July Raine

July

"Mommy I have a secret." July whispered to me as she darted her eyes to Rainey.

July must have discovered something while playing.

"Mommy can I tell you the secret or not?
"Is the secret for my ears only?" She stood with her face scrunched. She always did this when she was thinking.

"And the verdict is?"

"No I think Daddy can hear too. But you have to promise that you won't say anything about it. Momma  you have to pinkie promise."

I held out my pinkie to her and she latched on. We both shook our hands and then brought our hands up to our lips and we kissed on it. It was something we always did when we had secrets to keep. It was one of those moments that I love to share with my daughter.

When she pulled away from me she said something that made me breath in deep and hold back my laughter. The words she spoke were in such a serious manner. "Mommy, Daddy,  I think boys are YUCK! They are like ICK!"

I held in my laughter, but Rainey on the other hand, bust out into a loud no holds bar laugh.

July just stared at him with her hands on hips looking so gosh darn cute, but so serious at the same time. " Daddy, this is not funny. This is serious business! Titus tired to hold my hand and I told him to stop it, and he kissed me on the cheek! Mommy can you believe that? Seriously what was he thinking?"

"I guess he thought you were pretty."

" Seriously, Mommy, I am way too old for him."

With that I couldn't help but laugh. I laughed so hard I thought I might pee my pants. July just stood there with her hand on her hip staring at us both laughing. She couldn't understand it now, but I figured out day when she was grown that she herself would get a kick out of this story. I know this is a moment that I will never forget.

I finally got ahold of myself and picked up July. " Sweety it will be fine, just take it as a compliment."

" A what?"

" Nevermind"

Rainey walked over to July and took her from my arms. " What your mommy is trying to say that you are the most beautiful girl in the world and that it is why Titus probably kissed you on the cheek."

" Do you think I'm beautiful like my mommy?"

Rainey darted his eyes to me and smiled and then looked back at July. " Yes sweet pea, you are beautiful just like your mom."

His words made me blush, but I brushed it off as I always do by rolling my eyes. Rolling my eyes had always been a bad habit of mine. I don't take half of what people say seriously and my natural reaction is to roll my eyes.

I don't know why he spoke such kind words. I had not given him any reason to do so. I had spent most of the time here at the lake avoiding him and spending all my time with Maddy. Why did Rainey have to be such a nice guy? Why did Maddy have to be so great? I never in my life thought I'd be living in a love triangle.  A love triangle, do those things really exist in real life. If you would have asked me before this summer if I thought one guy would be fighting for my attention, let alone two.. I would have looked you square in the face and laughed and said ' you are flipping crazy'.

The more I was around Rainey, and the more I was around Maddy, I knew that I was ready to find my life partner. I was quickly finding out that maybe my life partner and my soul mate might not be the same person. It was one of those things that was really hard for me to wrap my brain around.

The sad part about it, I wasn't sure who I was love in love with, and which was my soul mate. Somehow I felt like a terrible person. I felt as though I was doing something terrible. I had no intention of hurting anyone along the way, but somehow I felt as though it might be inevitable. Sadly the person getting hurt might end up being me.

"Mommy, did you hear that! Daddy said I'm as beautiful as you."

"Earth to Mommy!"

I finally snapped out of it. "Yes peaches, what is it?"

"Daddy thinks you're beautiful!"

"Well he is too kind." I gazed at him, and for a few moments out eyes met. I was a nice moment, but for once I was not the one who broke the gaze, it was him. He smiled slightly and I would tell that he was contemplating something, but I had no idea what it was. He parted his lips as if to say something, but closed his mouth and looked away.

"July lets go and take you to see you Gigi, I know that she has been asking for you to come has some girl time with you. Your mommy and I need to spend sometime together."

Rainey grabbed July's right hand and began walking. For a moment I watched them walking hand in hand. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of them walking together like that fight perfectly together. I trotted to catch up with them. I grabbed July's left hand we walked together. Then if it was the most natural thing to do, we started swinging July between us. She giggled so much and we both just watched her as we walked along, and she swung through the air.

As we walked up to Rainey's cabin Giggle was standing on the front porch with a camera in her hand. Right before we reached the cabin we swung July up one more time, and as we did Gigi snapped a picture, and spoke.

"You three look perfect together. Lets take a few more pictures."

I wanted to say no, but I couldn't no deny Gigi this moment, and I could not deny this moment from July. "Okay shoot away." I kissed July's cheek and so did Rainey. She giggled, then Rainey laughed, and I laughed. It was like a chain reaction. Gigi just kept snapping pictures, nothing was posed, it was all just natural. For a moment we seemed like the perfect family with no cares in the world.

July ran to Gigi. " Gigi, Gigi can I take a picture of mommy and daddy."  

Rainey look at me and smiled a big cheesy smile. " Let's take one for July."

Without skipping a beat, he pulled me into him and hugged me tight. It wasn't a romantic gesture. It was one of those moments where you felt like you were hugging your best friend.  After a few minutes of us being silly and July taking pictures, we pulled Gigi in with us and starting taking pictures with her. July just laughed and kept on snapping the camera.

After a while, she started jumping up and down saying " I want in, I want in."

Rainey took the camera from her and we all squeezed together and took a picture.  It was one of those pictures that was definitely one of those that you could tell you took yourself, but was the best one of the bunch.

When we were done, Gigi and July sat on the porch swing and they started reading a book.

I blew July a kiss, and waved good to Gigi. In a brief moment, something happened that I didn't expect. Rainey took my hand into his and we began walking. I didn't know what to say, or even what I was feeling. It was a different feeling than I had ever felt before, but I just went with it. I just wanted to go with the flow, and this was me going with the flow.

.....The End.... Haha just kidding.. not even close! I thought I was nearing the end.. but now I'm not even sure.

Thanks for reading... please vote comment... leave suggestions in the suggestion box!

This chapter has me all conflicted... who should she end up with.. Rainey... Maddy... at this point I love them both!

Much love

LouLouFritz