Page 57 of An Adventure For Aster

Raine had given up on those things years ago. You couldn’t have anything fancy when you were rounding up a herd of six-year-olds.

“You’re going to have to be plenty tough in the plant,” Heather said. “But I’m sure you can handle it. Lily, Poppy, and Rose would have never hired you if you couldn’t.”

“Thanks,” Laurel said.

“Looks like dinner is coming out,” Lily said. “I’m starving.”

Raine sat through dinner and conversation and had a ball. It’d been so long since she’d been out like this and realized why Ivy loved her job so much.

She even got to see a much more relaxed side to her boyfriend and had to admit she was slightly jealous over that too. She wished he was that open and laid back more with her like he was talking with Luke and Zane. But at least it gave her hope he could be.

19

MAKE A GOOD TEAM

“Morning,” Raine said when she walked out of her room on Christmas morning.

They stayed at her house last night because she decorated for the holiday and he hadn’t. Aster didn’t want to take her away from it when she seemed so excited.

“Merry Christmas,” she said. “Are you cooking breakfast?”

“I am,” he said. “You always do it for me and I thought it’d be nice to do it for you.”

She moved over and gave him a hug and kiss. “You didn’t shower yet. You always do.”

“That’s right,” he said. “But if I got in the shower then you would have come out here to start breakfast. Maybe we can do it together after.”

“I’d like that,” she said. “It could be a tight squeeze.”

“I’m up for it,” he said.

He made her coffee and handed it over to her, then took a sip of his as he finished chopping up the peppers and mushrooms. He was only going to make omelets. She grabbed the bread and stuck some slices in the toaster.

“Are you going to call your parents today?” she asked.

He turned to look at her. “Sure. I’ll call them when we get back from your parents’ house. Daphne said they went out with friends last night.”

His parents always did or gathered at a friend’s house and drank and smoked weed. They’d get home late and sleep in. Not that his parents did that when he was a kid, not a young kid. As they were older, it didn’t stop them from going out. He and Daphne could tag along. There were always other kids around playing games in another room while their parents partied.

When he was a teen he passed on going. He stayed home with Daphne and kept an eye on her and they played board games and hung out. Kept each other company.

“That sounds like fun,” she said. “I never had friends so close that they were like family to me. Not like you’ve got.”

“I’m not sure it’s like that,” he said. “Or maybe it is. Guys are different.”

He was close with Zane and Luke, but not like Luke and Zane were close with each other. Zane had been his commander and he gave the older man that respect. He and Luke were only a year or two apart in age and were more similar and served together longer than he had under Zane.

They were both somewhat loners. Luke never had family reaching out or sending him things. Aster at least talked to his parents and did get packages. Most times sent from Daphne, but his mother would too.

“I know,” she said. “I think there was a time in my life when I just wanted what I didn’t have. But don’t most people?”

“That’s human nature,” he said.

“I bet you weren’t like that,” she said. “I feel like this bad person being jealous of friends. When I was younger and then now too.”

“What are you jealous about?” he asked. “You’ve got a good career that you love. One you enjoy, and judging by all the gifts you got from the kids, you are well loved. You’ve got a strong set of family core values and people who love and support you. You’ve got a great boyfriend.”

She laughed when he added the last part. He inserted a little joke even though he said it with a straight face. “I do have all those things,” she said. “And he’s cooking me breakfast on Christmas morning. Can’t get much better than this.”

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