Page 51 of A Love Like Christmas Time
She turns around, one step towards the door. Two.
“Are you happy?” I can’t help but ask as she lifts her hand to push it open.
She halts, her hand in the air as she thinks about her answer. Slowly, she turns back around. Her eyes jump from Lauren to me as she tries to find the right words.
“Yes,” she finally admits in a whisper. “Yes, I am. I kept going to therapy. Worked my way through school. Found a job andmet a wonderful man.” Her face softens, a bittersweet crease appearing between her eyebrows as she glances up at me for a fraction of a second. “And I had your half-sister. Life has been good to me. Even though I don’t deserve it.” She takes a deep breath. “And I would love to learn more about yours. If you ever think you’re ready for that.”
“Okay,” I say. Emotions burn in my throat, making it hard to swallow as she turns back around. This time, she opens the door, and I watch her walk away until she disappears from sight.
Lauren and I stay glued to the spot, silence heavy in the air as I try to make sense of what just happened.
“I don’t know what to say,” Lauren whispers, and I shake my head.
“Nothing,” I say and squeeze her hand. “You don’t need to say anything.” I force myself to take a deep breath. “Now, where were we?”
Chapter 21
Lauren
“I still can’t believe they’re finally up. I got used to the perpetual state of chaos,” Nic says, her voice full of awe, her finger sliding over the assembled bookshelves. She turns to me and winks. “This might be better than an actual love declaration.”
“Yeah, I think we’re way off from that happening. Yet,” I point out.
“Are you sure?” She knocks against one of the boards. “I mean, check out how sturdy it is. How very precisely ninety degrees. That man put a lot of effort into your shelves.”
“I know,” I admit and usher her out of the room, grinning.
It’s been a while since Nic was at my place. I’ve only let her come over once since I moved in, always too embarrassed that my home was a mess.
And now, thanks to Caleb, it isn't anymore.
Some might say that having a chaotic house is part of my charm, that it ‘fits my brand,’ but the truth is, it’s embarrassing. Why did I decide to take on so much myself and commit to DIY? And even worse, broadcast that to my friends, when I don’t even have any skills to get it done? Talk about biting off more than you can chew.
At least I finally got to clear my living room.
It was a labyrinth of boxes that were supposed to go in my library, filled with books I brought from back home and new books I’d ordered. There were puzzles and book nooks to piecetogether for decorations. Also, a lot of items I bought to try out a variety of hobbies I ultimately gave up on.
It took me a whole afternoon, a lot of sweat, and a lot of second-guessing, but now, it’s done. All the books are on the shelves, sorted by author and alphabet. The puzzles and hobby items are hidden in one of the cabinets.
Finally, I can actually use the living room. For the first time, I realized how spacious it is. Jenna and Taytay were thrilled, too. Even more so when I pieced together a cat tree that resembles, well, a tree, right by the window. The uppermost branch is now their favorite spot to lie in the sun.
They didn’t let me throw away all the boxes, though. One they have claimed for themselves, screaming whenever I began to disassemble it. I had to make it smaller though, because it was too high for them to get out themselves, and I’m not dealing with their constant screaming when they get stuck.
There’s something about living with two tiny creatures that made me realize I need to be a lot more responsible. Who knew it would take two adorable kittens for me to get my shit together? The next boxes that will take up space in the living room will probably be for a huge bed and a mountain of toys and treats for them.
“Yet…?” Nic asks, wiggling her eyebrows, as we make our way to my couch.
As soon as we sit, my two little fluffballs perk up. Within seconds, they’ve jumped down from their cat tree and are climbing all over us. They’ve developed quite a taste for a warm lap to curl up on. And I’ve come to love their weight on me when I cozy up in my reading nook with a book. Usually, Taytay will curl up in my lap and Jenna will climb over my shoulders, choking me by pulling on the hood of my sweatshirt, before she cuddles into the crease of my elbow.
“I’m not sure.” I run my fingers through Taytay’s snow-white fur. Aw, she’s purring. “Something is happening.”
“I thought I noticed a shift between the two of you.” Nic grins, her eyes jumping to her lap where Jenna meows for attention. Carefully, she scoops her up and cuddles the orange cat to her chest. “God, those two are adorable. And you don’t even have to go through the feedings-every-three-hours phase.” She shakes her head, but the grin playing at her lips reveals she’s not actually pouting about it. “I think our orange cats might share a brain cell, though.”
I giggle. Jenna slowly turns her head, glaring at me from Nic’s hug as if she understood every word, and I quickly avert my eyes and pet Taytay.
“Remember how I told you rather proudly that their encounter with snow meant they weren’t trying to escape anymore?” I blow a strand of my hair out of my face. “Turns out I hoped wrong. Jenna chooses to forget about that rather frequently. Or she’s a bullheaded escape artist. Over the past two days, she’s tried to escape five times. Each time surprised, and deterred by the fact that snow is cold.” Nic giggles and nods.
“Yeah. That sounds like something Pumpkin would do too.”
