Florecer

Progression

        With her laptop readily available, Lily lounged about in her jammies and did her work in peace and silence. June was at work and Christina at school, so she was alone in June's big house. It didn't feel all that strange but she did wonder if this was how it would be constantly if she moved in. At the very least there was more to do than at her apartment.

     When she was finished with work and was roaming about, switching between the living room to watch TV and the kitchen to nitpick at all the food in the fridge, her phone rang. She flopped on the couch and answered, a string cheese stick in her mouth. She made a mental note to replenish the stash. "Hello?"

     "Are you at home?" It was Kim.

     "No. June's. Why? Are you there?"

     "No, I just wanted to know where you were."

     Lily thought that was extremely unusual. "Why?"

     "No reason." Kim sounded stressed, Lily thought. "So have you decided to move in with June? Is that why you're still there? You took my advice?"

     The initial feeling of something odd going on slipped from Lily's mind as she growled softly to herself in response to her mother's questions. "No, I didn't take your advice. I haven't moved in, thank you very much. And if I ever do it will be because I want it."

     "I never said that wasn't the case. But you do want it, don't you?"

     "Maybe."

     "Do it. Get out of that apartment. Start somewhere new."

     "Mom..."

     "Come on, it'll be good for you. That apartment is your old life, anyway. June is your new life. Be with her."

     "Why are you pushing this so hard?"

     Kim coughed. "I'm not. Well, I just wanted to see how you were. I've got to go. Bye, honey, I love you."

     "I love you." The call cut short and Lily frowned as she pulled her cell away from her ear. The whole conversation gave her a strange feeling, and not just because Kim had been pushing for her to move in with June. There was something between the lines that she hadn't caught fast enough. It bugged her.

     But she shook out of her stupor because school would be over soon and she needed to be showered and dressed. She hadn't made a plan with June on who would pick up Christina, but she assumed she'd be doing it since June was at work. So she went upstairs to shower. She did it quickly then walked into the bedroom stark naked, dripping water. If there was one thing she liked about June's that she couldn't enjoy at her place was the extra room and the ability to do as she liked without limits. She could technically do that at the apartment, but there was something luxurious about having a bathroom connected to the bedroom. That and June's plush carpets felt like heaven on her bare feet.

     Still in the nude, Lily sat on the bed and turned on the TV. Her clothes were laid out for her but she was putting on lotion as she stared at the screen. Her phone rang when she was finished moisturizing and she crawled over the bed to reach the device. It was June calling.

     "Hey," she answered, moving to stand. "I just finished showering. I was about to go get Christina."

     "You don't have to. I'm already on my way."

     Lily continued putting on clothes anyway. She put her cell on speaker so she could put on her underwear. "Sure?"

     "Sure. But that's not the only reason why I'm calling."