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“Don’t I look beautiful?” she asked as she spun in a circle.
“You do!” Janessa grabbed her hand and kept spinning her around. “I wish I had an outfit like yours.”
“You could ask Skylar to borrow one of hers,” Layla said with a big grin. “Then we’d be twins… or… What do you call three people dressed the same?”
“Triplets?” Janessa supplied.
“Yep. We could be triplets!”
“Well, I’m not sure I could fit one of Skylar’s uniforms, so I’ll just have to wear a T-shirt instead.”
They took off their winter wear, then went to the kitchen. Before long, the doorbell rang, and Janessa went to answer it. She returned a minute later with Gareth following her. He’d changed into a pair of jeans and a maroon shirt that sported the team name in gold letters, along with the team logo.
“Uncle Gareth!” Layla ran to him and jumped.
Clearly, the man had been expecting the move because he plucked her out of the air and spun her around. “Layla!”
“We’d better get changed,” Janessa said to Aria. “Come to my room, and I’ll give you a T-shirt to wear. Unless you’d rather not.”
“Oh, no. I definitely want it.”
Janessa grinned. “Great!”
Upstairs in Janessa’s room, her friend went to her dresser and pulled out a folded T-shirt in the same color as the one Gareth was wearing, then handed it to her.
“Thanks,” Aria said. “I’ll go get changed now.”
In her room, Aria slipped out of the black slacks and sweater she’d worn that day, then pulled on a pair of jeans and the T-shirt Janessa had given her. It was a bit long, so she gathered the hem and tied a knot in it in front of her right hip bone. She ran a brush through her hair, then put on a fresh layer of lipstick.
She was excited about going to another game, but she couldn’t deny that a big draw was being able to spend the evening with Gareth. Obviously they weren’t going to be alone, and that was fine. She was just looking forward to not having to guard her every word or action around him for fear of Nora seeing or hearing something that annoyed her.
Downstairs, Charli and Gareth were setting the food on the table, while Layla twirled around them in her cheerleading outfit. Janessa showed up not long after Aria.
“Let’s eat,” Charli said, then helped Layla get settled in her chair.
Once they were all seated, Charli said a prayer for the food. The conversation as they ate focused on the upcoming game and also on other family members, some of whom Aria hadn’t met yet. She didn’t have much to contribute to the chatter, so she just focused on eating since she knew they would need to leave fairly soon.
“Are you riding with us?” Gareth asked Charli as they cleaned up the meal a short time later.
“Do you mind? We’ll have to put Layla’s car seat in your car.”
“You know that’s not a problem. I think there will still be enough room for two adults, even with her in the seat.”
“Then I guess I’m sitting up front with you,” Charli said with a laugh.
Gareth took Charli’s car keys, and while the women finished cleaning up, he went to grab the car seat and put it in his car. Once the food was all put away, Aria pulled on her jacket and boots.
Aria was still adjusting to the cold, but it wasn’t too bad as long as she dressed correctly, and it wasn’t windy. She hadn’t ventured out for a walk again after she’d stupidly gone out underdressed for the weather that Sunday afternoon.
Thankfully, when they piled into Gareth’s car a few minutes later, it was already warmed up.
“Everyone comfy?” Gareth asked, his gaze meeting Aria’s in the rearview mirror since she was sitting directly behind him.
“I’m good,” she said.
The other three also confirmed that they were ready to go. Aria relaxed back in her seat, staring out the side window as conversation swirled around her. She would have thought that since she didn’t understand much of what they were talking about, she’d feel like an intruder, but no one made her feel that way.
“So are you excited about the game tonight, Aria?” Charli asked.
