We get out of the taxi and eventually find Aurora's mom. Layla and Marcus stand beside her along with some guy I don't recognize. Unsurprisingly there are a lot of people around us.
Layla is a brunette with blue eyes similar to Aurora's. She looks the same for the most part except now she has on glasses. Marcus has brown eyes and short black locs. He looks different. His hair used to be buzzed.
Aurora's mom has blonde hair and hazel eyes. I don't know where Aurora gets her blue eyes from because she looks nothing like her dad and his eyes are brown.
The mystery guy looks about our age. He has blonde hair that's combed over at the top and faded on the sides. He has a slight muscular build to him making it obvious he works out and he honestly looks like a fuck boy.
I'm sure Aurora told Layla Ari was my kid she knew I was intersex and even if she didn't. If you know about me and her then it's not that hard to figure out.
Aurora's mom approaches me. "It's so good to see you." She looks me up and down. "Look at you. You look amazing." We hug.
I glance at Aurora noticing her obvious discomfort with the one armed hug she and Ari receive from the mystery guy. I don't like that he's touching them. I don't even know who he is. I remember Aurora telling her mom not to bring someone. Is that him?
I look back to her mom and smile halfheartedly. "It's good to see you too Ms.McCree."
She waves her hand as if dismissing me. "None of that Ms.McCree stuff now, you can still call me Brinda."
I look at Aurora again and this time she makes eye contact with me. She gives me a small smile. She looks really uninterested in whatever the guys talking about.
She looks at him telling him something before walking towards me with Ari in her arms. He looks confused as he walks away to where I assume we'll be sitting.
"Hey Dear." Brinda pulls her and Ari in for a hug. "Ari. You look like you've gotten bigger." Ari nods her head in agreement making us all chuckle. Then she looks at me and reaches her arms out towards me.
"Hold me." I smile as I take Ari from her.
Brinda's brows furrow as she looks between me and Ari. "You know if I didn't know any better I'd think Ari was your kid." I look at Aurora and see her face drop a bit in a worrisome way.
I chuckle nervously. "R-really? I don't see it." Layla and Marcus approach.
"Yeah, she looks a lot like you. Especially those eyes." She laughs. "But that's silly."
"Right." I agree. I hear Layla chuckle. I see Aurora glare at her. Marcus lightly bumps her shoulder with his to get her to be quiet. Ive always liked Marcus he's cool. He also knows about me and Aurora.
Brinda sighs. "I'm glad you came. But I'm gonna go sit down. My legs are killing me im not getting any younger."
I chuckle as she walks away. Layla and Marcus walk up to us. She reaches out to tickle Ari's arm. "Hey Ar-Ar. Is your other mommy holding you?" She says in a childlike voice, Ar-Ar? Is she a pirate? Ari nods wrapping her arms around my neck.
Layla looks me up and down playfully. "Well look at you Kya haven't you aged well or more like not at all. You and Aurora were made for each other both of you still look like high schoolers at 22." I smile not knowing if that's a compliment or not. She's exaggerating, we look 20 at minimum. "I'm mad Aurora didn't tell me you two got back together." She glares at Aurora.
"We're not together." Aurora says quickly.
She smirks. "Ok damn you sound pretty sure of that." Aurora's glares at her.
"So Aurora finally decided to contact you?" Layla asks me.
I shake my head. "Not exactly." She quirks a questioning eyebrow.
Me and Aurora tell her and Marcus how we came to this moment. She cuts in when we get to the part about me moving in with them.
She smirks. "You two live together. It's only a matter of time before you two makeup." She scrunches her face up in disgust. "You two were so in love."
I can feel my face heat up. Aurora notices and glares at her. I hate these street lights. Aurora wouldn't be able to tell if they weren't everywhere.
"Your so annoying. We aren't together." Aurora says.
Layla frowns. "I don't understand why you broke up with her Kya you guys were so in love."
I sigh. "I had my reasons." I do regret it now though. I look at Aurora and she gives me a sad smile.
"I guess but you know what they say if you like it then you should put a ring on it." She holds up her hand presenting an engagement ring. I look at Marcus's right hand and sure enough he's wearing one too. They're engaged.
"Oh when did that happen?" Aurora asks.
"Last week. He proposed on a beach trip." She looks at Marcus lovingly.
I smile genuinely happy for them. "When's the wedding." I ask.
"November. We aren't sure where yet." Marcus says.
Layla cuts in. "I expect you to be there as Aurora's plus one." She smirks.
