An Inconvenient Attachment

Chapter Twenty Four

"Alright, fine, if I say yes will you shut up about it already?" I snapped over the phone, wiping down my kitchen. 

Erica squealed over the phone. "Yes! Finally!"

"Don't sound so excited. I'm not promising it'll work out," I told her.

"I don't even care about that, just the fact that you're finally going to go on a date is good enough for me," she commented, certainly proud of her hard work after all this time. "His names Gerard and he's a lawyer."

"Jesus, what did you do? Pick someone as close to a main character of a Stephen King book?"

She chuckled lightly. "He's a good guy, very handsome too. My wife knows him from work. Says he's been trying the dating scene for a while but hasn't found any luck."

I sighed heavily, rubbing my forehead. I was already beginning to regret this. "Alright, fine. Set up the date and tell me when, I'll be there."

She squealed again, causing me to move the phone away from my ear for a second. "Alright, I'll text you the details," she said quickly, hanging up right afterward.

A blind date, really Beth? What are you? A horny twenty-one year-old?

In that instant the doorbell rang and I ran to it, knowing exactly who it was. I opened it and both Shelly and I hugged each other tightly. 

"God damn you, I hardly get to see me baby sister anymore," she said, stepping back.

"Auntie Beth!" Rose and Dmitri shouted, both of them jumping up to hug me tightly as well. I knelt down to allow them to wrap their little arms around my neck and hugged them back as well.

"Gosh, look at you two!" I commented, looking them both up at down. Blonde haired kids, Rose had hazel eyes like Shelley and Dmitri had blue eyes like his dad. "I don't think I can carry you guys anymore, look how big you are!"

They giggled cheerfully and ran through the house.

"Hows it going Shelly?" I asked her, flinging and arm over her shoulders. 

"Good, good," she said. "Nick just got back from being deployed for god knows how long. We're gonna spend some quality time together."

"Oh, gross. No wonder you were so eager to drop them off here, you wanted a full night of sex, didn't you?" I said, removing my arm from her shoulder and watching as she laughed hysterically.

"You know it," she said. "Alright, kids. Give mama bear a hug!" I watched as the two blonde kids ran to her, hugging her tightly. She kissed their foreheads and hugged them back, as if she wouldn't be seeing them for years. "I'll be back tomorrow to pick you up. Don't give your auntie too much trouble."

They giggled and watched as she left. 

"What are we doing today, Bethy?" Rose asked, the two following me into the kitchen.

"Well, what do you want to do today?" I asked them both, handing them each a cookie.

"Let's go shopping!" they both said, shocking me.

"What has your mother been teaching you?" I laughed.

"If you love it, buy it, if you will regret it later buy it now," Rose recited, no doubt becoming a little version of Shelly.

"Alright, you guys want toy stores, then?" I asked them and they nodded their head vigorously. "Alright, I'm gonna go get my shoes on and then we can go. I'll get you each what you truly want and then we can get whatever you want for lunch."

They cheered happily and waited in the kitchen as I moved down the hall to my room. I tied on my white vans and flung my backpack purse on and grabbed my keys, sliding on my shades.