Just Go With It (Hosie)

XIV

Double Update!

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"Hey, Alyssa?"

Josie has her eyes closed, enjoying the massage, and she forgets for a moment that Alyssa is supposed to be her name.

Maya furrows her eyebrows, "Alyssa?"

Josie's eyes shoot open, remembering that's her, "Yeah?" She turns toward the other brunette.

"So, Hope's birthday is next week, and I have no idea what to get her..." Maya worries.

Josie hums, turning her head back to face the ceiling as her massage continues. She thinks for a moment, "Well, don't get her a tie. She looks great in them, but she's super picky and probably won't wear anything she hasn't picked out herself. She literally only wore one tie I ever picked out for her and it was for the wedding," Josie recalls the day Hope's heart was broken. But the woman looked so dashing that day, and Josie felt so much pride when she saw that Hope wore the tie she picked out for her.

Maya nods, "That's good to know."

Josie continues, "She loves to paint, she absolutely loves art, but nothing modern, she's despises when people call lines on a canvas art..." Maya nods, though 'Alyssa' isn't looking at her, "Beignets for dessert are great, but they have to be fresh, not the store bought ones. She won't eat those...She likes the Jelly Belly candies. But only the cotton candy and peanut butter ones, so you have to buy the bag, separate the cotton candy and peanut butter ones like her mother used to do for her, and put them into a little—Well, I use the little Ziploc baggies from the grocery store—"

Maya sighs, "You know so much about her."

Josie furrows her eyebrows, "Yeah...I've known the woman forever..."

She thinks about all of their times together. They've been best friends forever. And now they're partners in business. Well, Josie's technically her assistant, but Hope never makes her feel like she's anything less than an equal.

They've always cared for each other, and cared for each other's families—and the way Hope cares for her children...She absolutely loves it.

Every part of her, Hope accepts with open arms. So generous, so endearing, so funny, so charming.

Yes, she's also very annoying, and Josie can't stand her sometimes, but...she can't imagine doing life with anyone else by her side.

Josie sighs, getting back on track with her thoughts,  "Music: She loves jazz records. They were her father's favorite. But anything after '95, don't bother. You'll lose her after that."

"Hey! That's when my mom got pregnant with me and my brother!" Maya grins excitedly.

Josie furrows her eyebrows at that.

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"All right, how many cookies we got left?" Hope asks MG, who looks into the bag by the edge of the pool.

"Uh, maybe about 15."

Hope nods, turning to the boy she holds in one of her arms, while Andrea occupies the other, "What do you think? 30 feet for 15 cookies? Can you handle that, or do you need a rest?"

He gets a determined look in his eyes, "Let's do this."

"Really? Okay, he's ready. Alert the media!" Hope grins proudly at his confidence, and Lizzie picks up her phone from the edge of the pool, pulling up the camera on it as she swims over toward Andrea and Hope to get a good angle.