AllFreeNovel
Share Us
17
Nina sat on the sofa,braiding Angela’s hair while Moni talked to Tobin Berkowitz on the phone in the other room. They’d already delayed Tobin’s show three times because he hadn’t been “inspired” enough to finish the collection he’d promised to thegallery.
“I think I might suck at this,” Nina said, working on the secondbraid.
“You don’t suck, Auntie Nina. It takes practice,” Angela said. “Everything does. Unless you’re anatural.”
Nina laughed. “I think it’s safe to say that I am not a natural at braidinghair.”
She was still moved by Angela’s nickname for her, especially since Moni explained that the term was frequently used to describe older women who were family, whether or not you sharedblood.
“It’s okay,” Angela said. “I don’t think the cherry blossoms willmind.”
Nina wound a pink elastic band around the end of the braid. “I think you’re right, although they’ll probably appreciate the effort you made tomatch.”
They were meeting Karen, Robin, Amy, Moira, and Ruth at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Karen had complained that she didn’t “do” festivals, especially not outdoor festivals, but the rest of the group had heartily booed her for becoming a spoiled Upper West Side diva, and she’d finally agreed toattend.
It was April, the sun finally making itself felt after the cold winter, snow a thing of the past after a final storm in late March that had taken everyone by surprise. Nina was looking forward to being outside, to feeling the sun on her face and a gentler breeze on herarms.
“There,” Nina said. “Go check my work and make sure there’s nothing I need tochange.”
Angela scrambled to her feet and hurried into the bathroom, passing Moni as she exited her bedroom. She entered the living room and collapsed on the sofa with asigh.
“How’s Tobin?” Ninaasked.
“Ridiculous,” Monisaid.
“How long are you givinghim?”
“A month tops. After that, I’m officially done,” Monisaid.
“More thanfair.”
Moni looked at her more closely. “So?”
“Sowhat?”
“So… how are things with Liam?” Moni asked. “You’ve been seeing an awful lot of eachother.”
She couldn’t argue the point. They’d spent most of their free time over the last six weeks together. It had been a blur of cuddling on the couch with takeout and movies and walking hand in hand through the park as winter slowly moved behind them. They’d made countless breakfasts together, moving around each other in her kitchen or his, the air laced with the smell of coffee, bacon, and toasted bread. Afterwards they lay on the sofa, splitting the Times between them and swapping out sections as they went. Sometimes Liam even read aloud to her, choosing a book randomly from his shelf. Then she would close her eyes against the sun streaming in the windows or the rain beading the glass and listen, his voice moving over her like warmsyrup.
Nina had agreed to take her camera out shooting with Liam, and she’d been surprised to find that they fell into an easy groove, alternately withdrawing into their own visions and discussing their shots. He was a patient teacher, and Nina had learned more in the few times they’d shot together than in all the months she’d been on her own. She still hadn’t shown him her pictures, but she was slowly working up thecourage.
The best times of all were in bed, making love for hours, exploring each other’s bodies with both enthusiasm and reverence, alternating between seriousness and the kind of humor Nina had only ever shared with Liam. When she thought of him, she heard his voice in the dark, their laughter mingling and turning into soft sighs ofpleasure.
“Wow… it’s more serious than Ithought.”
Moni’s voice broke through her thoughts and heat rushed to Nina’s cheeks. “I don’t know if serious is theword.”
“Isn’tit?”
“I don’t know,” Ninasaid.
“It is forhim.”
Nina looked at her. “Are you asking me or tellingme?”
“He told you he loved you, Neen. That says itall.”
