Page 74 of Always Been Yours

“Nothing special compared to what you wear to bed.” I’ve been thinking about her little silky set all day. The lilac color against her milky skin. The way the soft fabric wrapped around her hips and left just enough cleavage to tease me all night.

She shrugs and meets me at the island. “I’ll be the judge of that. What do we have here? Quite the breakfast spread.”

“You said you love doughnuts. And Lexi wouldn’t let me leave without getting yourdaily fuel.“ I glance up to see how she reacts to the fact that Lexi brought up that we’re together in front of her sister.

She doesn’t seem put off by it. Instead, she has a small smile while she reaches for her drink. “Ah, one of the reasons I decided to keep her around.”

I want to ask about that.Them. It’s been killing me. But it’s early in the day and I want to enjoy it.

So, I pick up the breakfast sandwiches while she inspects the doughnut flavors. “Bacon and avocado or sausage and hashbrowns?”

“Bacon and avocado, please.” She sticks out her hand without looking up. I grin at her demanding nature.

I hand her the sandwich and tell her about the girls’ trip to Seattle. She tells me about the yearbook’s progress. And it doesn’t only feel easy, but it feelsright.

At some point, the cats make their way in for breakfast. Vivi’s still eating and points me in the direction of their food rather than getting up. All I can do is exactly as she says and wish that all of my mornings will be spent getting bossed around by her.

That evening, Vivi and I are in her sunroom again. This time we’re eating homemade pizza and sharing a variety pack of Clear Horizons ciders.

We spent the afternoon at the grocery store and then we took a nap on a slightly more comfortable floor bed. While we werecooking dinner, she mentioned an air mattress in her garage that I could use later. No mention of where she would be sleeping, and I didn’t ask.

We’ve been working our way through the different cider flavors—starting with watermelon—and discussing the many differences between teaching second grade versus eleventh grade history.

“High school kids don’t randomly throw up,” Vivi muses.

“Kids do that?”

She looks at me accusingly. “You have children, how don’t you know that? And don’t you remember in like, first to third grade there was that one kid throwing up once a month?”

“The girls only throw up when they’re sick. It’s rare though. And kind of. Notthatoften though.”

“Just last week, two kids threw up.” She gives me a pointed look. “Neither had a fever or a cold. It wasn’t food poisoning. One puked on their desk during reading hour and the other made it to the trash can ten minutes after getting dropped off after a doctor’s appointment.”

I click my tongue. “His mom needs a new doctor.”

“That’s what I said. But tell me what beatsthat.”

I grimace and sit up a little straighter. Looking her straight in the eye I say, “I’m sure you’veneveroverhead your students talking about their very… colorful sex lives.”

“Oh no. No, no, nooo.” She covers her face and groans in discomfort. “I would’veneverconsidered that!”

“Yeah, well—“

The door to the sunroom opens and Lexi walks in. She’s holding a plate with two slices of pizza and a blueberry cider. She plops down in a chair like this is her daily routine. It might very well be.

“What are we talking about?”

“The sex lives of Grady’s students,” Vivi says in fake outrage.

“Ew, don’t be a pervert, Grady. It isn’t a good look on you,” Lexi chastises.

“I didn’t realize being a pervert was a good look on anyone,” I shrug. She rolls her eyes, but I can see a smile playing on her lips.

“We were talking about who has it harder because our work problems are so different, you know?” Vivi cuts in.

Lexi doesn’t even think about it. “Oh, high school for sure. Don’t you remember what we were like? At least in elementary we were cute and goofy and not having sex.”

“Butpuke.Projectile vomiting.“ Now Vivi’s actually outraged that no one sees her side.

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