"Mommy!"
I stir in my sleep. "Mommy do you see sissy?"
I sit up in bed and peer down at the small boy at my bedside. My baby. My son.
"What are you asking me baby?" I asked, sobering up and rubbing the sleep from my eye. "Sissy mommy, where's sissy?" he asked.
He had a perplexed look and his little eyebrows were knitted together along with a frown.
"When was the last time you saw her baby?" I asked. "We were playing hide and seek but she's a really good hider momma" he says, folding his arms and pouting.
"Why don't you call her then baby. Maybe she'll answer if you tell her that you surrender" I suggest.
"Sissy I surrender! Come on out sissy" he calls out. I hear a small giggle and then a small girl runs out from behind the door.
"Here I am!" she announced as she happily ran over to where we sat.
Her hair while in pigtails bounced wildly as she ran. Her brother was about an inch taller than her and my heart warmed as they stood side by side.
"Don't do that again sissy, I don't like when I cant find you" he says and he hugs his sister.
Tears of affection fill my eyes but they dont fall. "But that's the game, I have to hide and you must find me" she says.
"Well we are not playing that game anymore then" he says and looks at his sister in her eyes.
"Ok" she nods slowly and then they turn to look at me.
"Eloise".
"Momma dad's calling you, you have to go now" my baby boy says to me.
"Go where baby?" I ask and they both just giggle and run through the door.
"Eloise? You have to wake up now".
My eyes flutter open and I now realize that I was asleep.
"I did not want to wake you up but it's now time to go inside. You must be so tired because as soon as we hit the highway you fell asleep" he said.
I looked through the wind shield and saw the ivory walls of his home.
"I'm sorry I fell asleep. I didn't even know when that happened. Must have been a boring ride for you huh" I said as I unbuckled the seatbelt.
"It was a silent ride yes but not boring. I quite enjoyed listening to your steady breathing. It was calming" he says.
We exit the car and he closes the door.
"I'll come back and get the stuff when I'm done, you must be hungry" he says. He holds my hand and we walk up to his front door.
He takes the key from his pocket and opens the door.
"Do you have anything you'd like specially?" he asks as we enter the kitchen.
I sit on a stool around the island and he goes to the sink and washes his hands.
"Are you ordering takeout?" I ask.
"Nope, I'm cooking" he says and he smirks at me.
'He cooks' I think to myself. A smile spread across my face and he laughed as if he had sensed my excitement.
"That's nice. I don't know what I'd like to be honest" I say.
"Ok I'll surprise you then. You have any allergies?" he asked me. I shook my head no and he smiled.
He started to get some stuff from the pantry and I checked my cellphone. It was now almost 4 o'clock.
I had a couple missed calls and messages. One missed call was from Cassie. I looked and saw Anthony was washing some vegetables and so I decided to give Cassie a call back.
She did not answer on the first call so I called again and she picked up on the first ring.
"Hey Elly, how are you?" she asked. "I'm good, I'm at Anthony's house. What's up?" I ask her. I got up from the stool and started to wander around. Funny how your mind wanders when you're on a phone call.
I walk and drag my palm across the wall as I speak with Cassie.
"I'm at work, but Alejandro is coming to get me soon. I'm going to his house today" she tells me.
I climb the stairs and look at my feet as I drag my hands on the rails.
"You're talking as though you've never been to his house" I say and I raise an eyebrow.
"I haven't actually" she confesses. "Really? So all those late night outings and all that, where have you been going?" I asked. "Just out, we've been on several dates but tonight he invited me over and I'm a bit anxious Elly" she says.
"You're a big girl Cassie. Why are you anxious" I ask with a chuckle. I walk down the hall and stop, leaning against the wall as I admire a painting of a waterfall on the wall.
"What if we have sex?" she whispers. I laugh at her proclamation. "You haven't done it either?" I asked. I wasn't judging but Cassie was very adventurous and outspoken, it was a little shocking that she was being shy right now.
"That's what you're worrying about. If the time comes and you're not into it just tell him. I'm sure he'll understand" I say. I walk up to the painting and trace it with my finger tip.
It was really lovely.
"I know he'll understand but I'm just conflicted. I'm looking forward to it and at the same time I'm so scared" she says.
