Page 50 of Grasp The Moment

“Iknow.”

It’s been officially five days since the dinner from Hell, and tonight is Marg Night… well, more like Margs and Apple Juice night. Delilah’s home with us girls, doing self-care and watching movies with us as we gossip.

To say that I've been freaking out about that crazy dinner would be an understatement. As soon as we got in the car, Derek apologized for his mother, and I hit up the group chat with all the details from the disastrous feast.

The first thing they suggested? Girls’ night.

So here we are, sitting around Derek’s living room, drinking margaritas and apple juice, eating cupcakes, watching the newest Princess North movie.

Delilah comes into the living room, her own face mask on her tiny face as she plops down in Cleo’s lap.

“I’mtrusfrated.” She pouts, throwing her head back into Cleo’s chest as she smiles at the young girl.

“Frustrated, Deli Belly. What’s wrong?” I ask as she turns her cute little pout my way.

She groans, clearly tired as she gets up from Cleo’s lap and climbs into my own.

“I can’t braid my hair. It won’t work.” she whines, grabbing my hands and placing them in her tangled curls.

“Aw, Dels, I would’ve done it for you… Come on, I’ll get the stuff to braid your hair, and we’ll teach you how to braid.”

Deli and I head to her room, grab her things, and headback out to the girls. The three of them are already in a weird formation, braiding one another’s hair.

Cleo giggles as she massages Sienna’s scalp, her cousin humming in response as she braids Denver's hair.

“I can see the videos now on my ‘For you’ page... It’ll be this video right here, and it’ll say ‘this is girlhood’ as the caption,” I say with a laugh as I plop down in front of Denver and pull Delilah into my lap.

“You take three pieces of hair and fold them like this,” I say, demonstrating for Delilah as she watches, nodding along.

Delilah turns in my lap to look at me, her eyes bright. “I want my hair to look just like yours!”

My heart melts from her words as the girls let out a chorus of “aws” around us. We continue braiding, the five of us laughing and joking with one another as the apartment's alarm goes off and the front door opens.

“Darlin’, I’m—hello,ladies.” Derek furrows his brows, a small smile forming on his face as he takes in our small circle in the living room.

His arms are full to the brim with grocery store bags and his hockey bag. Popping up from my spot between Delilah and Denver, I take a bag from his arms.

“You’re home early, did you kick their asses?”

He chuckles, setting down some bags as Delilah tackles his thighs.

“Is the sky blue? Of course, we did.” He chuckles as he picks her up and kisses her cheek. She kisses his cheek in response with a loud popping sound.

Derek pretends to gobble her neck, laughing as his daughter giggles before his eyes land back on the girls. “Are y'all having a sleepover at my place… without me?”

Sienna pops her head up from the couch. “Yup! Got a problem?”

Derek rolls his eyes and whispers loudly to Deli, “Cover your eyes, Sunshine.”

She listens immediately, covering her eyes with her tiny hands as Derek flips off my friend before turning back to me.

“Well, I’ll leave you ladies to it… Did you eat anything today?” he asks, his focus on me causing me to squirm as Delilah taps her dad to be released, kicking her legs.

He does so instantly, setting her down, allowing her to run off to the girls.

“We ate breakfast, lunch, and cupcakes,” I say, ticking the three things off with my fingers as he sighs.

“What am I going to do with you? I’ll make all of you some dinner. I assume tonight was a ‘girl dinner’ night, right?” he asks with a small laugh as I swat at his shoulder, following him into the kitchen.