Dirty Little Secret (GxG)

Season 2, Chapter 15

Sandra's POV

The drive back to the foundation felt oddly... calm. Which, given everything that had just happened between Dria and me, was nothing short of a miracle. The tension that had been hanging in the air like a cloud of doom seemed to have lifted, and Dria, thank the heavens, wasn't shooting those fiery glares at me anymore. It was almost as if the ice cream had a magical effect—not only on Ashley, but on Dria as well.

Ashley, sitting snugly in her car seat, was still buzzing from the sugar rush, singing the "Ten Little Monkeys" song with reckless abandon. Naturally, I joined in with dramatic flair, because, well, I'm Sandra, and if I'm going to sing children's songs, I'm going to do it with some style. Dria sat quietly, her lips twitching slightly like she was on the verge of laughing but was too dignified to let it out.

"Ten little monkeys, jumping on the bed!" I belted out, glancing in the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of Dria's amused expression. There it was! A small, reluctant smile. Ha! Progress.

Ashley giggled and clapped as we finished the song, clearly enjoying herself.

"That was fun! Sing again, Tita Sandra!" Ashley squealed, bouncing in her seat.

Dria leaned back, her mood visibly lighter than earlier. I could practically feel the awkwardness melting away, and I mentally patted myself on the back for making it through the day without completely embarrassing myself—yet.

By the time we finished the song, the tension had mostly dissolved, leaving the car filled with only Ashley's bubbly energy. And then, as if on cue, Ashley started a new tune.

It started innocent enough, just her sweet voice humming a melody. I relaxed, thinking she'd start up with another kid-friendly classic, but then...

"Tita Sandra and pretty lady, sitting in a tree..."

Both Dria and I whipped our heads around so fast, I thought we might get whiplash. I stared at Ashley, hoping she'd stop.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Oh. No.

I felt my entire body freeze in panic. The kid betrayed me! I specifically bribed her—uh, encouraged her not to say a word about that little incident she witnessed earlier. What part of "ice cream for silence" wasn't clear?

My eyes darted to Dria. She was sitting there in complete shock, her mouth hanging open slightly like she'd just witnessed a horror movie in slow motion. It was the exact same expression she had when she kissed me earlier, except now she was horrified for a different reason. Of course, because naturally, Ashley just had to be a witness to that kiss. The kiss that was definitely not supposed to happen. The one I had been trying to forget—or at least, pretend didn't make my brain melt like an ice cream cone on a hot day.

"Ashley!" I squeaked, my voice barely functioning. "W-what are you saying?"

"Tita Sandra and pretty lady—"

"We, uh, we don't sing that song, okay? We sing about monkeys, or wheels on buses, or—"

"But Tita Sandra," Ashley interrupted me, giving me those wide, innocent eyes that could make the toughest mafia boss melt, "I saw you kissing pretty lady. You and her were kissing like in the movies!"

My heart stopped. I shot a panicked glance at Dria. Dria, who had now fully recovered from her initial shock and was staring at me with raised eyebrows and an expression I couldn't quite decipher. Was that... amusement?

"Ice cream!" I shouted, far too enthusiastically. "How about more ice cream when we get back? Lots and lots of ice cream!"

Ashley's eyes lit up. "Yay! Ice cream! Can I have chocolate this time, Tita Sandra?"