Jessie & Elizabeth (abandoned)

17. Platonic Professions [Part 2]

"I am never going to act my age," Ari said, tracing patterns on the plaid above them. "Acting like an adult is boring. When I'm eighteen, I'm going to buy a boat and make a flag and sail around the whole world." They spread their arms, accidentally bumping me in the head.

Manon regarded her mom, chewing on her tongue. Neither of us was used to Elizabeth being honest so easily, and it probably took her off guard. "Dev's sister said something like that to me," she said, "when we were pretending to be at Hogwarts. She called us stupid and childish."

Not long ago, Elizabeth would've turned to me, waiting to hear whatever wisdom I had to share on the topic, as if she wasn't perfectly capable of handling it herself. "You are a child," she said this time, and I saw her flex the fingers of her other hand, "and there is nothing wrong with that. You're supposed to play when you're nine, love."

Cami worried her bottom lip. "What about when you're ten?"

Elizabeth chuckled, stroking her youngest daughter's hair. Our gazes met, and there was a softness in hers that melted me on the inside. "Let me tell you a secret," I said, gesturing for Cami to get closer. She did, immediately, placing a warm hand on my knee, and at least, there was someone who needed me, someone who wanted me there with all her heart and didn't hesitate to show it. I leaned over and whispered: "You can always play, no matter how old you are. Even if you're ninety-nine and as wrinkled as a prune."

Again, there was a lot of giggling, and it was even better from the inside, sharing in the joy of this carefree afternoon, and it did feel like I had that mythical family I'd always longed for.

"So," Cami said, "do you and mommy sometimes play together too?"

Leave it to Cami to induce a gay panic attack. Elizabeth smirked, and it took everything in me not to shift my attention to the slope of her V-neck — not in front of the kids, not — in — front — of — these — rascals. "Mmm," she murmured, and was it deliberate that she reached past me to pick up some lip gloss, treating me to the scent of her and her spicy shampoo, "no, we don't. Jessie has never asked me to."

She knew very well what she was doing — there was no doubt, not with the way her shoulder grazed mine, entirely unnecessary. Something was stuck in my throat, and in a flash, the air in our little hideaway burned tropically hot. A good thing it wasn't the two of us right now, or I would've done something way more foolish than inviting myself out on a boat.

"Oh," Cami said. Then, her face lit up. "You should ask mommy, Jessie. I bet you'd have loads of fun!"

"Oh, I know." It was out before I could help it, and really, I shouldn't be thinking about stuff like this around an innocent little pumpkin like Cami, but in all fairness, it was Liz who'd started this, so, yeah. I scratched my hair, pretending to be interested in the bottles of nail polish, and accidentally knocked a few of them over.

"Would you like me to do you?"

"What?" I looked up so fast I managed to send the other two flying as well. This, I must've misheard, because otherwise, what was she doing?

There was nothing in her expression that betrayed any sign of mischief, and it confused the crap out of me. "Make-up."

The kids were activated at those words, bouncing in place amidst excited screeches. My stomach flipped. Elizabeth. Most beautiful woman in town. Probably in the whole universe, subjectively speaking. Staring at my face. "Uh," I said, shuffling in place to find a more comfortable position, "nah, thanks. That stuff just looks laughable on me."

Elizabeth, however, was already clearing the space between us, moving nearer so her knees were pressed against mine. Only now did I notice she was barefoot, her nails painted sloppily in the colors of the rainbow. Had she chosen them, or was that the kids' doing?