Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“I have not,” I defend, shocked, “I’m fine.”
“No, you are not,” Clarabella says. “It’s okay to miss your man.”
“I don’t miss my man,” I lie. “He’s not even my man.” Sofia just snorts at that one.
“When Ace went away after he and Shelby got together,” Presley says, looking at her sister who just glares at her. “She came to work with a Cheeto in her hair.”
“I did not,” Shelby retorts. “Was I out of it? Yes.” She folds her hands over her chest. “Did I miss him? Yes. Was I a mess?”
“Also yes,” Clarabella answers for her, earning her a death glare. “You showed up for an appointment with two different shoes!” she reminds her, and I quickly look down to see I have the same shoes on.
“It looked like the same shoe.” Shelby stomps toward her office. “One was black.”
“And one was navy blue.” Presley rolls her lips. “We told the couple she was color-blind.”
Shelby gasps. “Is that why the groom kept telling me what the colors were of the flowers in front of me?” she asks. “He would even say, ‘that is a nice blue shirt you have on,’” she mimics the man, and for the first time in four days, I laugh.
“After hearing this”—I motion with my hand in a circle—“I think I’ll be okay.”
“Color-blind?” Shelby ignores what I just said. “Incredible.”
“What were we supposed to say?” Clarabella asks us. “You were a mess.”
“I was not!” Shelby shouts to them.
“You showed up with your hair unbrushed and thought you had the amazing beach waves. The back of your head was a rat’s nest,” Presley shares.
“I’m not talking to you two,” Shelby pouts, turning around and looking at me. “I wasn’t that bad.”
“I believe you,” I pacify her, nodding my head, and she flips me off, and again, I can’t help but laugh.
I’m about to answer her when the phone rings. I answer it, and the three of them go to their offices. No one comes back out to talk to me and I have a bride and groom who come in the afternoon to discuss their upcoming wedding. The three of us sit down and go over every single detail. I fly out of the office a little past four o’clock, and I’m only a couple of minutes late picking up Avery.
She talks the whole way home, reminding me about her memories from San Francisco. It feels like I have a whole weight of the world on my shoulders. I grab her hand and start walking to the front door when I hear Avery shriek beside me. “Dad!” she yells, letting my hand go and running to Stefano, who squats down enough to catch her.
“There she is,” he says, grabbing her under her armpits and pulling her toward him. “I missed you,” he tells her, then looks up at me.
I smile at him, trying to fight the lump in my throat. My feet make it to them. “Hi,” I greet him awkwardly, holding my hand up.
“Hi,” he replies softly, twisting his body to lean down and kiss my cheek.
“Are you surprised?” he asks me, then looks at Avery. “I missed you so much I came right back.”
I put my hand to my stomach, and I swear to God, I think I’m going to be sick all over the grass. “Why don’t we get into my car and go have dinner at the house?” he suggests to Avery, who is very okay with this plan.
“You can just take Avery, and the two of you can have some alone time,” I cut in, not sure I’m able to have this conversation right now.
He looks at me for a second and then back at Avery. “Or we can stay here.”
I guess he really wants to get his ducks in a row before he leaves, I think to myself. “Okay, I’ll follow you in my car, then,” I say to him, and he just looks at me, not sure what to say.
“Dad.” Avery uses her hands to turn his face. “Remember the puppy that licked my face?”
“Yes.” Stefano nods his head as we turn, and he walks to his car, looking over at me. “You’ll follow me?”
“Yup.” I nod at him, turning to walk to my car. Sitting back in my car, I follow him to his house. I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous, not even when I had to tell my parents I was pregnant. I park beside him, and Avery gets out of the car and goes into the house, as if she lives here, which—I mean—she will some days.
He opens the front door and she kicks off her shoes. “I’m going to play in my room,” she states. I want to tell her to stay there because I’m a chickenshit and I know deep down inside, I don’t want to have this conversation. But instead, I kick off my shoes and follow him into the house.