Page 74 of Let It Be Me
“Well look who it is,” a voice to the right bellows.
After feeding the reindeer, we moved off to the side for some more hot chocolate and to watch the family's ice skate.
“Mischa, hey. Other Anderson’s,” I joke and Sarah swats me on the thigh.
“Good to know you don’t change off the ice,” Jared drawls.
Mischa looks at me as she bends, holding the sleepingbaby on her chest closer to her, to whisper not so quietly in Sarah’s ear. “You can still leave him. Move on with someone more mature.”
“I’m quite fond of him,” Sarah says with a wink.
“Kylie, don’t you have a Christmas movie to make your dad watch?” I ask, because I know Jared hates Christmas movies with a passion. I mean, the guy thinksDie Hardis a Christmas movie.
The curly-haired girl with a toothless smile and caramel brown skin, a perfect mixture of Jared and Mischa’s, bounces on her toes and swings Jared’s arm back and forth. “Daddy said after we feed the reindeer.”
Jared narrows his eyes at me with a silent threat to make me skate until I puke. Luckily I’m used to his empty threats and just sip on my rich hot chocolate.
“I fed them for the first time and they seemed like they could eat more than the handful I gave them.” Sarah announces.
“Really?” Kylie’s eyes light up. “Daddy let’s go.” His arm stretches as she tries to pull him away.
“Okay, babe. Let’s go let her feed the reindeer and then get out of here,” Mischa cajoles.
Jared’s eyes soften as he looks at his wife. It’s easy to see that she’s his number one. Apart from Kylie and little Benny, Jared has never softened like that.
“Have fun,” Sarah tells the family as they head towards the feeding pens. “She’s so cute.”
I boop her on the nose as she turns to face me. “So you do want kids.”
“Not at this moment. But definitely in the next few years.”
“Noted. What do you say we go back home and practice making said baby?”
Her cheeks pinken deeper from my suggestion. “Okay.”
And that’s exactly what we do. Late into the night with the Christmas lights from the balcony twinkling in the back and early into the morning as the sky turns from a midnight blue to a dusky pink. Sarah and I practice until we pass out curled into each other.
27
SARAH
The clanking of hangers hitting each other as I slide pieces I don’t like fills the dead space. Since Riley had a game on New Year’s Eve, which I’m not complaining about as they won, we didn’t get to celebrate the way we intended. But now he has two weeks off from the ice and it’s Valentine’s week so we get to celebrate at my house.
I know the holiday is top tier cheese-fest. But this is what Riley turns me into. Since he has these two weeks off, we’ve been staying at my house. It’s a good change of scenery and the cats have seemed to adjusted fairly well to the new space. Plus, hearing them run up and down the stairs has been free entertainment.
“Did you need me to start a dressing room for you?” The sales associate asks as she comes up next to me.
I look down at my weighed down arms. “No, actually. I have a few of these sets at home, I just need more.” I don’t tell her it’s because my boyfriend goes full caveman when I wear these sets and he’s been ripping them off my body since we made us official.
“I can take these to the register for you.” She offers kindly and holds her hands out for the items I’ve chosen.
“Thank you.” I tell her and hand them over.
I sift through the rack of lace bodysuits with distinct caging on the ribs and demi cups. I wasn’t wrong when I said I had a few at home. But since I’ve been in Rileyland, I’ve missed out on the newer drops and have to get some new colors. Same with the sets. If shoes are my number one weakness then lingerie is a close second. I add a few casual bodysuits to my stack along with some matching sets before I cut myself off from buying anymore.
An hour later, I’m walking out of the store with two bags filled to the brim when my phone rings.
“Hey, baby,” I greet Riley on the phone.
