Thanks for all the great reviews! They're all so encouraging and I'm so
glad to know everyone likes it. It's amazing how much a review is a word of
encouragement! So thanks again.
Please read and review!
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"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Tori's excited shrieks tore across the living room as the tiny girl bounded into her arms.
Lizzie laughed as she wrapped her arms around the girl and swung her into the air. "Hi, baby girl! Did you have fun?"
Tori nodded enthusiastically as she squirmed to be released. Placing her daughter on the ground, Lizzie smiled and turned to Miranda. "Was she good?"
"Always," the raven haired girl smiled.
"Matt bought ball," Tori stated, staring pointedly at Lizzie.
Lizzie wrinkled her eyebrows. "No, Matt didn't bring a ball."
"Uh huh!" Tori insisted, turning her bright blue eyes upon Miranda. "Where the ball?"
Lizzie's face was quickly over taken by a smirk as she tilted her head and smiled. "Did Matt happen to drop a ball off at your house last night?"
Miranda's faced suddenly flushed a crimson red as she made a playful face at Tori. "Thanks a lot."
Not comprehending what was happening, Tori grinned and waddled into the living room.
Lizzie led the way into the kitchen. She removed a glass form the kitchen cabinet, filled it with water then looked at Miranda. "So, why is my daughter under the impression that Matt was at your house last night."
"Because he wanted to visit your darling blabber mouth," Miranda joked.
Lizzie made a mock face of shock then joined in the laughter.
"Well, after we went out the other night, Matt and I have just, sorta, well clicked. He's really nice, and super funny, and—"
"Miranda, I know my brother, you don't have to describe him to me."
Another grin crossed Miranda's face. "I know, but he's so different from when we were growing up. I honestly thought he was going to be some kind of frat boy who would wind up coaching middle school basketball or something."
Lizzie laughed as she felt the water catch in her throat. "Why would you wish that on some poor middle school children?"
Miranda smiled as she lowered her dark eyes to the ground and sighed. "So, how did your night go?"
Lizzie chewed thoughtfully on her lip. "Did you know what Gordo had planned?"
Miranda shook her head. "I knew he was planning something, but he wouldn't' say anything."
"Miranda! Why did you let me go with Danny if you knew Gordo was planning something."
"I didn't know! And I wasn't supposed to tell what I did know. He went through so much to surprise you."
"Yeah, and I came home, dressed for a date and left."
"But he's still here," Miranda noted.
"Well, I didn't finish saying what happened." Lizzie lowered her gaze to the table then softened her voice as she recalled the events of the previous night.
"Well, things haven't been that good with Matt and me," Miranda smirked.
"Miranda!" Lizzie exclaimed. She cut herself off and shook her head.
Sensing something wrong, Miranda leaned forward, resting her head on her delicate hands. "Do you regret it?"
"No. I don't. I just..."
"Just what?"
"Nothing."
"Lizzie..."
She stood and paced the floor. Her mind raced with thoughts of last night. She hadn't lied, she didn't regret it. But her heart was completely confused. She picked up an orange and idly tossed it form one hand to another. She walked over and leaned against the table beside Miranda. "I've been through this once with him before with him. And he left. So, I'm going to treat it like what it was, one night of high emotions and now I'm going to go back to how things were before last night."
Miranda gently placed her hand over her friend's. "Is that what you want?"
"I don't know what I want. You know, maybe four years ago, I would have said I wanted absolutely anything that would have him back. But I learned to live without him." Lizzie glanced into the living room and licked her parched lips.
"Are you afraid?"
"Afraid? Afraid of what? I'm not afraid of anything," Lizzie protested, running her hand through her hair, pulling tensely at the blonde ends.
Miranda said nothing, but her gaze never faltered from Lizzie's face.
Heart pounding in her chest, Lizzie placed the orange on the table and look down at the tiled floor. There wasn't a way she could put her emotions into words. When Gordo had left her before, she'd felt hurt, alone, and betrayed. Now, after last night, she wanted to sit with him, hold his hand, and never let him go again. But she knew it was completely impossible. She didn't even know if he'd changed at all. Lizzie felt her frustration rising and realized the need for an immediate change of subject. "So, what's going on with you ad my brother? Are you serious about him?"
Miranda closed her eyes and sighed, "We shouldn't talk about this now."
"Why not? You can question me about what I do but I can't question you?"
Miranda stood up and stepped back, her dark eyes narrowing at the comment. "You act like I'm asking questions you haven't considered yourself, Lizzie. Don't start getting mad at me." She shook her head as she pulled her jacket from the back of the chair. "I'll see you later."
Miranda called bye into the living room and shut the door firmly behind her. Lizzie let out a frustrated groan and slid into the chair. Her fingers dug into the side of her head trying to rub away the increasing throb.
"Mommy?" Tori's soft voice called as the little girl was suddenly at her side, looking up. "Mommy, you sad?"
Lizzie looked down at the girl and lifted her onto her lap. "Mommy's okay," she promised, brushing aside a strand of hair and kissing her lightly. "Mommy's got you, and everything is going to be all right." She nodded and kissed the light curls again. "At least I hope so."
