Page 29 of Always Been Yours

We probably could have done some evil genius shit if we had put our energy into something productive rather than beating one another. Spelling bees, prom queen, class president. We fought through it all, clawing each other down until one of us was on top.

That was until we entered our first year at UCLA and we were in an Ethics lecture together. The only people we knew in a room of five hundred strangers. I somehow caught her eye from my seat while she was walking up the stairs. We took one look at each other, I moved my bag from the chair next to me, and she sat down.

It wasn’t that we took an immediate liking to each other, not by any means. We didn’t speak a word to each other for the first month until Lexi missed a class and asked for my notes, but we sat together three days a week without question.

“Oh, yeah, Lexi’s my best friend now. We even live next door to each other.”

“She’s so cool,” Daisy perks up a little.

“I know, she totally is. But Lexi and I had to grow up and change before we could be friends. And, Daisy, yourbestfriend right now might not be a girl. And guess what? That’s okay.”

“I don’t want aboyas my best friend. Who is going toplay with dolls with me?”

I chuckle softly, thinking about the little brunette boy that tried his hardest to hide his excitement about getting to play as my Barbie’s husband. “You would be surprised what a boy will do when he likes you, and what he may even like doing. Your dad was my best friend when we were kids, and he played house with me.”

Her little legs kick back and forth, she twists her hands in her lap and finally, after almost a minute of silence, she looks up at me and says, “I wish you and my dad were still best friends. It’s weird at the house without my mom.”

I’m not at a loss for words very often but at this moment, everything I can think of falls short. I blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind, “Can I give you a hug?”

Tears fill her perfect brown eyes, bringing the gold out, but she gives me a genuine smile before flinging herself off of her chair. I kneel down in front of her and wrap my arms around her. Her little fingers twirl my hair. “Thank you,” she whispers.

We stand there hugging for a long moment before there is a light knock on the door and Grady clears his throat.

We pull a part and look up at him. I don’t know how much he heard but I hope I didn’t overstep.

Getting to my feet, I turn toward my white board hoping he doesn’t see the tears threatening to spill over. “I was going to call you or Selena in a minute.”

“It’s okay, Vivi. I saw Stella on the playground, and I had an idea where my other little lady must have run off to.” He smiles down at Daisy who is now clinging to his leg. I can’t stop myself from smiling down at her, too.

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I know you told me to stay with Stella, but she was playing with her friends and I… came here…”

He looks up at me and we share a moment of mutual understanding. “Howabout we add this to the lists of places you’re allowed to go? If that’s okay with you, Vivi.”

“Of course, it is. You guys are welcome in my class whenever you want.” I don’t specify that I don’t only mean his daughters.

From the look that Grady is giving me, he caught the subtle gesture too.

“Dais, why don’t you go find your sister and meet me by the front bench?”

She nods and skips off, seeming a little brighter than when she first entered.

“I didn’t mean to overstep. I can’t li—“

“Thank you.”

We both stop abruptly and stare at each other.

“What?” I whisper.

“Thank you, Vivi. I heard… some of the conversation. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or burden you with my problems, but I want the girls to talk to someone, even if it isn’t me.” I nod, suddenly dumbstruck.

“You can’t lie about what?”

“What?” I ask again, louder.

“You were about to say you can’t lie about something.”

“Oh, that.” I clear my throat. “It’s nothing.” By the way he leans his weight against the doorframe, I know he isn’t planning on leaving until I tell him. “Fine, okay? God, you’re pushy.”

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