I frown in confusion. English isn't my best subject but that can't be right. "Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a plus one a date? We aren't dating."
"It is." Aurora chips in annoyance lacing her tone.
Layla chuckles and looks at me. "How much you want a bet that if you proposed to Aurora right now she'd say yes. She'd love for you to be her plus one. You have no idea how many times Iv'e had to listen to her cry about how much she-" Aurora cuts her off and I can see her blushing in the street lights.
"Ssssssh! Will you shut up!" Layla laughs.
I wanna know what she was gonna say.
"I can see it now little Ariel and little Aladdin or Cinderella running around. It's just a matter of time." I can't help but laugh a little. That was funny. Those were the same names I said.
Aurora glares at me for laughing. I clear my throat as I stop. Then she does the same at Layla. "Your so annoying." But Layla unbothered continues to chuckle.
I hug Ari closer. "Ariel is a cute name." I notice Aurora's satisfied look at my reply.
"True, but Cinderella not so much and Aladdin just isn't it."
Aurora sucks her teeth. "I wouldn't use those anyway. I'm gonna go sit down now come on Kya." She definitely told me Aladdin was a maybe.
She starts to walk away and follow behind her giving Marcus and Layla a smile.
Aurora takes Ari because Ari wanted to sit with her. As where walking I see the guy sitting in between two chairs instead of on the end.
"Who is that?" I ask.
She rolls her eyes. "Ian, another family friend my parents are trying to set me up with. I told mom not bring him."
When we approach Aurora stops in front of him.
"Ian can you let Kya sit there?"
He shakes head. "She can sit beside me." She rolls her eyes and takes a seat beside him and me on the other side.
Ari looks at him with a frown. "I want Kya to sit there."
He smiles. "She can sit beside me."
Ari glares. "No! I want Kya by me and mommy." She looks at Aurora and whines. "Mommy." I love this kid.
Ian's face scrunches up. "Wow your kid is a brat."
Aurora glares at him and I do the same. He has some nerve calling my kid a brat. Only I can do that. "Excuse me." Aurora says.
He motions to Ari with his hands. "She's whining because she can't get her way.
Aurora blinks at him a few times like she's trying to compose herself. I take that as an opportunity to talk. "Aren't you doing the same thing? The only difference is that you're a grown ass man."
He looks at me confused. "Who even are you?"
I give him a fake smile. "A friend of Aurora and that's more than you'll ever be."
He looks quite offended by that and opens his mouth to reply but Aurora chuckles and stands up with Ari. "You know what, you don't even have to get up, I can just do this." She says as she grabs the chair with her free hand and starts walking over to me with it.
Ian frowns. "But I came here to spend time with you." He says as if it's obvious. Eww.
Aurora stops walking and her face scrunches up in disgust. Exactly how I feel. "Why would you think I'd want that? Especially after what you just said."
He shrugs. "Brinda invited me. She said you would."
Aurora looks pissed as she puts her attention on Brinda. "Why the hell would you say that? I told you specifically not to invite him. I tried to think that him being here wasn't your doing, that maybe he invited himself or something."
"I'm trying to help you find someone. You've never once talked about anybody you've dated." She looks at Aurora with a pitying expression.
"Because I've only ever dated one person!" That would be me.
"Well I didn't know that, you never talked about him. And one guy. That's not normal. You're a beautiful girl dear why are you wasting it. You could find a man so easily. Ari needs a father. Speaking of this guy."
Aurora clenches her jaw in anger. "I can assure you Ari will never need or have a father."
Brinda frowns in confusion. "Don't be ridiculous you can't be single forever."
Ian stands up. "I'm just gonna go." He says awkwardly before walking away. That was smart of him.
Aurora glares at Brinda. "I'm sick of you and dad trying to control my life I can be single if I want. I can do what I want I'm grown. You guys don't care about what I want and you know what? Maybe I will get married one day but I can assure you it won't be to a man." She looks at me nervously realizing she basically just outed herself. I see Layla and Marcus are both staring at them wide eyed Marcus is leaning over so he can see past Layla.
Brinda chuckles. "What does that even mean?" Of course she's so old fashion marrying a women doesn't even cross her mind as a possibility.
Aurora swallows visibly. Vamos, puedes hacerlo. "I-n-nothing it doesn't matter. Can you just stop trying to set me up with guys?"Aurora says nervously. Im disappointed that she didn't just get it over with.
Brinda blows. "Fine." She looks at her phone. "The fireworks should start any second now anyway."
