Page 44 of The Sky Between Us

The Audi turned the corner of our street and headed straight towards our house, the big three story one. Aiden whistled under his breath, throwing me an admiring glance. Shrugging as a reply, I didn’t know what else to say. It was a nice house, but nothing special. I lived there the last four years and I knew it was a bit more upscale than what I guessed Aiden lived in. My face heated from the slight embarrassment, but he didn’t voice his roaming thoughts. Glancing his way, I could see his blue eyes turning darker as he admired my home. It wasn’t actually my home. I considered our childhood house my home, and this one was something different, temporary, and an escape.

“Dad likes big backyards for playing out soccer scenarios,” I offered an explanation. “We basically got the yard, not the house.”

“And for barbecue,” Sky chimed in, climbing to the front seat and nestling in my lap. He was used to sitting alone in the backseat whenever I was driving, but he finally realized I wasn’t the one driving and he could sneak to the front. “Dad makes the best… food.”

“What’s your favorite?” Aiden challenged him, making the little boy think. Sky fisted his little hand and placed it under his chin.

“The… burger. Hazel hates it,” he explained excitedly. Little Traitor.

“I know.” Aiden made a comic, shocked face and shook his head. “Maybe she isn’t even a human being.”

“She is an alien!” Sky’s eyes widened, and snapping his head towards me, his hands sneaked up my face to touch my skin. “Are you a human?”

“Nope,” I smiled at him sweetly, before opening the door and placing him outside of the car. “Get out. Let’s go eat, you must be starving.”

“I’m starving too,” Aiden offered as he walked around the car and joined me by the entrance.

Sky has already zoomed into the house, leaving the door wide open and voices echoed from the living room. Both my parents were there, ready for us to waltz through the door and attack.

“Are you ready?” I looked up at him, and my eyes must have signaled desperation as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest.

“I’m a tough guy, baby. It’s going to be fine,” he muttered into my hair and planted a soft kiss on the top of my head.

With a hum, I nodded. He might have been ready, but I wasn’t.

“Are you guys planning on coming inside?” My Dad’s voice shocked us both, but we didn’t jump away from each other, instead Aiden’s arms remained firm on my waist as his gaze lifted to meet my father’s.

“Hey Coach,” he greeted him with an easy, conversational voice. “Heard you make a mean barbecue.”

“I do,” dad nodded and stepped out onto the porch. “Come on in, hamburgers are good warm.”

Aiden flashed me a smile and released my waist, laced our fingers. “Thanks, Coach.”

Swallowing hard, I squeezed his hand and pulled him toward the door, avoiding my dad’s gaze at any cost.

The richly detailed Victorian facade opened to a Foyer with high ceilings, wainscoting and mahogany inlay oak floors.

“Aiden, come on!” Sky shouted from upstairs, turning our attention towards the wide staircase. “I want to show you my transformers.”

Aiden laughed and shook his head in disbelief. “He is adorable.”

“You mean, annoying,” I corrected with a grin and watched as Mr. Impatient descended on the stairs as gracefully as an elephant.

“Didn’t you hear me?” he stopped in front of us with his little rounded face. “Let’s go upstairs.”

“Sky,” I warned him quietly, but firmly and his eyes immediately turned pleading. “Wash your hands and we are having dinner first. You can show Aiden your transformers after.”

“But…” he started, his chocolate-colored eyes growing bigger with every passing second, but I shook my head. “Fine.”

He stomped away, leaving me finally catching my breath.

“Impressive how he’s listening to you,” Aiden muttered as his eyes roamed the entrance towards the spacious Chef’s kitchen and dining room, which flowed into the living room and opened to the terrace and the backyard. “There’s so much space here, you can see the entire house just from the Foyer.”

“Sky was not even a year old when we moved here, we needed a very open space,” I explained as we walked towards the living room. “The fireplace is cool, but we almost never use it, as you need real wood in it,” I told him, not missing how he eyed the huge sofa. The house was simply and minimally decorated, everything in the same color – grey, white and oaky. It almost looked the same as it did when we purchased it. Maybe with a few pictures.

Aiden studied the frames lined up on the fireplace. Me as a toddler in a pink tutu and a crown, Sky with his first soccer ball, Sky and I together on the beach and a family photo from last Christmas.

“Don’t say anything,” I muttered, elbowing him in the side as he looked at my cute little baby face in the photo. “That was my first dance class.”

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