✍🏻 Little Matchmaker

4 - Levi

Okay, those are without a doubt my new favorite jeans from now on.

She thought, checking herself out in the mirror and surprised how much a simple pair of jeans enhanced her figure and made her feel really good about the way she looked.
It made her wonder if her butt looked so good in it due to all the hours she spent in the gym or because of the cut of the jeans itself. Either case, she loved it.
Sophie ran her hand through her hair, made one last final spin in front of the mirror, and then confidently walked back to the living room with a wide smile.

"I have no idea how you did it, Aki". She said as she grabbed her bag and Akira handed her car keys. "But those jeans are absolutely amazing! Thank you!"

He happily clapped in response and Sophie wondered if he ever stops surprising her.

They spent most of the car drive with Akira contemplating if Yuki will have a heart attack once he gives her the book and Sophie making sure that he really highlights to her that until the book is released, she cannot mention anything to anyone and even once it's out, she needs to keep it for herself that she had the book earlier.

"By the way, why didn't you tell me you sent her money?" Akira suddenly interrupted his own theory if Yuki will be screaming or crying when he hands her the book and asked with a serious tone. "Usually you tell me these things."

"It wasn't my story to tell, Aki."

"But she did tell me about her brother."

"Before she got the money?"

Akira didn't answer for a moment and then he just confirmed that she indeed told him about it all only after.

"See, it was her privacy, I even wasn't supposed to hear it." She said softly, hoping he will understand her point of view, and checked the mirror, seeing that Akira seemed lost in thought as he stared from the window.

"I think she likes me because I remind her of the brother." He muttered absent-mindlessly and Sophie blinked few times, amazed that he thinks that too. "Because all the other girls at the rink in her age don't talk to me much. But she does. Do you think that's possible?"

Sophie took a moment to think it over, trying to give him as honest answer as possible.
"Well Aki, I think that one's heart and feelings are the most complicated thing to understand."
She said cautiously and saw that he is still staring from the window. "I think, that maybe unlike the other girls at the rink, she did have a younger brother so she knew how to talk to somebody younger and maybe understand you better than the others do."

"Hmm...I guess. I really like her."

"I like her too. Especially after I heard how she spoke with her mother. I like that she has a very positive outlook on everything. Always seeing the bright side of things." Sophie said with a smile, thinking that she herself could have a lot to learn from that girl.
Because she herself always only saw the worst possible outcome of everything, constantly worried that something bad will happen.

"Do you think she could come to visit us in Canada sometimes?"

"Of course!" Sophie immediately said, now finally guessing that his strange mood was probably because he was afraid of losing his friend. "She can come whenever she likes. And I am sure she could even train at that Cricket Club while she is there."

"Really?!!" Akira exclaimed and grinned so widely that one would never guess he was upset just a few seconds ago.

"Yes, really." Sophie smiled back at him just as she was parking the car and Akira darted out, obviously too excited about giving Yuki the book as well as letting her know she could come and visit them in Toronto.

Sophie just shook her head at how little he needed for happiness and casually followed after him into the rink.

She sat down on her usual bench diving properly to writing the ending of a chapter she started a few days ago. She was really struggling with that one, trying to create the right build-up to an important revelation for the readers but was worried that she is either revealing too much already or too little. Afraid that she can't see the right balance. And she so hated when she got it wrong and had to rework already finished chapters months later.
At least it was now just before a release of the latest volume which was giving her plenty of time to write the next one.
But as usual, the time will just fly by like nothing and suddenly there will be deadlines. First, the ones that she can miss, then those she should not miss, and then those, that she should not miss no matter what but will miss them anyway.

She stared at the last paragraph she has written and wondered what would it be like to have at least one day without any worries at all. No worries that the new volume she is writing just sucks, or that Aki will run down the stairs from his room too fast, slip and hurt himself.
Or that another creepy stalker will figure out who she is and blackmail her for money, or worse, not even attempt to blackmail and just reveal her identity and deprive Aki of a normal childhood. Or try to harm them in a physical way. She will really need to make sure that their new apartment in Canada will have the same or higher security level as their current one. She has seen way too many celebrity documentaries about how far some so-called fans were able to take their obsessions. Breaking into homes, threatening, shooting....

Sophie quickly closed the laptop and ran her hand through her hair, thinking that this afternoon she will definitely need the gym time. Believing that maybe if she had more of a positive outlook on things like Yuki had, she may not have to sweat out all the stress almost every evening.
And then she heard high pitch laughter that completely shut down all of those worries for a moment.
She raised her head and saw Akira on the ice laughing at something with Yuzuru. They were both holding their stomachs and even though she had no idea what they were laughing at, she smiled as well watching the scene.
Yuzuru was most of the time just having the usual polite smile that he used anytime he felt it was expected of him. But whenever he was around Akira or any of the other kids at the rink, his laughter was always as honest as it could get.
She did sometimes make him laugh honestly as well, or rather just chuckle, but anytime she did, she felt a strange feeling of pride that she managed that.
Sophie couldn't stop wondering from time to time what it is that makes him keep so much distance from everyone. Letting his guard down only around the kids.
As much as she didn't want to share anything personal with him or anyone else, she couldn't help wanting to get to know him better.