Mia giggled. “You're funny, Caine.” She didn't feel quite so bad about not getting to play now.
“Dat was da point.” He winked at the little girl and went to join the game. It was something to take his mind off of things for a while.
Chapter Two
Mia
“Ugh! I don't wanna wear a dress, mama!” At eleven years old, Mia was a tomboy through and through. Trying to get her to stop climbing trees, or heaven forbid, wear a dress, was like pulling teeth. She fought it tooth and nail.
“Mia Anaise, you will wear a dress and dat's final,” Eliza said to her daughter.
“But mama,” Mia whined.
“But mama, no'ting,” Eliza countered. “Dis is a special occasion and it calls for dressin' up.”
Mia crossed her arms and grumbled. “But it's just Constance's christenin',” she grumbled. “No one's gonna care 'bout what I'm wearin'.”
“I care. You'll wear a dress or I'll go get me a switch and tan your hide,” Eliza said in frustration.
Mia looked down at her feet. “Sorry, mama,” she mumbled. She knew her mama didn't like to take a switch to them so if she was threatening to do so, she was serious. Mia slipped the dress on and tugged at it. She wasn't comfortable in it, but if it would make her mama not be so unhappy, she'd wear it.
“Dere, don't you look pretty?” Eliza said. She brushed Mia's hair out and put it back in the pigtail braids her daughter loved so much. “Thank you for wearing da dress,” she added.
“Welcome, mama,” she mumbled. When it was time to head out of the house she kept her head down. What if one of the other kids saw her? She'd never hear the end of it.
Gage
Any time there was a christening all of the Pard attended. Today's christening was that of Constance Lafluer. As of right now she was the youngest of the Lafluer brood, behind Beau, the oldest, Mia and her twin brother, Julius, and the second set of Lafluer twins, Adele and Auguste, but Mrs. Lafluer was already expecting another baby. Sometimes Gage felt a little envious of his friends for having such a big family when it was just him and Remy. Then he'd think about having to share a bathroom with that many people and be glad his parents didn't have any more kids.
He was following behind his parents and brother when he stopped in his tracks. There, just outside the Pard's church, stood the Lafluer clan. That wasn't why he stared though. No, he stared because Mia Lafluer stood there in a dress. It was the first time since the summer, three years ago, when he'd let her join in their game of tag, that he'd seen her in a dress.
He was really starting to hit puberty, hard, and he couldn't deny that seeing Mia in a dress made him feel funny. She was so pretty and the dress made her look even prettier, like a flower opening it's petals. He shook his head and took a breath to get his teenage hormones under control before he approached. “Hi, Mia.”
Mia was mortified when Gage spoke. Of all the boys to see her in a dress, he was the worst. She didn't want him thinking she was all girly all of a sudden. “Hi, Gage.” She gave him one of her warm, albeit a little shy, smiles.
That smile warmed him on the inside. “You look nice. What'd your mama have to say to get you to wear a dress?” he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
“Mama was gonna get a switch and tan my hide,” she whispered back.
He blanched. “Ow. Good idea to just wear it and get it over wit', I say.”
“Yeah, me too. You like nice too,” she said. He'd cleaned up and was even wearing a nice button-down shirt instead of a t-shirt.
“Thanks, Mia. Guess I better git inside,” he said and followed his family. He glanced back one last time and met her smile with one of his own. She really was a pretty girl.
He didn't really understand why he found himself wanting to steal glances at her all throughout the ceremony. What was it about Mia Anaise Lafluer that was so darn distracting? Maybe he needed to ask his papa about it. It'd be too embarrassing to ask his mama.
When the christening was over there was a party to celebrate it. Gage could tell Mia was itching to change clothes but her mama wasn't letting her out of her sight. Gage grabbed two glasses of lemonade and moved to her side. “Want some lemonade? How long is your mama gonna make you stay in da dress?” he asked after he handed the glass to her.
“Thanks. Til da party's over,” she grumbled. She took a sip of the cool, refreshing drink and sighed. “At least she didn't make me curl my hair or someting.” Her younger sister, Adele, loved getting her hair curled but Mia couldn't sit still long enough for that. She had to get outside and run or climb trees. Something.
“It might look pretty curled.” Gage wasn't sure where that came from. What in the world was wrong with him? “I mean, not that it's not pretty anyway. It's kinda like da sunset.” Now he really sounded stupid. “Anyway, sorry your mama's makin' you stay dressed up. We're supposed to play some baseball tomorrow, you gonna play wit' us?” he asked to change the subject before things got awkward.
“A'course, as long as mama doesn't make me do chores all day.” Mia hated doing chores but with the baby coming there was a lot that needed to be done.
“Well if you get to play, you'll be on my team.” He flashed a grin. He'd learned the hard way to not have her on the opposing team. She was a hell of a ball player.
Mia giggled. “You just don't want your team to lose.”
