Page 30 of Everything I Desire

Poor Willow. I wish I could help her more, but she’s so far away. I make a mental note to call her tomorrow and check on her. I need to know what this shady shit is that she’s talking about. I don’t like her being down there alone right now.

My door handle jiggles, and Kayla meekly speaks from the other side, “Addy, I just wanted you to know I am here.”

I get up quickly to open the door, but I find her retreating back to the stairs when I open it. “Hey! Come on in, sorry I was talking to Willow.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I interrupted you. I’ll go back downstairs.” She points her thumb over her shoulder to the staircase.

“No, please don’t worry about it. Come in. Mom brought your dress by a few days ago, it’s in my closet!” I walk over and open the door, going in to find the bag with her dress.

I pull it out and hang it on the door frame. She unzips the bag and runs her fingers gently down the silky soft fabric. I see a lone tear run down her cheek.

Running over, I squeeze her shoulders. “Kayla, what’s wrong?”

Between her and Willow, each crying in the last few minutes, I’m feeling totally helpless.

“I just, I mean, I know my mom sucks. But I kind of always hoped she would be here doing stuff like this with me.” She turns and goes to sit on my bed.

“I’m so sorry, honey.” I sit beside her. “I wish it were her here with us, but I’m glad that you’ve allowed me and my family to be here with you. We are all so excited. Getting ready for the Spring Fling was always a big deal in my house with four girls, and I’m just happy we get to do it again with you.”

She wipes her cheeks, “Thanks, I’m happy too. Even though I’m crying.” She lets out a half-hearted laugh.

“Hey! Get down here! We have food to eat, then we need to get going on makeup!” Scarlett yells from the kitchen.

Laughing, the two of us go downstairs and find Lacey and Mom in a debate about lipstick colors yet again, and Scarlett sneaking cookies from Mom’s bag.

Scarlett hears us first and shoves the rest of the cookie in her mouth, holding a finger to her lips to tell us to keep her secret.

I smile at Kayla, who walks over to the kitchen table to settle the lipstick debate.

“I don’t think I want anything too bright. I like this nude pink, she says handing them a thirdoption. Apparently she has picked up on being neutral when it comes to Harper disagreements.

Both Lacey and Mom look at her with smiles on their faces. I’m glad that she spoke up instead of letting them do whatever they want. Judging by the looks on their faces, I think they are too. She’s really coming out of her shell with all of us now.

Another social and emotional milestone for Kayla.

I’ve noticed her standing up for herself more at school too. My favorite was when she put the popular mean girl in her place for trying to get Eric’s attention. When Kayla walked into class the girl was sitting on the edge of Eric's desk, laughing a very high pitched squeal type of laugh. To Eric's credit he was cringing when she sat down. He didn't want anything to do with her. Kayla saw her and told her to stop trying to get what belongs to someone else. The girl slunk back to her own desk and shot daggers at Kayla and Eric the rest of the class.

I had to walk away to hide my snicker at the scene to keep my professionalism in order. I had text Porter about it, and all I got was athat’s greattext after. He’s really taking this avoiding me thing too far.

Before I know it, the chaos of five women getting ready for a dance takes over my home. It makes me smile at the thought of my home being filled with a teenager getting ready for her first dance. Something I always thought that Porter and I would do together.

In a way, I guess we are. But why does it hurt so much that he isn’t here doing it with me?

Eric and Porter are sitting in my living room waiting for Kayla to come down.

She looks so beautiful and Mom’s alterations made the dress even more gorgeous on her. The emerald green color brings out her eyes, and Lacey added some highlighter to her shoulders and collarbone to accentuate the neckline of the dress.

Porter, however, is firmly still in the camp of ignoring me. I put on my best little black dress that is sexy as hell, but still appropriate since I’m a chaperone at a high school dance. I can feel his eyes burning a hole into my back, but as soon as I turn he averts his eyes like he wasn’t just staring.

“I’m ready!” Kayla yells from the top of the stairs.

Porter goes to the stairs first, and Eric, smartly, follows behind him, giving up the first view of Kayla.

She descends the stairs like a princess. Her dress flowing out behind her, her hair perfectly curled and cascading down her back.

“Wow, you look h-” Eric stops himself from answering when Porter looks at him, eyes furrowed, like he better not finish that statement. “Beautiful. You look beautiful.”

Porter might have made him stop the statement he was going to make, but he didn’t stop Eric fromstaring at her. The blush spreads quickly down Kayla’s cheeks to her chest.

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