‹ Prequel: I Treated You So Wrong
Lets Make It Last Forever
Fourteen
Emily had wiggled her way into Lacey’s lap after Fae had finished with her. Ella sat in Leana’s lap, facing Emily. The two girls talked amongst themselves, none of the adults were able to figure out what each one was saying to the other, but it made sense to the little ones.
“So, who’s next?” Fae asked, becoming another voice heard over the toddler babbling.
Each of the four other girls looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, a repetition of the look around the circle. Fae laughed at the sight and pointed to Emily and Ella, “having kids.”
“Not me, any time soon. Those nine months were good enough for me for a long while.” Val groaned and brushed her fingers through her hair; Rae nodded in agreement.
“Maybe in another thirty years,” Rae laughed. “I like sleeping on my stomach and being able to have that nice drink once a week.”
Fae rolled her eyes with a side smile and placed her hands in her lap. “But it was fun watching you waddle around the room.”
Everyone laughed when Rae pushed her palm against Fae’s cheek and shoved her away, making her fall against the blanket with a slight thud.
“We’ll wait and see when you have a beach ball sized belly and wide ass hips and see how well you walk.” Rae smirked.
“Please,” Fae mumbled and sat back up.
Val laughed, stretching out her legs and putting her palms against the blanket to lean back. “Then Brian would have his own babies and won’t have to steal ours,” she motioned between herself and Rae, Rae sending her a goofy smile.
“You’d give him another third-degree talking to for putting Ella in his hoodie and trying to walk out the door with her,” Lacey snickered and gently poked at Emily’s side.
Val shook her head, remembering the one night Brian and Fae were over. Fae had gone to the car ahead of him. Ella wanted to give Brian a hug good-bye, then he gave her the silly idea of hiding in his jacket because she wanted to stay over with Auntie Fae. So Brian tried to steal her, but was caught when his hoodie sneezed.
“You have to admit, that was a pretty genius idea. If only she hadn’t sneezed, that would have been the ultimate hide-and-seek game of all time.” Leana pointed out, each one of them nodded besides Val who held a scowl, but soon smiled.
Rae stood up and slipped her sandals on her feet. “Time for a coffee run. Who wants one?”
They all raised their hands and said “me too” and “me three”. Rae nodded and grabbed her wallet from her bag and stuck it into the front right pocket of her jeans. Five mocha frappachinos and a single orange granita for Ella and Emily to split.
She marched up the beach through the semi-tall grass to the shopping strip. There sat a café, the usual place where the girls went for their coffees on their beach days. Rae walked up and leaned against the counter, her arms crossed and wallet in hand. She looked at all the different syrups behind the counter, eyeing each one and taking in the name and flavor.
Slightly towards her right, a throat was cleared. “Ma’am, can I help you?”
Rae quickly shook her head and stood up straight, turning her head and looking at the person who spoke to her. A man, looking to be in his mid-twenties with sandy brown and blond hair with green eyes stood looking at her. “Oh, sorry. Just looking at all the flavors.”
“Not a problem. What can I get for you?” His nametag read Troy.
“Uh, yeah. Five mocha frapps and an orange Italian soda. All twenty-ounce.”
He nodded as he marked six clear cups and handed the soda cup to another girl who was working behind the counter. “That’ll be fifteen even.”
Rae pulled a twenty from her wallet and set it on the counter. He rang it up and pulled her change from the register and handed it to her. He smiled at her, then turned around to make the coffees. Rae dropped her change into the clear tip cup and turned around. A few minutes later, she was tapped on the shoulder; there in front of her stood two carries with the coffees and soda.
“Thanks, Troy.” She smiled and lifted them into her hands.
“No problem…”
“Rae,” she finished for him.
He nodded at her with a side smiled. “You’re welcome, Rae.”
She headed back down to the girls with fresh coffee and a bright smile.
“So, who’s next?” Fae asked, becoming another voice heard over the toddler babbling.
Each of the four other girls looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, a repetition of the look around the circle. Fae laughed at the sight and pointed to Emily and Ella, “having kids.”
“Not me, any time soon. Those nine months were good enough for me for a long while.” Val groaned and brushed her fingers through her hair; Rae nodded in agreement.
“Maybe in another thirty years,” Rae laughed. “I like sleeping on my stomach and being able to have that nice drink once a week.”
Fae rolled her eyes with a side smile and placed her hands in her lap. “But it was fun watching you waddle around the room.”
Everyone laughed when Rae pushed her palm against Fae’s cheek and shoved her away, making her fall against the blanket with a slight thud.
“We’ll wait and see when you have a beach ball sized belly and wide ass hips and see how well you walk.” Rae smirked.
“Please,” Fae mumbled and sat back up.
Val laughed, stretching out her legs and putting her palms against the blanket to lean back. “Then Brian would have his own babies and won’t have to steal ours,” she motioned between herself and Rae, Rae sending her a goofy smile.
“You’d give him another third-degree talking to for putting Ella in his hoodie and trying to walk out the door with her,” Lacey snickered and gently poked at Emily’s side.
Val shook her head, remembering the one night Brian and Fae were over. Fae had gone to the car ahead of him. Ella wanted to give Brian a hug good-bye, then he gave her the silly idea of hiding in his jacket because she wanted to stay over with Auntie Fae. So Brian tried to steal her, but was caught when his hoodie sneezed.
“You have to admit, that was a pretty genius idea. If only she hadn’t sneezed, that would have been the ultimate hide-and-seek game of all time.” Leana pointed out, each one of them nodded besides Val who held a scowl, but soon smiled.
Rae stood up and slipped her sandals on her feet. “Time for a coffee run. Who wants one?”
They all raised their hands and said “me too” and “me three”. Rae nodded and grabbed her wallet from her bag and stuck it into the front right pocket of her jeans. Five mocha frappachinos and a single orange granita for Ella and Emily to split.
She marched up the beach through the semi-tall grass to the shopping strip. There sat a café, the usual place where the girls went for their coffees on their beach days. Rae walked up and leaned against the counter, her arms crossed and wallet in hand. She looked at all the different syrups behind the counter, eyeing each one and taking in the name and flavor.
Slightly towards her right, a throat was cleared. “Ma’am, can I help you?”
Rae quickly shook her head and stood up straight, turning her head and looking at the person who spoke to her. A man, looking to be in his mid-twenties with sandy brown and blond hair with green eyes stood looking at her. “Oh, sorry. Just looking at all the flavors.”
“Not a problem. What can I get for you?” His nametag read Troy.
“Uh, yeah. Five mocha frapps and an orange Italian soda. All twenty-ounce.”
He nodded as he marked six clear cups and handed the soda cup to another girl who was working behind the counter. “That’ll be fifteen even.”
Rae pulled a twenty from her wallet and set it on the counter. He rang it up and pulled her change from the register and handed it to her. He smiled at her, then turned around to make the coffees. Rae dropped her change into the clear tip cup and turned around. A few minutes later, she was tapped on the shoulder; there in front of her stood two carries with the coffees and soda.
“Thanks, Troy.” She smiled and lifted them into her hands.
“No problem…”
“Rae,” she finished for him.
He nodded at her with a side smiled. “You’re welcome, Rae.”
She headed back down to the girls with fresh coffee and a bright smile.