I crash my lips down to hers, holding onto her back as I dip her down into a passionate kiss, in front of our friends and in front of the bar.
I hear screams, and crashing fists banging on tables, but I don’t care.
In this moment I only care about her.
I only care that she loves me back.
I have hope that after the fair when I bare even more of my soul to her, thatthis,us,will be enough for her toforgive me.
Thirty-three
Mabel
Holding my breath, I take another once over in the mirror at the beautiful playsuit that Iris and Hope helped me pick out for the fair today.
The belt sits in the right place, and my red lipstick couldn’t have been more perfect if I tried, but yet the panic running through me isn’t calming down. I don’t know why but I’ve got a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. The one I tend to get when something is about to go horribly wrong.
I run through the work schedule in my head one more time, Colter text me this morning to say that theponies were done and set up for the rides and Mrs Hamilton was, and I quote ‘stressing but cheerful,’ so it’s not that.
The herd’s been moved this morning into our CCTV checked field so it’s not that either. I take my phone from my dressing table and check the video feed just to give myself another peace of mind.
Hearing my bedroom door creek open, I turn around to see Ellie looking completely adorable in the new dress I ordered her the other day.
“What you think, Mama?” she asks, giving me a twirl.
“I think you are gonna’ be the prettiest girl at the fair.” I reply back to her with a wink.
“You look beautiful, Mama,” she says back to me.
“You think so?” I ask, giving her a twirl of my own. “I think Mr Maverick’s gonna’ loose his mind,” she says, and I throw my head back in a laugh. I forget sometimes that she’s a pre-teen and may have watched a few too many romance movies with me over the years.
Checking my watch, I realise that I’m running a little behind on schedule due to this uneasy feeling. “He’ll be here soon,” I smile at my daughter, who squeals with excitement.
Right now, I couldn’t tell you who’s more in love with him, me or my little girl.
He’d not only confessed his undying love to me last night but also told me how much he’d fallen in love with my daughter and that in itself made my heart gleam.
I give myself a quick spritz with my favourite perfume, holding it up to Ellie to see if she wants some, which gains me another shriek from my overly excited daughter.
I give her a quick once over with my perfume and smile at us both in my mirror. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?” I beam at us both.
“Sure are, Mama.” She glows back at me, holding onto my arm as I snuggle into her.
Looking into the mirror at the pair of us, I hear a loud knocking on my front door which makes Ellie squeal once again.
“He’s here, Mama!” She says, bolting out of my bedroom door.
I look back into the mirror and give myself another once over, smoothing out the frills on my playsuit and rearranging my belt one last time.
It’s now or never.
Walking back down the hallway I spot Maverick standing in the kitchen, holding two beautifulbunches of flowers of roses and lilies.
My favourite.
He remembered.
I catch Maverick’s eye as he looks from my daughter up to me and time stops.
