“Shut up, because I did. Just drink it.”
I took a sip, and my eyes widened. “You remembered my coffee order.”
“Of course I do. Tall iced, half cut with milk, three pumps of vanilla syrup. I always picked up the same thing from Commissary before group therapy every week, and you never changed it, not even when we got to Ilamanthe.”
I was touched she'd remembered. Ava used to make my coffee every morning, but this was different. “I don’t like fancy shit.”
“I know you don’t.”
“Do you still get a latte, with brown sugar and salted caramel?” I knew her coffee order, too.
Kallie became hesitant. “I… I switched to matcha after the coup happened. I don’t know. It didn’t taste the same after we stopped talking. And coffee puts me off ever since the Dollmaker used it to poison me. I kind of avoid it now.”
My heart dropped. “Oh.”
“But I got it this time. Because I’m with you.” Kallie swished her coffee, shaking the ice. “Come on. Let’s try one more place.”
She took me to a boutique near the edge of the mall. It sounded pretty empty. “Where are we?” I asked Kallie.
“It’s an adaptive clothing store,” she explained. “We’re idiots. We should’ve come here first.”
“Is Ava going to like anything here?” Adaptive clothing was one thing, but if it was ugly, she’d refuse to put it on. I knew her.
“It’s all couture, custom-made. She’ll like it.”
That also meant it was ridiculously expensive, but I didn’t care. Anything for my pidge.
We started looking through items. Oberi stuck his head into a rack of clothing and refused to pull it out, his tail smacking against my leg.
“So what makes it adaptive?” I wondered.
“The shirts have open backs that you can put on from the front, then button up behind you,” Kallie explained. “The pants have an elastic waist, but the legs themselves are open, with magnetic clasps, buttons or zippers on the sides so it’s easy to fasten them to your body instead of having to pull them on. A lot of the dresses are wraps, which are easy to tie around your torso. Plus, all of this stuff is hidden in the seams, so no one is going to be able to tell the difference between these outfits or a regular piece of clothing. They’re made specifically for the comfort of people who have chronic pain, or those who are wheelchair users.”
This was perfect. With these clothes, Ava didn’t need help getting dressed. She could do it all by herself, with full autonomy. That’s all she ever really wanted.
My fingers skimmed along a dress that was in Ava’s size. I ran my fingers over the cotton fabric and knew this one would work.
I took it off the rack and showed Kallie. “How’s this one?”
“It’s pink! That’s perfect!” Kallie raved. “Get two. There’s another option in floral. Finally, something this picky bitch will wear.”
We managed to find a few more options, a couple of pants and shirts, before Kallie gave a devious snicker.
“Ooh. I found a couple of adaptive panties that she’ll like,” Kallie teased, nudging me. “These adorable buttons on the side will be great for easy access.”
“She’s not gonna let me take them off her,” I said, though I smirked all the same.
“I’ll let her be the judge of that.” Kallie reached past me to yank something lacy over my hands.
I stiffened. “What is that?”
“You know what it is! It’s lingerie!” Kallie cheered. “It’s got the cutest little hearts on the nipples. And it’s simple to take off!”
“Come on, Kallie.”
“I’m getting it. It’s not for you, it’s for her.” Kallie dropped it in the basket, and I let her do it.
Ava loved lingerie, because it made her feel sexy, and I loved it on her. I was all for making it easier for us to take this stuff off, because usually I had to rip it off of her and ruin the garment, but I doubted I’d ever get that chance again. She wouldn’t let me go anywhere near her wearing it. But if it made her feel beautiful, it was well worth the purchase.
