And some part of me believed what she was saying, because there have been many instances where I didn’t feel like I belonged in my little group, that I was just the comedic relief instead of a valued friend.
I’d nearly lost them because of her, and now, I was wary of every single woman I crossed paths with.
Elizabeth, though… she’s different. Not only can I see that, but my friends can too. Quinn is an excellent judge of character, and knowing that they were not just friends but roommates gives Elizabeth the green light I need.
Leading her over to the table with the tea bag steeping in cold water, I sit her down, taking the seat across from her, and take out the tea bag, wringing it for a moment before dabbing it gently on her sunburned face. She hisses for a moment before a soft moan leaves her mouth.
I keep my mouth shut, focusing on the job at hand. Her eyes are closed, giving me ample amounts of time to watch her closely, to admire the relaxed features of her expression as I take care of the sunburn.
“This feels ridiculously nice,” she hums and flutters her eyes open. My hand is still on her cheeks, but our eyes catch and hold for a moment.
Something thrums underneath my skin, some pull that has me wanting so badly to lean in, close enough for mylips to take hers and finally taste the woman I’ve been thinking about nonstop for weeks.
A door slamming and little feet scampering down the hallway have us both jerking away from one another, our attention darting to the little disturbance.
“Derek!” Aurora barrels at me, leaving me seconds to throw the tea bag in the cup before she’s in my lap and wrapping her little arms around my neck. I give her a squeeze back.
“Hey little Rora,” I say, clearing my throat again. I see a similar red on her cheeks and see it’s not nearly as bad as her mother’s. This solidifies that she is an amazing mom who probably worried more about her little girl than herself. “Looks like you need my special cure for sunburn too.”
“It seriously is shocking how much better I feel already,” Elizabeth says, eyeing the glass in astonishment.
“Special cure? I want some!”
I laugh at her excited expression and grab the bag, going over her cheeks gently to soothe her burn. When I’m done, I turn back to Elizabeth, Aurora still on my lap, and I smile at the two of them. “So, I know you have plans today,” I start, but Elizabeth is quick to correct me.
“Not real plans, just laundry. Laundry can be done anytime.”
I feel that hope bloom bigger at her words, and I nod my head as a grin spreads over my lips. “I was hoping I could take you guys to the farmers’ market. Maybe get some lunch. They have a bunch of fun stuff there.”
Elizabeth lights up at the offer. “Oh wow, I haven’t been there in years. Rora’s never even gone.”
I look at the little girl who’s vibrating with excitement and smile at her. “What do you think, then? Want to have some fun?”
She throws her arms straight up in the air and yells, “I love fun!”
As always, the farmers’ market is booming this Sunday afternoon. There are vendors that are local and some that traveled a good distance to be here. This place is right by the hardware store, which, unfortunately, is now closed on Sundays due to a lack of need from everyone who attends the market.
I push that thought aside as we walk to a picnic bench area, our hands full of different foods to try. We’ve been here for a couple of hours, and the girls were fascinated by each and every booth they went to, taking their time to find different trinkets to take home. I bought Rora a crocheted elephant that she was dying to have, giving Theodore a nice new friend.
Elizabeth tried to buy it, but I insisted.
I noticed her looking at a beautiful glass flower necklace, but she left without it when Rora pulled her to something else.
I took that opportunity to buy it when she wasn’t looking.
Splurging on things like this is not normal for me. I lead a very minimalist life that I’m happy with, but I love giving people gifts. It’s something that makes me happy.
Sitting at the picnic table, Rora dives into her food while Elizabeth and I pick at a few items that we decided to share. She looks gorgeous, with the sun hitting her and the slight breeze pushing her hair around. It’s well into fall now, and people are doing things like decorating for Halloween. I look down the way and notice how plain my storefront looks.
“Whatcha looking at?” Elizabeth asks, licking salt from fries off of her lips.
I glance back up to her eyes and shrug. “My store down there.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Your store? You have a store?”
I nod, pointing it out. “Yeah, it was my dad’s hardware store.”
She looks and squints, reading the sign. “Fowler’s Hardware.” She tilts her head and seems to think for a minute. “Fowler…”
