The fake girlfriend deal. ||BEING HEAVILY EDITED||

29|Valentine's Day. (Edited!)

   Riven

           Valentine's day had finally come around, and at seven AM I slipped away from the apartment while Yuna slept in her room. We still didn't share a bedroom often, only twice had we shared the same bed since the beach trip. We each wanted this to go slow, scared to rush into something and then get whiplash and leave with more anxiety than we started. My mind races back to the day Yuna and her parents had that long and hard discussion. 

       Yuna  admitted to her parents that she blamed herself for her brother's death, and that she was afraid her parents did too. Their relationship had greatly strained since then. Her father reminded her that it was hard to talk to her as she was always locked up in her room, or outside. She'd go on walks daily and leave the house, unable to look at photos of her brother. 

          After her mother broke down in tears and Yuna told them the true story behind the scar on her thigh-her father was ready to murder Austin and his friends and I wanted so bad to tell him I'd help hide the body...Instead I told him it wasn't the right answer-mainly because I wasn't about to worry Yuna and make her think I was going to kill someone...No matter how bad I wanted to kill him.

       We spent the night there and Yuna went shopping with her mom the next morning and bought frames to put more of her photos up in the house, looking through childhood photos and reminiscing on good memories instead of only bad ones. 

   My phone buzzed with a text from my mother stating her and dad were going out for Valentine's and Marc -no surprise- couldn't watch Madison so I was on babysitting duty.

  I didn't mind, Madison liked Yuna and Yuna loved Madison - it just meant I'd have to do without cigarettes for the day-which was a small sacrifice considering I get to spend the day with the two most important girls in my life. I'd finally been able to go two weeks without cigs, but I admit I slipped a few days ago, resorting to smoking one. It felt better than ever. I hadn't had any since, but damn, my hands were twitching for it. 

       "Riven !!!"  Madison squealed with delight as I hopped out of my Charger and walked into the house, her brown mousy hair in a slick ponytail and her 'my little valentine' shirt on...She looked stinking cute.

"Minnie!"  I picked her up and tossed her over my shoulder like she was a bag and ran straight outside where I set her down in the gravel so I could put her car seat in.

Once I went through the torture that is speaking with my mother, Madison was strapped in and we were off to the mall.

"This!"  Madison squealed, pointing to a pink candle that said it smelled like peonies.

       "You think Yuna would like that, Minnie?"  I picked the candle up and sniffed-it smelled like heaven, pure bliss.

     "Yes!"

 "Alright well now I need your fashion advice."  I chuckled, paying for the candle and walking into Belk, Three bags in one hand and Madison's hand in the other. I had a good idea of what Sophie would like to wear, or things she'd want, but I wanted Madison to feel involved too. 

       By 9 am I had bought Yuna a large pink teddy bear, two new outfits, a candle, some weird makeup a Sephora lady pointed out, and those weird fluffy scrubby things women use in baths.  Another stop lead to me buying a dozen roses and a copy of 'Dear John' the movie.

"She'll love it! Can we go for ice cream later?"  Madison pitched in an idea from the back of the car as I drove home.

        She was always happy; it makes me grin.   "Of course! Who'd say no to ice cream?!"