As Green As Her Eyes

Chapter 12: Don't catch feelings

Mom kisses my cheek when she passes me by on the dining table the following day. Her eyes are soft and I'm instantly reminded of the wisdom she passed on the night before. I smile at her, hoping that my expression shows her just how grateful I am.

While we are having breakfast, Dad talks about a movie he got tapped to direct and Mom tells us about the new interns under her wing. I listen and laugh at their stories until Dad's sparkling eyes land on me.

"What about you, sweetie? Got anything to tell us?"

I swallow the piece of toast I'd been chewing. "What do you want to know?"

"Well I, for one, would like to know where you slept the night before," he says and Mom laughs, a light and happy sound.

"Your dad has been talking about that nonstop."

"I can't believe you guys gossip about that," I say, laughing at how ridiculous they are.

"Well I'm curious! I mean, you can tell us to stop prying. We'll respect that, of course, but you know how much I like being nosy."

I smile at him and the mischief in his eyes, feeling beyond blessed that I can tell my parents almost everything.

Shaking my head, I relent. "I slept at a friend's," I say, the memory of Lizzie's old band shirt coming back to me.

"A friend's, huh? Was it Scarlett?"

I laugh. "No, Dad. It was Lizzie. I was at Lizzie's."

Dad's brows furrow. "Lizzie?"

"Olsen."

"The Scarlet Witch?" Mom squeals. "Oh, darling, you know how much I loved WandaVision."

I chuckle. "Yes, her. We've gotten close over the past few days. In fact, Mom, I painted with her last Friday. I just remembered last night. It wasn't anything serious though, definitely not what I meant when I said getting back to it, but it's a start, right?"

Mom's expression softens again. "It sure is. I'm glad you were able to do that with her even if it wasn't anything serious. Progress is still progress after all."

I smile, bright and genuine. "Yeah."

"Oh, I like her already," Mom says.

"I like her too but what happened with Scarlett?" Dad asks, making me chuckle and shake my head. He is so invested.

"We're still friends, Dad."

Friends. Right. The type of friend who gives you four orgasms in one afternoon.

Goosebumps erupt on my skin at the recollection. Scarlett has a really, really talented tongue.

God. Okay. Stop. I immediately shake the thought away (for now, at least). I can't think about this at breakfast with my parents. Thankfully, Mom changes the topic and we start talking about other things until it's time for them to leave for work.

Meanwhile, I stay in the house all day, reading, watching shows and chit chatting with Carmen. I text Scarlett a few times despite not receiving a response, just a few updates here and there. I text Lizzie as well, sending her memes and a reminder to hydrate and to take care of herself. She replies with the same energy, sending me into fits of laughter every time she sends me something funny.

This becomes my day to day routine, time moving quickly until before I know it, a week has passed.

It's a Tuesday afternoon in midweek August. The sun is high up in the sky, covering everything in its path in almost unbearable heat. I'm in the pool house, basking in the cool air from the air conditioner while I'm on FaceTime with Scarlett.