AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I wish I could say that I know.” I’m glad she’s got Lucy and Emma. But I admit, it’d be nice if she let me in. But I get it, doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying.
“Give her time,” she shrugs. “After all he ex put her through, it’s no wonder she’s gun shy. She’ll remember what it was like with you, and she’ll be able to separate the feelings she has now, with the ones she felt when she was with you. Just might take a little time, but don’t give up.”
Her name is called and she excuses herself to grab her coffee as I sneak outside. Taking a deep breath of the morning air I start walking in the direction of the office, hoping what Lemon said is right.
ten
. . .
Zoey
“Hold still,” Riley tells me and I try to, I truly do, but it tickles. “Mommy,” she scolds me with the whole hand on her hip and a narrowed look in her eyes.
Immediately I glance over at Lucy to find her in a similar position with Regan. She is doing all she can to hold back her own laughter. Lucy being the perfect client and me, fighting it at every turn.
“It tickles baby,” I tell her then stick my tongue out at Lucy. She laughs but does it very carefully.
“Suck up,” I whisper and again she laughs.
Riley and Regan decided they wanted to have a makeover day and at first, I was their only client, then Lucy showed up and got pulled into the activity, without a choice.
When she finally turns her head look at me, I can’t help but laugh and she does the very same thing. She has purple eyeshadow, the pinkest cheeks, teetering on the verge of red and her lipstick, is purple, or maybe its fuchsia. What I do know is its horrid and I’ve never used the color myself. I’m not even sure where it came from, mostly likely it’s from the stash Gigi gave them.
“You look like Ursula,” Lucy says, laughing so hard she is bent over in the chair. Regan is tugging on her arm and when she looks up, she has tears streaming down her cheeks. “Oh my God, Zoey,” she cries out, unable to regain her composure. “It’s so beautiful,” she lies but I know she is doing it for the benefit of the girls. “We’re like models,” she adds, still holding her sides. “I think we needs pictures,” she grabs her phone and I glare at her.
“Yes!” Regan claps her hands and starts to jump up and down happily.
“No, I think we should keep this perfection to ourselves,” I am barely holding on to my own laughter.
At this point Lucy is laughing so incredibly hard she is snorting.
Riley runs over and takes Lucy’s phone, waking it using her password. I stare at her, words escaping me as I wonder how on earth my child knows this information.
“She’s observant.” Lucy shrugs like it’s no big deal and together Riley and Regan start snapping pictures. They are smushing up their lips, as if they are the ones posing for the pictures. I have no doubt these images will one day haunt me.
But to see the smiles on their faces makes it all worth it.
I stand, striking a pose, placing my hand on my hip, and tipping my chin up to the ceiling, making a kissy face to bring attentionto my lips. As if I really need to. I haven’t seen myself but from the way Lucy looks, I can only imagine it’s quite the show.
Lucy is dancing around, continuously pausing, in crazy poses, blowing kisses at the girls, making them giggle and squeal.
Suddenly I hear laughter behind us and I spin around only to be met with not only Emma, but Mattie who stands by her side. His eyes are wide, and what does he do? He pulls out his phone and snaps his own picture.
“Oh this is definitely getting framed,” he chuckles, tapping away on his phone and I am momentarily frozen in place.
“Why do the two of you look as if you’re about to audition for the traveling circus?”
“They look beeeutiful,” Riley insists, staring ahead at Emma as if she is daring her to disagree.
“You are right,” she says instead. Sometimes it frightens me how Riley and Emma seem to always be so in tuned with each other. If my girl is this sassy and free willed now, I see a lot of butting heads in our future. “They look incredible.”
“You’re turn,” they grab Emma’s hands and start tugging her toward the awaiting chair.
“I’m out,” Mattie says with a wave. “Enjoy your makeover,” he tells Emma.
“Grab me a few photos when she’s done,” he tells me with a wink, then ducks out without another word.
“Fix me up,” Emma tells the girls as she rubs her hands together eagerly and settles into the chair. Lucy and I watch, smiling and trying not to laugh. And when she too looks like her ownversion of a wicked Disney character, we all three line up side by side and allow my girls to express the joy they feel from their masterpieces.
