Lisa
I watch the two reconnect, soaking in each other's presence, remembering all the beloved moments they shared years ago. Since our breakup, Nini hasn't seen Aurora, and I know Aurora missed Nini when she left.
Small joyous giggles bubble out of Nini's lips until she's full on laughing, with her head thrown back, looking so beautiful, carefree and happy. I can't help but smile, laughing along with her. "What's so funny?" I ask, suddenly amused.
She sobers a bit, with a huge grin on her face as she looks as me impishly. "Remember when you let me name her? You told me it couldn't be too girly, and when I started spouting off princess names, you told me no way."
I remember that day clearly. Nini so badly wanted to name her after a Disney princess but my macho teenage ego refused to let her name her after a fictional princess. Because how lame was that? But eventually she came up with Aurora and I liked it. It was different.
"Yeah." I say, confused at where she's going with this but prompting her to say more. Another string of giggles escapes her lips and she looks at me guiltily. "Do you know what Sleeping Beauty's real name is?" she asks.
I shake my head and she gives me a look, and suddenly I realise what she's trying to tell me. A disbelieving chuckle erupts from my chest, and eventually I find myself laughing uncontrollably, amazed that she tricked me so easily all those years ago. But that was Nini.
We both laugh until we're almost on the verge of tears because we're laughing so hard. For the first time in a long time my chest feels full, and for a moment it feels like nothing has changed between us. I realise in this moment how much I missed Nini. How much I missed the girl that absolutely ripped my heart out of my chest and shattered it.
We both sober up, staring at each other with fondness and longing. It's then I realise she must feel the familiar static buzzing between us too, remembering the way it used to be.
Clearing her throat, Nini jumps down from the fence, bending down to pick up her heels. "I should probably get going." she says, refusing to meet my eyes.
I nod, leading her through the barn to her car, remembering to grab the envelope full of photos on our way. As we walk through the barn I watch as she looks up, spotting the fairy lights still hanging from the perimeter of the ceiling and the rafters that I never had the heart to take down.
A sharp pang of hurt and humiliation drives into my chest. This is where I proposed to her. I decorated the barn to the nines with twinkly lights and so many candles that my mother was scared I'd burn the place down, but it was beautiful and memorable, for what it was supposed to be worth.
We walk to the car in awkward silence, not daring to look or speak to each other. When we get to the car she opens up the back seat, throwing her shoes that she didn't bother putting back on inside, onto the floorboard. She closes the door, slowly spinning around to face me and I extend the envelope out to her. "Here are those pictures."
She nods, grabbing them from me. She doesn't open them, only holding the large envelope in front of her. We stay quiet, but it's like there's something being left unsaid, with neither one of us making an effort to say goodbye.
The crunching of gravel catches our attention and we look up to see my mama and pop pulling into the driveway, back from a grocery run.
My eyes immediately search my mum's face through the windshield, and the shock is evident. Even pop can't seem to hide the surprise written all over his face. My parents haven't seen Nini since she ran out of our barn, that night of the proposal.
"Jennie." my mother greets her breathlessly, while climbing out of the cab of the truck.
"Hi, Mrs. Manoban." Nini says sheepishly.
