Picture of Paige
December 3,2016
I turn of the shower when I hear my cellphone ring. I wrap a towel around my body and step out. I was seriously enjoying my hot shower. I find my phone on the side table beside the bed.
"Mom?" I say.
"Hey, I wanted to see if your sister arrived safely"
"She didn't call you?" I walk back into the bathroom. My wet hair sticking to my back.
"You know your sister, London. Why do you think I'm calling you?" She chuckles.
"Well she's fine and still asleep but not for long"
Mom laughs," Have fun. Love you"
"I love you too"
I cut the call and quickly dry my body with the towel and blow dry my hair before dressing into a royal blue dress. I walk barefooted to the room Paige is sleeping in.
"Paige?" I push the door open after knocking. "It's almost ten"
I walk to the windows and pull the curtains open. Paige groans and disappears under her covers. I grin and pull the covers off her. She turns and buries her face into her pillow so I pick the other ones and when I'm a good distant away, I throw one.
It hits her right in the head. Yes!
She turns to me with killer eyes.
"What the hell!"
"Get up" I say and throw the second pillow.
She screeches and picks one pillow but before it hits me I'm out of the door and I hear it hit something.
I turn and bump into something hard.
"Should I be worried? " Andrew asks.
I smile up at him innocently," I'm just waking my baby sister up"
He grins and kisses my forehead.
"Be gentle "
"Party pooper" I walk past him to the kitchen.
"Party pooper?"
I pour a cup of coffee and turn to him.
"Uhuh"I take a sip and look up at him over the mug. He has a stupid grin on his face.
"You are such a--"
"Good morning to you" I say to Paige and cutting Andrew off. She's annoyed
"I'm going to leave before I'm stuck between this"
"Coward" Paige and I say together.
Andrew chuckles and picks his briefcase. He kisses Paige on the head and goes round the counter to kiss me on the lips.
"Have fun" He whispers and walks out the door
I turn back to Paige.
"Why aren't you going to work?"
"I will"
"In that?" Paige says." Not very professional "
I roll my eyes, " I'm spending the day with my client and his daughter"
"And?"
"You are coming"
"Wait, what?!" Paige says." This isn't 'bring your sister to work' day"
"What do you plan on doing the whole day?"
She shrugs.
"Exactly" I say. "Go and get ready"
She surprises me and doesn't argue but leaves to her room. I fry eggs and bacon for breakfast. She comes back in jeans and a white top.
"I better not regret this" She sits on the stool.
****
"Do you like living with your grandparents?" I ask Lou. She is on the swing set in the park. Her dad has gone to get some ice cream.
"I like my grandparents but I like living with daddy better"
"Do you miss your mom?" I ask.
" A lot" Lou says.
"I'm going to help your dad with the ice cream"
As I leave i hear Paige say," We miss our dad too"
"He died?" Lou asks.
"No, he left" Paige says." That's worse than dying"
I refuse to hear the rest of that conversation and move towards the ice cream cart. It's true, we would have handled it better if dad was dead rather than waking up one morning and realising that your father left you. That's far more horrible.
I help Robert bring back the ice cream and we continue our walk. Lou and Robert in front, Paige and I at the back.
"Have you spoken to him?" I ask.
She shakes her head," He wants to see us but Mom told him when we are ready" Her hands shoved deep into her pockets
"Are you?"
"As long as my big sister is by my side" She smiles at me. I put an arm around her.
"Always" I kiss the side of her head. She's almost my height.
"Eww" She hits my hand.
"Everything okay?" Robert turns to us.
"Yes" I laugh. We soon get to Robert's house and as he and his daughter go inside to continue the rest of the day, Paige and I get into my car. He looks absolutely happy to be with his daughter and it just warms my heart
"So what was the purpose of this?" I reverse ontothe road
"I needed to know if she actually wants to come back to her dad, their relationship and about her grandparents"
"You gathered all that in two hours?" She gasps. Completely shocked. "You didn't even ask directly"
"I know, I'm pretty cool" I hear her chuckle beside me.
"What next?" She asks.
"I don't know" I say. "What do you want to do?"
I shouldn't have asked because she gives me an evil grin and says shopping. But I did and I can't say no. If I do she'll just pressure me another day. My poor legs, I'm going to be walking for hours. Shopping is easier when you want to go, when you don't, it becomes a headache.
Two hours, forty minutes and twenty-three seconds later I get to go back home. And yes, I was counting. The only thing I bought for my self was a beautiful white strapless dress, like a sundress but not quite. While Paige has about a dozen bags and oh here comes the best part. I paid. Yep, she says I forced her to go see Robert and Lou when I clearly remember asking not forcing. And besides she got to eat ice cream
Am I complaining too much? Sorry.
"What now?" Paige smiles
"I'm taking you home before I go bankrupt"
"Oh come on" she says." You got that really pretty dress"
"Exactly, dress, singular"
" So you want to go back and buy more"
"No," I pinch the bridge of my nose and shut my eyes for a few seconds. Calm down, London. You are better than this.
"We could go to—"
"No, home" I say and her face falls. Now I feel bad for snapping at her "Next time perhaps but right now my head hurts"
"Alright fine"
"I'll make lasagna for dinner"
She turns away to hide her smile. She loves lasagna as long as she doesn't make it. Her brown hair is beginning to show at the roots. I have to convince her to wash the dye out.
When we get home I change into comfy clothes and get to work on dinner. Paige appears an hour later from her room with dreamy eyes.
"Any new love interests I should know about?" I tease
She's sitting on the stool watching me. She doesn't even offer to help.
"No," She says quickly. She gets up to find glasses and pours us both a glass of juice. Liar.
"What's his name?" I put the finishing touches on the lasagna before putting it in the oven.
"Josh Daniels" she says. "He doesn't really know me. We've spoken only a couple of times. It's not a big deal"
"How's Mom really?"
"She's fine, just wishes you'll stop worrying so much"
"Well she's basically living on her own now and I can't help but worry"
"I check up on her sometimes" Paige says " She has started seeing dad's friend and she's happy"
I smile. That's good to know. When the food is ready we eat even before Andrew gets home.