really is his loss. Maybe I'm biased but it really doesn't mean I'm lying."

"So I keep clinging on to him?"

Again John laughed. "No, Cer. Just stop thinking about a future with him and live in the now."

Which was how they ended their dinner and as Cera washed the dishes and took her dessert in her room, she grabbed her phone and texted Graham.

I'm following dad's advice and living in the now. Right now, I just want you to know that I love you. Cracker, Cera heart Graham. And no I have not filled my legal pad with those words. Just my sneakers. Cera put a little wink at the end of the message and sent it to Graham before flopping down in her bed with a smile.

[Graham Alderman]

Graham stretched out on his bed, headphones on, listening to the dulcet sounds of The Aquabats. Caitlin was off with Dena and Regan and Palmer were getting ready to join their triplet on her bowling outing, Annie was off distracting herself, and Cera had plans with her father so he was alone for the evening. He didn't begrudge Cera her time with her father -- in fact, as much as he adored his girlfriend, sometimes he felt as if they spent far too much time together.

It wasn't that he disliked spending time with her, but he was an introvert and needed time alone to recharge his social batteries. Sometimes he ended up worn out because he didn't get that time. This evening was the first time he'd had so much time to himself in quite awhile! He was grateful for it, though; tomorrow was Monday, which meant back to being stuck with crowds of other people all day long.

His phone began to buzz, trying to grab his attention as Cera's text arrived. It took him a moment to realize that the noise wasn't part of the song he was listening to. He leaned over to grab the phone from his bedside so he could check the sender -- Cera, unsurprisingly -- and type a quick response. "Living in the now? What's all that about? Love you too - Graham"

He hit send and leaned back against his headboard, resting his phone beside him; if she answered he wanted to be able to answer immediately. Somehow texting wasn't as socially taxing as face to face interaction.

[Cera Lamprey]

Cera hadn't been much of a clinger before she met Graham. Well, fact of the matter was, she never had to be because before Graham, there hadn't been anyone she had the need to cling on to anyway. Except for Annie maybe. But Annie would let a rhino cling on to her if that made the animal happy so it didn't count. Which was why her reaction to having felt like she was too dependent on her very first boyfriend was so strong.

Scrambling to catch her phone before it fell off the bed from the strong vibrations of her cell phone, she grinned widely when the received text was from her boyfriend. Sliding up on the bed so her head was resting atop her fluffy pillows that smelled like blueberry creamcheese cupcakes, she opened the message and read it with a chuckle.

Ah nothing...had a talk with dad about the future and he told me to step back and focus on what's happening at the moment. So at the moment, I love you.

Re-reading the text to see if she had written anything that might freak the boy out, she shrugged and let fly the message to her boyfriend.

[Graham Alderman]

Fingers flew across the face of his cellphone after reading Cera's reply. "At the moment, I love you too." He sent back. He didn't know if he'd end up marrying her, didn't really have much of an idea what he wanted out of life. He would go to college because that's what his parents expected -- they'd spent his Junior year going over college pamphlets and websites and ferrying him around to campuses. His apathy toward higher education frustrated both parents. He didn't really want to go, he wanted to try and start up a band and tour -- even if they were never famous he didn't care, he just wanted to play his trumpet and skank.

He glanced at the clock beside his bed, numbers glowing red in the dark of evening. Tomorrow was another school day, another day to rise early. He'd better get to bed soon. "Hey night Cera. see you tomorrow at school." Message sent he placed his phone beside the alarm clock before stripping off his jeans and shirt and diving beneath the covers, Cera occupying his thoughts as he tried to get to sleep.

He might not know what he wanted in the long term, but that didn't matter. At the moment they loved one another. He didn't know if they would last or not (his parents were still together, but they lacked love) but he didn't want to think about the future right now; the present had everything he needed. At the moment.

[Cera Lamprey]

The knock on her door distracted Cera from the vibrations coming from her phone and she flew out of bed to open the door to find her father with a big goofy grin on his face. "What?" Cera found his smile infectious and within seconds, an equally goofy grin spreading across her face.

"Nothing...just wanted to say goodnight and I may have the day off next week as well." He shrugged it off like it was no big deal. "Ooh...chefs have days off. I should be one." Cera teased with laughter in her voice. "Well that's great dad." She patted her dad's shoulder. "Yeah...might be going out though...on a date..." the sheepish grin on John's face made Cera drop her jaw. "Oh dad...that's great!"

"Yeah? You think so?" In that moment, Cera could see what her father might have looked like the day he met her mother. He looked so cute getting all nervous like. "Absolutely! You know how I feel about you dating. Just don't bring a hag home." She shrugged before laughing.

"Oh she's no hag. She's a pastry chef actually."

"Hah! That's awesome! We have the whole trifecta! A sous chef, a baker and a pastry chef! Is she any good though? I've always wanted to make an apple strudel with all the layers and the flaky crust oh my gosh I'm watering in the mouth already!"

"Okay girl chill...it's only a date. I just want to get to know her a bit better."

"Yeah exactly! Find out if she makes those!"

John laughed and nodded. "Alright. Off to bed. It's still a school night and stop sending messages to your boyfriend. You'll see him in school tomorrow."

Cera laughed before jumping up to kiss her father on his cheek. "Night daddy. Have fun at work tomorrow!" She closed the door and went to her closet to get her jammies out. Her phone's vibrations made it clatter down to the floor. She was in the process of removing her top when the phone hit the hardwood floor. She squeaked and threw her top off her and turned around, thinking she was being robbed or something but found the source of the clattering. "Good God." She thumped her chest and pulled down her pajama top from her hanger and slipped into it and kicking off her shorts.

She bent down and swooped her phone into her hand and jumped into bed, letting it spring her up and down. Checking her phone, she found that she had two messages both from the boy who had been on her mind most of the day. With a smile, she replied a goodnight and a kissy face icon and decided to also send one more message for the night but not to her boyfriend. With that done, she smiled as she snuggled into her covers, thinking of times already spent with her dear boyfriend.

Maybe she wouldn't know what could happen tomorrow or days after but one thing she knew, she was in love with Graham Alderman. For now. And that was enough for her.