Paper Rings - Taylor Swift
"Hello!" I hear the sound of my mothers voice from downstairs as Evelyn raises her head from my chest.
"Be down in a minute!" I yell as Evelyn stands up, quickly putting clothes on. I walk into my closet, grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
"Shit, I need a bra." She says quickly walking out of my room.
"When are you moving in here?" I ask, peaking my head out of my doorway.
"As soon as you move my stuff." She says before she disappears into her room.
I follow after her, "You do realize my mom is going to want to help with the nursery, right?" I ask leaning against the door frame.
"Great, that's less work I have to do." She says as I chuckle. She slips on a pair of black leggings, with my t-shirt on her. "Good enough." She shrugs, following me out of the room.
We make our way downstairs and into the kitchen, my mom's eyes meet mine before moving to Evelyn and her face lights up. "Oh! You're even more beautiful in person!" She says shoving past me, enveloping Evelyn in a hug. Ev doesn't hesitate to hug her back with a huge smile. "It's good to finally meet you in person." My mom says grinning.
"It is." Evelyn says, returning the grin.
"Oh, hey mom. Nice to see you too." I say sarcastically as she turns her head to me, her long brown hair falling off of her shoulders.
She walks over and hugs me, "Hi mama." I say kissing her on the cheek.
"Hi baby, I missed you." She says rubbing my back, before letting go. "But, get out." She says as my smile fades.
"It's my house." I say as she shrugs her right shoulder.
"We're having girl time, invite Chris over or something, I don't care but, shoo." She says, moving her hands in a "shooing" motion as Evelyn stifles a laugh.
"Fine." I say walking into the living room before texting Chris to "get his ass over here." In exact words.
There's a basketball game on and I leave it playing in the background as I look at hockey stats from last season.
"We're going to run some errands, need anything?" Evelyn asks, walking towards me.
"Not that I can think of." I say as she pecks my lips before starting to walk away, "Text me if you do." She says as I nod my head smiling.
"I love you!" She shouts from the entryway as I chuckle.
"I love you too." I say, before looking back at my phone, to see a reply from Chris.
Chris: why?
Me: my mom has stolen Ev, I was told to invite you over.
Chris: you could at least ask nicely
Me: where's the fun in that
Chris: I'll be there in 5
Me: thank god
I lock my phone before standing up and walking into the kitchen.
"You're a lot like Gracie." Anne says, reaching over the middle console and squeezing my arm.
"I'm taking that as a compliment." I say, softly smiling as I signal that I'm turning left. "You hungry?"
"Starving." She says as I chuckle.
I drive to a little cafe that's not too far away from the house, "This place has the best cookies, I swear on it." I say, finding an empty parking spot
"I'll hold you to it." She says as we get out of the car, her long brown hair swaying with every movement.
"They look just like you." I softly smile as she links her arm through mine, making our way to the doors.
"They didn't get their good looks from their father, that's for sure." She says as I chuckle.
"Apparently they have your attitude too."
"You have no idea." She says as I open the door.
We make our way in, following the hostess out to the patio.
"Has he told you anything about his father?" She asks, looking over her menu.
"We've talked about it some, nothing super in detail but, I know enough." I answer, setting my purse down in the chair beside me.
"Ah. Well, he wasn't always like that. He used to be a good looking guy with a charming personality. I personally like to think that college changed him."
"It can do that to you."
"Did you go to college?" She asks as a waitress comes up and takes our orders.
"I did!"
"Did you enjoy it?"
"It was stressful, that's for sure, but other than that I did. I also think that if I didn't go I wouldn't have ended up back in here in Miami."
"Why is that?" She asks, resting her chin on her folded hands.
"I was always homesick. It was really hard at first, but I needed that break from home, and it made me realize I didn't want to move anywhere, like I had thought I did." I say softly chuckling.
"Big cities stress me out too much to live in."
"I get that, but you get used it when you're born and raised in one."
"I could never," She says chuckling, "I'm from a small town in Michigan, right on the boarder of Canada."
"I've always wanted to go to Canada. Something about seeing a hockey game there is more exciting than watching one here." I say as she chuckles.
"Greyson learned to skate in Canada. We used to go every Christmas break, it's where he fell in love with hockey."
I smiled, I could listen to her talk about Greyson all day.
"He tried to get Gracie to play but she wouldn't, she'd skate but she wouldn't play, other than the occasional 1 on 1 game around his birthday." She says as I chuckle.
"I played when I was younger, but I quit in high school, I was too busy. My sister Ellie and I still play with Chris whenever we're back home, but that's about it, and it doesn't happen much anymore." I say as our waitress brings our food.
"I gotta say, there's something about being outside at night in the summertime."
"We'll have to go for a walk on the beach when we get back then." I suggest as she smiles warmly at me.
"I'd love that. I guess we'll let Greyson join us for that. He might kick me out if I keep you from him for too long." She says as I chuckle, taking a bite out of my sandwich. "How are things going between you too?"
