Something To Hold On To

"So...I have a date tonight." I told Emily, without looking up from my cereal. I knew if I looked up at her my already pathetically large smile would just grow and I would turn into a giddy little girl.

"What?!"

"I know!"

"Shut up! With who?" She questioned.

"Our neighbour, actually." I told her, hoping that she had seen him before and knew just how incredibly gorgeous he is.

"Really?! I don't think I've met any of our neighbours." She said as she tried to think. "Which side? Left or right?"

"Left."

"What's his name?"

"Mike."

"How old is he?"

"I don't know. Mid 20's I would say."

"What does he look like?" My eyes shot up and I squealed. "Reeeeally?! So he's beautiful then?"

"Oh...Em...this guy is the definition of perfection. He's tall, he dresses amazing, he's a little edgy I think, but put together edgy. Not grungy edgy. He's soooo sexy." As I went on and on about Mike, Emily's smile grew.

"Well I'm happy for you! You deserve it. Where is he taking you?"

"I don't know."

"What are you going to wear?" She questioned and I just shrugged. I hadn't thought about it yet. Her eyes lit up as she stood up from the table. "come with me!" I followed her as she pranced in the hallway. Emily loved this. She has a passion for clothes that I had never seen before. Her closet is something that any retail store in the city would be jealous of. She opened the doors of her massive closet and began rifling through the articles within it. "Okay...so we want you too look sexy but not like you tried. Classy bu.."

"Em! I am capable of dressing myself, you know."

"Please, please, pleeeease let me do this! I live for this stuff." I sighed and rolled my eyes. She was so dramatic, but it was true. Nothing would make her happier than putting me together for tonight so I caved.

"Fine." She squealed and hugged me.

"Okay. Try this." She ordered as she pushed a dress at me. I stripped down to my underwear and pulled the dress on. The great thing about Emily's closet is that we are the exact same size. Everything in it fits me. "Oh my god." Emily shouted as the stilettos that were in her hands clattered to the floor. I looked at her and her hand was covering the horrified look on her face.

"Jeeze, Em. Do I really look that bad?" I asked sarcastically as I glanced at myself in the full length mirror. That's when I remembered the bruises. They were at that hideous yellowish brown stage and you could still clearly tell that the marks on my upper arms were there via angry hands.

"Lexie!" Emily exclaimed as I diverted my eyes so I couldn't see my appalled best friend looking at me through the mirror. I faced her and smiled.

"It's not as bad as it looks."

"Are you kidding me?! Your arms are.."

"I know, Emily! You don't have to tell me. I can see just fine, thank you. I had a bit of an argument the other night. It's no big deal."

"You need to get out of that place! How many times do I.."

"Emily! Enough!" She exhaled a long stream of air and pulled a cute little sweater out of her closet.

"I guess you'll be needing this then." She said as she handed it to me.

"Thanks." I muttered as she left the room.
- - -
"Okay. Let's try this again. A...I...D...E...N." I recited as I guided the pencil crayon in Aiden's tiny hand along the lined paper. "What does that spell?" He looked at the paper and then grinned up at me.

"That's me!"

"That is you!" I exclaimed.

"Me too, me too!" Maddy shouted as she came running over.

"Okay. Pick a pencil crayon." Her hand automatically grabbed the purple on. Maddy loved all things purple. Her unicorn that she took everywhere was purple, her bed sheets were purple, even the nail polish she made me put on her tiny toes earlier was purple. When they moved in here with me and Emily I had told the two of them to think of a colour to paint their bedroom. Aiden wanted red and Maddy wanted purple. They fought for days about it, unable to compromise on any other colour, until I came up with the fabulous idea to paint it half an half. So Maddy's side is purple and Aiden's is red. It looks absolutely awful, but they love it. "M...A...D...E...L...I...N...E" She grinned down at her work.

"That's not fair! Her's is bigger." Aiden sulked.

"Well, little man...you should be thankful that your name is only 5 letters. It'll be easier for you to remember." I told him, but he still sulked.

"I want a biiiiiig one!" He stressed the word big to get his point across.

"Well Aiden is the name your mommy gave you. If Auntie Lexie gives you a big one then you won't be my Aiden anymore. And we wouldn't want that would we?" I told him as i began tickling him.

"Me too, me too!!!!" Maddy shouted as she jumped up and down to my right.

"Alright! You asked for it." I told her as I grabbed her and put her next to her brother on the floor. The room was filled with high pitched screams and laughter. I stopped when I heard a much deeper laugh. I looked up and Mike was standing there watching us with a giant smile on his face. "Hey." I stated. Emily was standing behind him. She pointed at him and mouthed Oh my god. I sent her a glare that told her to go away. I knew Mike wouldn't pick up on it, but Emily got the message loud and clear. Maddy, who had always been shy around new people, climbed onto my lap as I shifted from the carpet to the couch but Aiden stood up and was staring at Mike.

"I seen you before." He told Mike.

"Yah, Aiden he was here a couple of days ago when you were eating supper." Aiden shook his head.

"No. Auntie Lexie I seen him on TV."

"Oh. Okay, Aid." I said as I shot an apologetic look at Mike, but he was looking back at Aiden. He got down to his level so he was eye to eye with my nephew.

"Do you like hockey?" He asked, to which Aiden nodded his head wildly. How the hell did he know that?! "Well I've got a little something for you." Aiden's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Can I..?" Mike asked as he stuck his hand out for Aiden.

"Uh...yah." I replied, baffled,

"Come on." Aiden slipped his hand into Mike's and I watched as they left the apartment. Immediately upon hearing Mike leave, Emily came back out.

"Wow. He is...hot!!!" She told me as if I hadn't yet realized that.

"He's hot, Emmy?" Maddy asked Emily.

"Oh yah Maddy. He's hot." I glared at my friend.

"Don't teach her that!"

"What?! She doesn't know what I mean. Where did he take Aiden?"

"I don't know. I doubt he's trying to kidnap him. But if he is he'll bring him back when he realizes that Aiden talks non stop from the time he wakes up until the time he goes to sleep." A few moments later the door flew open and Aiden was running in. As Maddy slipped off my lap I stood up.

"Looooook!" He shouted as he held up a set of mini sticks.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, trying to match the excitement on his little face which was now partially covered by a slightly too big Team Canada baseball hat.

"Here yah go bud." Mike said as he handed a ball to Aiden. He took it and began running down the hall.

"What do you say?!"

"Thank you!!!" He shouted from his bedroom.

"Are you sure you want to give him all that stuff?" I asked.

"I have tons of it. And besides...it's not like I'm going to use it." Maddy came back into the room and handed Mike a juice box.

"Emmy said you're hot." My hand flew up to cover my mouth. "When I get hot Auntie Lexie gives me a drink." She told him as she bounced down the hallway to find her brother. Mike's eyes met mine as he smirked at me and I was mortified. Wow. Leave it to sweet caring Maddy to give Mike a juice box because he's hot.