Aurora puts her chair back and I move over to Ian's previous seat with Ari. Aurora grabs Ari from me and sits her on her lap. We watch the fireworks in silence except for the occasional cute whispers between Ari and Aurora that I make out over the booms and whistles of the fireworks.
Ari watches the fireworks in awe although I'm sure she's been here before.
Instead of watching the fireworks I watch them. My stomach swarming with butterflies as I take In Aurora. Even her side profile is gorgeous. But I wish the three of us could be here as a family.
I didn't even realize she'd been watching me stare at her. "Something wrong?" She smiles.
I can't help but smile back. When I say she has a smile that could light up a room I mean it. It's contagious.
"No, you're just so beau- great." I internally cringe as she smiles confusedly.
"Thanks?" She turns back to the fireworks.
I feel my face heat up in embarrassment. What is wrong with me? I try not to look at her the rest of the time but of course I fail, can't expect me to look at the fireworks when she's right next to me.
After a while Ari speaks up, "Mommy do we have firework sticks?" I look at the guy she's looking at. He's holding a sparkler.
Aurora looks confused before following Ari's gaze to the guy. "Sparklers?"
Ari nods.
"No sorry."
"Can we get some?" Ari asks making me feel bad. I want to give her whatever she wants.
"Sorry baby but they don't sell them here."
She frowns and leans back into Aurora.
I wouldn't be so sure of that. I bet someone would give me some for money. I brought some just in case they had concession stands or something. I only brung two $50 bills.
I stand up and Aurora gives me a weird look. I smile. "I'll be back." Im getting my kid some sparklers.
"How many of those do you have on you?" I ask the guy once I approach him.
His brows pinch together and he looks me up and down. Then his eyes widen after a couple seconds. "Holy shit! Y-your that model. Damn your even hotter in real life."
I cringe, I didn't expect that reaction. I've never been recognized before. "Thanks? I wanted to ask if I could buy those off you." I refer to sparklers.
He glances to them before looking back at me with excitement. "I'll give you all of them and the lighter if you take a picture with me." He pulls out his phone.
I shrug. "Sure." I was just gonna give him a $50
After the picture is taken he gives me two packs of sparklers and the lighter.
"Thanks." I tell him.
"No, thank you." He says while looking at the picture on his phone.
I come back to my seat laying the boxes on my lap.
Aurora deadpans. "You didn't."
I smirk. "Oh, but I did."
Ari slides off Aurora's lap when she sees the sparklers.
She stops in front of me. "Can I have one please?" She asks in wide eyed excitement.
I chuckle. "They're all for you." I pull one out of the packages.
She beams as I hand her one. "Thank you." I smile at her excitement as I light it with the lighter.
She walks over to Aurora moving it towards Aurora's face at rapid speed as she says "Look". Aurora catches Ari's hand that's holding the sparkler with hers and moves it away from her before it can burn her making me laugh.
"I see it. But don't put it too close it's hot."
"Sorry." Ari mumbles as she waves it around In front of her, away from Aurora.
When it burns out she comes back to me holding it with a pout. "It died."
I giggle. "Yeah It does that." I pull out another one. "Then you get another one."
By the time we use all of them, the fireworks are over.
We say bye to everybody before requesting a taxi specifically with a car seat. We wait on the sidewalk.
"Do you want to order food from somewhere?" Aurora asks. Ari is asleep on Aurora's shoulder.
"Sure. What do you want?"
"You pick." That's not a good idea. I always pick the same thing. I can't think of anything else when I'm put on the spot. I forget every other thing that exists.
"McDonalds?" I cringe as Aurora's face scrunches up as if in disgust. Ok it's not that bad.
Ari's head pops up from Aurora's shoulder as if she wasn't just snoozing. "I want a happy meal." She says wide awake. I snort. See, she gets it.
Aurora rolls her eyes. "Fine, but you're never choosing again. We're in New York with hundreds of places to choose from and you choose McDonalds."
I give her a cheeky smile with a shrug and shove my hands into my pockets.
After a minute I hear Aurora blow. "I'm sorry."
I chuckle. She doesn't have to apologize for not liking McDonalds. "It's fine you just have a different presence from me and Ari. I'm not mad about it."
She looks confused. "What? I'm talking about what happened earlier with my mom." I see tears glistening in her eyes. "I should have told her." She swallows.
I take my hands out of my pockets and walk up to her placing them on her arms for comfort. "Hey, it's ok you do that when you're ready." Although I do wish she would have got it over with.