"Good!"
"Are you happy?" She asks with a sincere look in her eye.
"Very." I say as she grins.
"Well good because I've never seem him look at anyone the way he looks at you, and I sure as hell have never heard him tell any girl he loves her, other than Gracie, the kids, and I." She says as I can't help but stop the grin spreading on my face.
"He's always..." She cuts herself off, thinking before starting again. "He's always had this.. almost this piece of him, missing, and I never knew exactly what it was, but seeing his face just when you walk in the room, I've figured it out. He didn't have you, you've completed him." She says, her eyes almost tearing up.
"You have no idea how happy I am hearing you say that." I say as she reaches across the table and squeezes my hand.
"Just.. don't hurt him, I don't think he could handle that kind of pain." She says as, her face almost dropping into a frown.
I squeeze her hand back, "Don't worry... I couldn't handle it either." I say, giving her a serious look.
✳︎
We walk in the front door to hear yelling coming from the living room. We walk in to see Chris and Greyson both kneeling on the floor... arm wrestling.
"How old are you guys?" I ask as they both jump a little, looking at us.
"Umm.. What are you talking about, we weren't doing anything." Chris says, awkwardly chuckling.
"So we didn't just walk in on you two arm wrestling?" Anne says, raising a skeptical brow.
"No.." Greyson says, looking down.
"Way to play it cool." Chris scoffs, rolling his eyes.
"Oh yeah, like you did any better." Greyson snaps back as Chris stands up.
"Anyways, children. We're going for a walk, if you guys want to come."
"If they want to come? No, they're coming." Anne snorts, "We'll come back and they'd be shooting nerf guns or something if we left them here." She says chuckling.
"Probably." I shrug, walking out of the living room towards the back door.
I feel a hand wrap around my waist, knowing exactly who it is, before Grey's lips come to my forehead, leaving just as quickly as they got there. He moves his hand to open the sliding door as we walk around the pool.
"I'm going to be third wheeling with a grandma guys." Chris groans as we hear the sound of him getting smacked on the back of the head.
"A grandma you love very much." She says as he rubs his head.
"She's not wrong though." Greyson says as we make our way down the stairs that led to the private beach.
"Also a grandma that has bought you birthday presents." I say as he chuckles.
"I got it, thanks guys. It turns out I'm actually fifth wheeling to the four of you."
"Ha ha, you're so funny." Greyson says sarcastically as our feet hit the sand.
I wrap my hand around his large bicep as his hands are in his pockets and Anne comes up and loops her arms through Chris and I's arms, so we're all walking in a line.
"We're only missing two siblings." Anne says as she sighs contently as I softly chuckle. "I can't wait for Christmas this year." She says another minute later.
"Christmas?! No no no. Halloween is first, and this Halloween is special." I say with a wide grin on my face.
"Please don't dress your baby up as a pumpkin like everybody else does." Chris says as we continue walking at a slow steady pace.
"I'm not even talking about the baby." I say with a guilty smile on my face.
"What are you talking about then?" Chris says as Greyson groans.
"Hocus Pocus 2 comes out in September! I've been waiting for this movie, literally my whole life." I say excitedly.
"Dude, I've heard so much about this movie just in the past week, it's giving me a headache." He says as my mouth falls open.
"Just wait till you have to watch the movie every day for a month." Chris says as Greyson groans again.
"Do you know anything about me Chris? I start watching Halloween movies in September. Duh. Also, I may have watched it the other night..."
"Evelyn! It's August!" Chris says as Anne chuckles.
"Favorite movies are okay to watch, no matter the time of year... Except maybe Christmas movies." She says winking at me.
"I knew I liked you for a reason."
"God just imagine all four of the girls together." Chris says as I chuckle.
"Imagine them plus Katherine and Sophia.. We're doomed." He says running a hand over his face.
I bump him with my hip as he almost falls over, "Hey!" He says as I grin, pulling him towards me by his bicep.
"Love ya." I say as he kisses me cheek.
"So, have you guys started on the nursery?" Anne asks as I groan.
"No.. We've just been busy." I say as she squeezes my hand.
"I'd love to help.. If you guys want." She says as Greyson looks at me and I try no to laugh.
"That'd be amazing." I say smiling brightly at her.
"Hey, I wanna help." Chris whines.
"Why don't we just invite the whole gang and we can make it a nursery decorating party." Greyson suggests as I smile up at him.
"Really?" I ask, my smile growing wider.
"Yeah. They're going to be in his life a lot anyways. It'll be fun." He says smiling down at me.
"Sounds great! I can't wait to see the rest of the guys!" Anne says patting my hand.
"They've been asking about you." Greyson says as her eyes light up.
"That makes my heart happy. Who knew I'd have so many children that weren't my own." We all chuckle as I look out on the water.
The moonlight reflecting on the water has always been one of my favorite things, and getting to share one of my favorite things with some of my favorite people, even if it's not all of them, makes it even better.
Word Count: 2094
I want a Greyson. UGH.