Pinky Promise [on hold]

twenty four

The both of us say something at the same time.

"Miss Williams?" 

"Mrs Armstrong?!"

Oh my god. Mrs Armstrong, my english teacher, is looking at me with a questioning face. Fuck.

"I told you that you can call me Alice." She gives me a smile.

I nod. I don't know what to say.

"Hey,"

I look up at her and notice that Nola and July are at the playground again.

"Is it okay if I go with you guys to the ice cream shop? Maybe we can talk about some stuff if you want?" Her eyes soften with the last sentence.

I smile and nod. "Of course."

I look around and see if I can find Nola.

"Nola! If you don't come here soon, July's mom and I will have ice cream by ourselves!"

I smile when she comes running to us with July in tow, July's curls bouncing with every step. She does have pretty hair, the same as her mother.

"No, mommy! You can't do that!" She stops running when she reaches me and looks up at me with an angry look on her face and her little arms folded across her chest.

"I was just teasing you Princess. C'mon." Her face lights up and she starts to search the car in the parking lot with her eyes.

I turn to Alice. "Did you come with a car?"

"Yes, it's the white BMW over there." She points and I nod.

"Mine is the little blue one over there." I point and smile, this is my favorite out of every car Mason gave us to use yet. "You can follow behind us to the shop if you want."

She nods. "Good idea."

We split ways.

Nola tugs my hand. "I found it mommy!"

I smile. "Good job Princess."

~

We reach the ice cream shop and I park the car. Alice parks her car right besides mine and we step out and walk to the shop. Well, July and Nola run.

I smile while Alice and I follow the happy toddlers.

We step into the ice cream shop and start to order. Alice offered to pay and I tried to stop her but she insisted. We found a table and sat down. We talked a little about this and that.

Nola and July finished their ice creams and went outside to play. Time for the questioning to start I guess.

"So, how are you handling taking care of a five-year-old with school? 'Cause I know I barely am." She laughs and I join her.

You don't know how relieved you are that she didn't start questioning me about her father or stuff like that.

"Honestly, it's a little hard but I've been through worse so I know I can do it." I smile at her before realizing what I just said. Shit.

I see a little flicker of concern in her eyes before it disappears again.

"But I'm okay now though." I try to convince her.

We're quiet for a few seconds.

"So, how is the Mr?" I ask her while nodding at her wedding ring.

She smiles down at her ring before looking up at me again. "He passed away a couple of years ago. I still wear the ring though."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. It must be hard hearing everyone call you Mrs all the time."

"Well, it is. But that way it feels like I'm still connected to him in a way. The ring helps too." Her voice becomes gradually softer while reaching the end of the sentence.

"Okay, enough of this depressing stuff."

She looks up at me with a smile.

I try to think of a question to ask her. "What is your go-to place you order from when you don't feel like cooking?"

She smiles and shakes her head. "How did you even come up with that question?"

I shrug and smile.

"Uhm, I think that would be... Mario's Pizza's."

"Right! Their pizza's are so good!"

She nods. "Have you tried the shoarma one?"

I shake my head and look at her with my eyebrows in a frown. "Shoarma on a pizza?"

She nods. "It sounds gross, I know. But once they accidentally gave me that one instead one time, and since then, I don't want a different one."

We talk for a while until it's around 6 and we both have to make dinner.

"Julia! You have my number so please call me if you need anything. Okay?"

I nod, smile and say goodbye before stepping into my car.

I think I just made a new friend.

~

Charlie and I are watching a movie. I tucked Nola in and she fell asleep almost instantly because she had no energy left after playing with July while Alice and I were talking.

I told Charlie about Alice and she told me she was happy that I made a new friend. Even if the new friend is a teacher.

I lay my head down on Charlie's shoulder. I haven't thought about-

And there goes my streak. Seriously?! I'm so stupid. I need to think of something else but my brain can't focus on the movie anymore.

Charlie's hand strokes the outside of my thigh. "Are you okay? I can practically hear your thoughts."

"I can't stop thinking about, well, you know. And Mason doesn't have a job for me so I can't do that either. I just-"

Charlie wraps her arms around me and now I'm facing her neck while straddling her thighs. Her hand is rubbing my back in slow circles, the way she knows calms me down.

My breath hits her neck and she shiffers. I close the distance between her neck and my lips and place stoft kisses up to her jaw.

The circles on my back stop.

I trace her jaw with my open mouth and stop to give the corner of her mouth a kiss. Her arms tighten around me and she pulls my body flush against hers.

Our breaths quicken.

Charlie opens her mouth. "You know I don't mind babe but are you sure you're okay?" She sounds out of breath already.

I frantically nod and finally place my lips on hers which makes the both of us let out a moan.

I'm so glad Nola's a heavy sleeper.