"Just calm down Cassie, I'm sure it'll be alright. So how was your day? Where's Cammy?" I asked.
"She's in the kitchen, her and Sally are washing up the dishes. I just got done cleaning the floors so I'm just here waiting to lock up" she tells me.
"Cassie do you remember when you used to dream about designing clothes?" I asked her. "Oh it's always my dream Elly, how could I ever forget that" she says with a sense of longing behind her speech.
"What do you think about giving it a try?" I asked. Anthony was a very good person and he stayed true to his words. They were in the contract anyway. He made the first payment of $100,000 and then two months of $50,000 each and he then made an adjustment to the contract after finding out that I was having twins. So the next month I was to receive another $100,000.
And it was all just sitting there in my bank account. He made sure that I had all I need so my money was just there, like a souvenir.
I had $200,000. I might as well make an investment into my best friend's future. After all we were all in this together.
"I would love to if I had the resources" she says.
"How about I give you a hand in that. After all I have the cash and it's just there keeping the space warm" I say to her.
I could hear her getting excited. "That's your money Elly. You're having a family, I couldn't possibly do that" she says.
"By the time I'm ready for it I'm sure you'll have turned over profits and I could proudly say my best friend is a fashion designer. Plus I'll be getting more money each month so consider it as a gift, I'm looking for nothing in return. I want the best for you Cassie" I tell her.
"You dont know how much this means to me" she says and I hear her speech falter. "Dont cry Cassie, you deserve it" I say to her.
An open door catches my eye and I walk toward it. The sheets on the bed were slightly ruffled and the smell of Anthony's cologne was strongest in this room.
I took a step inside and took in the surroundings properly.
"I love you Elly. I appreciate this so much. I won't let you down I promise" she says. I hear speaking in her background before she speaks to me again. "I'll see you tomorrow Elly, I'm gonna go help with the final checking for closing up" she says.
"Bye" I say and end the call.
The walls of his bedroom were grey. A dark charcoal grey with white skirting towards the floor and the ceiling. The ceiling was white and the floor was cherry stained hardwood.
A white fluffy rug was placed at the foot of the bed and a small chest sat upon it. A couple decorative pillows sat atop the chest, the same silky purple colour as his bed spread.
A bedside table that had the same stain as the floor was to the left of the bed with a small lamp and a picture frame on it.
I took up the picture frame and examined the picture. A beautiful woman sat smiling with her hands in her lap and her beautiful blonde hair cascading down one side of her face.
Her brown eyes were light, almost hazel in colour and her eyes creased as her smile shone. She was very beautiful.
"Eloise, where did you go?" I heard Anthony call out from downstairs.
I quickly placed the picture frame down and exit the room. Once I reached the hallway I shouted my reply. "I'm up here!"
I walked toward the staircase and saw that Anthony had an apron wrapped around his waist, standing at the entrance of the kitchen.
"I thought you left me here" he said, faking a pout, acting like a child. I giggled at this and went down to the kitchen.
"No, my feet led me astray due to my phone call" I said to him. I sat down on the stool.
"Ok missy" he says. "That smells good. What is it?" I ask, taking a deep breath.
"You'll have to wait and see love, but right now try some of this. It's a strawberry and lemon refresher" he says and hands me a cup of cold pink liquid.
"Its delicious" I say. I drink it down quickly. He laughs and I laugh as well.
He settles down and smiles at me, staring into my eyes.
"You're beautiful Eloise" he says.
"Thank you" I say. He walks up to me and traces my jawline with his fingertip.
"Can I ask you a question?" he asks.
"May I" I say and he chuckles. "Pardon me, and I'm the English" he laughs.
"May I ask you a question?" he rephrases. "Yes you may" I tell him, smiling.
"May I kiss you" he says and he enunciates the word may, due to my earlier correction. My cheeks tinge red.
I look into his eyes and I nod.
"In words please" he says, still trailing his hand across my cheek. I swallow before answering his question. "Yes you may".
He places his hand on my nape and pulls me towards him. Our lips meet and my eyes close involuntarily.
And let me tell you. That was the sweetest strawberries have ever tasted.
❤❤❤
Hey everybody. Please comment, vote, fan and share. Thanks for all your continuous support.
~A
