Pinky Promise [on hold]

twenty five

I wake up and stretch my body. No nightmares this time. I look to my right. Charlie is sleeping on her stomach, her face towards me and her right arm around my waist. Her hair is a mess and there's a little drool in the corner of her mouth.

I giggle internally and try to get out of bed. She tightens her arm around me and pulls me closer to her. I chuckle. "We have to go to school today C."

"I know. But what if I don't want to?" She mumbles on my skin.

"Then you're out of luck. I mean, you could stay if you want but that's your choice. I'm going to school. I don't want any detentions." I turn around, give her a kiss on the cheek and step out of bed.

I shiver. Maybe I should've put on some pyjama's last night after Charlie and I's fun times. I was thinking about it but I was too lazy to get up.

I grab some oversized hoodie off the floor, put it on and open the curtains. "So are you or are you not coming to school with me?"

Charlie groans. "I'll come with you."

"Again?" I joke.

Charlie laughs. "If it's up to me, yes."

I chuckle again and walk out of the room to wake up Nola.

I open her door, walk to her bed and squat down next to it. I lean my left arm on her bed and stroke her hair with my right hand.

"Hey Princess, you have to wake up."

Nola moves a little and lets out a cute yawn. "Will July be there?"

"I don't know. There's only one way to find out." I stroke her hair one more time before standing up. "Do you need any help with getting dressed Princess?"

"No mommy. And I can brush my teeth by myself." She grins up at me while rubbing her fist against her eye.

"That's great Princess. You're getting all grown!" I give her a proud smile and pick her up to take her to the bathroom.

I open the door to the bathroom and set her down next to the sink. I grab both our toothbrushes and toothpaste and put some toothpaste on her toothbrush before giving it to her.

She opens the tab, puts her toothbrush underneath the water and closes the tab again before starting to brush her little teeth.

I do the same to my toothbrush and start to brush my teeth. It's moments like this where I can just be, and it's wonderful. I live for moments like these.

"Mommy?"

"Yes baby."

"When is River coming again?"

I freeze a bit before quickly snapping out of it. "Um, I don't know Princess. But don't get your hopes up okay? It's likely that he won't come here again."

"Why not mommy?" She looks at me with a pout and a little bit of toothpaste trickling down her chin and I giggle before grabbing a washcloth and cleaning her chin.

She giggles too before looking at me again with a tilted head. She still wants me to answer her question.

"River and I don't really like each other, Princess. I helped him that night because he needed it, not because I like him."

Her shoulders slump a bit. "Okay mommy."

I sigh and give her a hug. After we separate, we both spit out our toothpaste and clean our toothbrushes and mouths.

"Let's get dressed, Princess."

She cheers and runs to the closet. I chuckle at her enthusiasm and follow her. I bump into a fully clothed Charlie on the way.

She yawns. "We should sue the school for starting so early."

I laugh and she walks to the kitchen and I to the closet.

I see Nola scramble through one of her drawers. "Mommy, where are my Princess slippers?"

I giggle internally and turn to her. "You can't wear those to school baby, you're going to lose them."

She pouts. "But I wanna show them to July."

I squat down to her level. "I get that but maybe you can ask July if she wants to play with you after school. You can show them then."

Her face lights up. "Yes! I wanna have a playdate with July!"

I smile at her. "If you ask her I'll talk to her mommy okay?"

"Yesyesyes!" She jumps up and down.

I laugh. "Okay Princess, we should get dressed now. We both need to go to school."

I grab an old-pink colored cardigan and ripped, light blue jeans and put them on. "Charlie! Where are my Air Force 1's?"

"Under my bed!" I hear from the kitchen.

"Why are they under your bed?"

She doesn't reply. The little thief. I look at Nola. "Are you almost finished Princess?"

She nods her head while putting on some light blue jeans.

I squat down to adjust the sleeve of her light blue shirt.

"Mommy, where are my light blue shoes?"

"The ones with the glittery butterflies?"

She nods. I stand back up and grab them from a shelf before giving them to her. "Go ask CC for help okay?"

"Okay!" She runs away.

"No running Princess, you might hurt yourself!" I hear her footsteps slow down and I smile to myself. I walk back to the bathroom to put on some concealer and my lens before grabbing a blue clip and walking to Charlie's room to grab my shoes. I smile. She loves to steal my clothes. Is that an us thing or do more people do that?

I walk to the kitchen and see Nola eating a bowl of cereal while Charlie is tying her shoelaces.

I walk towards Nola and grab a piece of hair to pin back with the light blue clip.

She grins up at me. "Thank you mommy."

I smile at her.

"You're welcome Princess."