Florecer

Reassurances

        Clacking away at her laptop, Lily ate the leftovers from June's dinner. It was her third day eating them, and she was finally on the last portion of it. Despite spending so long eating the same thing she was sad that it was gone. It had been delicious and easy, not to mention substantial. It almost inspired her to get into her little kitchen and whip something up for later. Almost.

     Her cell buzzed and she looked at the screen, fork dangling from mouth. Her and June had been texting since they last saw each other in an attempt to delve further into each other without the consequences of being face to face. It was easier to admit things without seeing expressions and reactions. It also gave Lily the opportunity to come clean about her feelings, and express the things she wanted to, without blushing and shaking and generally looking like a goober. It was a huge relief.

     She laughed to herself and pushed her computer away as she got absorbed in the digital conversation. It was the nuances that she loved the most, though. June was the type to use smiley faces and emojis along with lots of exclamation marks. Lily was the complete opposite, keeping her responses crisp and boring, but June didn't seem to mind. The humor was understood anyway.

     Phone in one hand, Lily took her dirty tupperware to the sink and filled it with water so nothing would crust, then returned to the couch where her nest was. She tucked her feet underneath her and opened a picture message, finding a shot of Christina dressed up in... old clothes and blankets it looked like. The description told her that Christina was attempting to make herself into a good monster. Lily chuckled and responded with a quip about Halloween being months away. The text that came back to her was about Christina asking for her to come over, and she smiled. She hadn't seen June since their dinner at the apartment so why not go over? She asked if that was okay and received the green light along with a smiley face.

     When she arrived at June's she walked in without knocking and grinned when little monster Christina greeted her with a big hug. She squeezed Christina tight and growled to make the girl laugh in delight. "Aren't you hot in there?" she asked, putting Christina down.

     Moving aside a small, thin blanket that was draped over her head and covering her face, Christina smiled up with bright cheeks. "Yes."

     "Then I think you need to be a different monster."

     Christina exploded out of her costume and left behind a trail of monster bits as she ran upstairs. Lily shook her head and picked up the blankets and articles of clothing. She went to the living room with her haul and called out for June, wondering where the woman was. It wasn't until a few minutes later when Lily was sitting on the couch with the pile on her lap that June came into the room, wiping her moist hands down her dress.

     "What's all that?"

     Lily pat the bundle she was holding. "Christina's scales. It was too hot so she's trying something else on for size, I think."

     "Cute. Was the drive over okay?"

     "Decent. Not too much traffic."

     "I hope you weren't busy."

     "No. I was already finishing with my work. Besides, I wanted to come. How could I miss seeing my little monster blossom?"

     June laughed and moved to stand before Lily. She plucked a blanket from the pile and begun folding it. "I don't think she's giving up this monster kick anytime soon," she said, dropping the folded blanket on the free space beside Lily. She grabbed another to fold that, too. "She asked me the other day about the universe. The woman in the graveyard? She wanted to know how she danced. I had no idea."