Page 66 of The Girl I Once Loved

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After a day spent on the mainland, I’m actually happy to be back in my old room, writing up a storm. After the wonderful drama-free day the women of this family shared, inspiration kicked in, bringing me back to those first few days when Daisy and I suspected Mom had met the love of her life.

How ironic that it took one wedding to initially bring me to Thatcher’s Bay and another for me to return to it?

I’m mid chapter when the sound of loud music coming from downstairs starts trickling into my room, my mother’s laugh ringing out just as loudly.

Curious to see what’s going on, I close my laptop and walk downstairs, immediately shocked at what I find.

“What is going on here?” I laugh, watching my mother and Curt dance like lunatics to Otis Redding's 'Try a Little Tenderness.'

“It started with your mom offering to help my dad practice his father/daughter dance for Daisy’s wedding, but as you can see, things have gotten a little out of hand,” Noah chuckles.

“Yes. I can see that.” I giggle as the pair continue to dance.

“Don’t knock it until you try it, kid.” Curt gives me a wink, twirling my mom in a full circle. “Your mom and I used to love going out dancing when we first started dating. I think it might have been my dancing that made her fall in love with me.”

“Your two left feet had no influence on the matter. But making me laugh did help you along,” my mother teases.

Watching them dance away like no one is watching is nauseatingly sweet.

“Well don’t just stand there, you two! Join us.” My mom giggles as Curt tries to dip her.

“What do you say?” Noah extends his hand out to me. “Want to teach them how it’s really done?”

With both our parents staring at us, I’m unable to turn his offer down. It might be naïve on my part, but the time I spent with my mother earlier today has left me in such high spirits, not even Noah Fontaine could ruin it. Watching her smile ear to ear, as she waits expectantly for us to join her and Curt on the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the living room, is the reason why I place my hand in Noah’s, letting him lead the way.

But then Noah does the darndest thing.

Once we’re standing right beside our parents, he lets go of my hand and breaks into a goofy dance, mimicking his father’s.

“Please tell me you guys aren’t going to dance like that at the wedding?” I giggle, watching father and son cut a rug in the most dad-like way possible.

“What? Don’t you like our moves?” Noah jokes, shimmying his shoulders next to his father’s.

“Atta boy, son. Show Sky how it’s done.” Curt laughs, coaxing his son to do his worst.

“You two are idiots.” I laugh as they both pretend to do the running man.

“No one can say the Fontaine family won’t be the life of the party on Daisy’s big day,” my mother chimes in, pinching the bridge of her nose and wiggling to the floor.

It’s official.

My family is bonkers.

I laugh away as she pulls me to mimic her dance moves in tandem with Curt’s and Noah’s. I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts. Curt and Mom belt out the chorus of the song, urging Noah and I to do the same. Before I know it, we’re all dancing like crazy people, belting out the lyrics louder than Otis himself.

Once the song ends, we’re all on the floor, laughing away at our childish antics.

“You all have to promise me you will not dance like that at Daisy's wedding.” I point to the three of them, panting for breath brought on from laughing so hard.

“No promises, kid. Besides, those stuck up Monroes need a little flavor to their parties,” my stepfather retorts. “Isn’t that right, son?” he adds, ruffling the top of Noah’s hair.

“Sky… is… right,” my mother stutters, still trying to catch her breath. “We don’t want to be cause for embarrassment to Daisy.”

“We all know Daisy doesn’t embarrass easily,” Noah adds his two cents. “That girl is made of Teflon.”

“True,” Curt snickers proudly. “But Clara is right. We should at least try, for Daisy’s sake. One song at least. Help me up, son,” Curt asks Noah, stretching his arms for him to take.

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