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Tori's excited shrieks tore across the living room as the tiny girl bounded into her arms.
Lizzie laughed as she wrapped her arms around the girl and swung her into the air. "Hi, baby girl! Did you have fun?"
Tori nodded enthusiastically as she squirmed to be released. Placing her daughter on the ground, Lizzie smiled and turned to Miranda. "Was she good?"
"Always," the raven haired girl smiled.
"Matt bought ball," Tori stated, staring pointedly at Lizzie.
Lizzie wrinkled her eyebrows. "No, Matt didn't bring a ball."
"Uh huh!" Tori insisted, turning her bright blue eyes upon Miranda. "Where the ball?"
Lizzie's face was quickly over taken by a smirk as she tilted her head and smiled. "Did Matt happen to drop a ball off at your house last night?"
Miranda's faced suddenly flushed a crimson red as she made a playful face at Tori. "Thanks a lot."
Not comprehending what was happening, Tori grinned and waddled into the living room.
Lizzie led the way into the kitchen. She removed a glass form the kitchen cabinet, filled it with water then looked at Miranda. "So, why is my daughter under the impression that Matt was at your house last night."
"Because he wanted to visit your darling blabber mouth," Miranda joked.
Lizzie made a mock face of shock then joined in the laughter.
"Well, after we went out the other night, Matt and I have just, sorta, well clicked. He's really nice, and super funny, and—"
"Miranda, I know my brother, you don't have to describe him to me."
Another grin crossed Miranda's face. "I know, but he's so different from when we were growing up. I honestly thought he was going to be some kind of frat boy who would wind up coaching middle school basketball or something."
Lizzie laughed as she felt the water catch in her throat. "Why would you wish that on some poor middle school children?"
Miranda smiled as she lowered her dark eyes to the ground and sighed. "So, how did your night go?"
Lizzie chewed thoughtfully on her lip. "Did you know what Gordo had planned?"
Miranda shook her head. "I knew he was planning something, but he wouldn't' say anything."
"Miranda! Why did you let me go with Danny if you knew Gordo was planning something."
"I didn't know! And I wasn't supposed to tell what I did know. He went through so much to surprise you."
"Yeah, and I came home, dressed for a date and left."
"But he's still here," Miranda noted.
"Well, I didn't finish saying what happened." Lizzie lowered her gaze to the table then softened her voice as she recalled the events of the previous night.
"Well, things haven't been that good with Matt and me," Miranda smirked.
"Miranda!" Lizzie exclaimed. She cut herself off and shook her head.
Sensing something wrong, Miranda leaned forward, resting her head on her delicate hands. "Do you regret it?"
"No. I don't. I just..."
"Just what?"
"Nothing."
"Lizzie..."
She stood and paced the floor. Her mind raced with thoughts of last night. She hadn't lied, she didn't regret it. But her heart was completely confused. She picked up an orange and idly tossed it form one hand to another. She walked over and leaned against the table beside Miranda. "I've been through this once with him before with him. And he left. So, I'm going to treat it like what it was, one night of high emotions and now I'm going to go back to how things were before last night."
Miranda gently placed her hand over her friend's. "Is that what you want?"
"I don't know what I want. You know, maybe four years ago, I would have said I wanted absolutely anything that would have him back. But I learned to live without him." Lizzie glanced into the living room and licked her parched lips.
"Are you afraid?"
"Afraid? Afraid of what? I'm not afraid of anything," Lizzie protested, running her hand through her hair, pulling tensely at the blonde ends.
Miranda said nothing, but her gaze never faltered from Lizzie's face.
Heart pounding in her chest, Lizzie placed the orange on the table and look down at the tiled floor. There wasn't a way she could put her emotions into words. When Gordo had left her before, she'd felt hurt, alone, and betrayed. Now, after last night, she wanted to sit with him, hold his hand, and never let him go again. But she knew it was completely impossible. She didn't even know if he'd changed at all. Lizzie felt her frustration rising and realized the need for an immediate change of subject. "So, what's going on with you ad my brother? Are you serious about him?"
Miranda closed her eyes and sighed, "We shouldn't talk about this now."
"Why not? You can question me about what I do but I can't question you?"
Miranda stood up and stepped back, her dark eyes narrowing at the comment. "You act like I'm asking questions you haven't considered yourself, Lizzie. Don't start getting mad at me." She shook her head as she pulled her jacket from the back of the chair. "I'll see you later."
Miranda called bye into the living room and shut the door firmly behind her. Lizzie let out a frustrated groan and slid into the chair. Her fingers dug into the side of her head trying to rub away the increasing throb.
"Mommy?" Tori's soft voice called as the little girl was suddenly at her side, looking up. "Mommy, you sad?"
Lizzie looked down at the girl and lifted her onto her lap. "Mommy's okay," she promised, brushing aside a strand of hair and kissing her lightly. "Mommy's got you, and everything is going to be all right." She nodded and kissed the light curls again. "At least I hope so."