“You’ll set up your computer by yourself and learn how to use it a little on your own, before we start in on coding and some other fun stuff tomorrow.”
“Yeah. That sounds like a hoot,” she says with sarcasm.
Brushing a few strands of fallen hair behind her shoulder, I tell her, “We all have to start somewhere.”
“I’m ready to get my geek on, Nix.”
“Good, Shorty.” I give her shoulder a quick squeeze, and I am filled with uncertainty and a touch of pride. “Let me get dressed, and we’ll hit the store.”
She places her hand on mine before it slips from her shoulder. “I’ll prep your schedule for the week while you put yourself together.”
“Thanks, Coco.” I lean forward and kiss her forehead. I’ve never loved another person besides my parents the way I do her. Not a lusty love, not full of want and need, but the kind where she’s part of me and I’d kill to protect her. She weaseled her way into my heart and solidified a place in my life. She’s the kid I never had, nor did I ever want, but I wouldn’t change a second of our time together.
“Go, Nix. We have shopping to do.” She rubs her hands together and laughs because she shops like it’s an Olympic sport. “Even if it’s not clothes, I’m ready to burn a hole in your credit card.”
“If you’re good, maybe we’ll get you a few things for your wardrobe too.”
Her eyes light up with excitement. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I smile, but I regret the words already.
“I want some outfits like Sharon Stone wears inScarface. That woman had some seriously badass outfits.”
“You meanCasino.” I stop myself from rolling my eyes before I stalk off toward my bedroom.
“Same thing.”
But it’s not even close.
We haven’t even beenat the store for five minutes, and she’s already made a beeline for the most beautiful laptop in the place. It’s completely Coco’s style, but it won’t get the job done and it’s hard to crush her dreams.
She strokes the laptop. “Look at this one. Oh my God,” she sighs. “It’s so beautiful, Nix. Can I have it?”
“It won’t work, kid. It’s not powerful enough.”
Flattening her palms against the lid, she stakes her claim. “But it’s tiny and so sparkly.”
Walking to the other side of the table, I glance down at the more powerful and completely necessary model. “This is the one you need.”
She frowns. “But it’s so…so plain.”
“You can pretty it up,” the saleswoman says, wearing the typical black cargo pants and signature blue shirt all store employees do. “You can buy skins and decals to make it as beautiful as you want.”
Coco’s eyes widen. “You can?”
“Yeah. There are millions of ways to make it as pretty.”
“But I want the gold one.”
“Eh,” the saleswoman mutters and glances in my direction with a tiny smirk. “It’s pretty, but it doesn’t do as much as the one your boyfriend wants to buy.”
“He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my…”
“Brother,” I say quickly because it’s too hard to explain and it’s not important. “I’m buying her a birthday gift.”
“My brother bought me a shitty coffee mug.” She grimaces and looks back at Coco. “You’re a lucky girl.”
Coco nods and I tap the laptop, ready to be done. “We’ll take this one.”
