Exactly What I've Been Waiting For

Chapter 2

A FEW DAYS LATER...
The clock said it was half past seven, a full two hours since her store closed. Jade sighed and put her hands on her hips, admiring the arrangement of red roses, stargazer lilies and white larkspur punctuated wuth sparkly rhinestones. It was the perfect combination of whites, pinks and reds with a crystallic accent that pulled all the colors together. The different heights gave the arrangement depth.

"An artist admiring their work?"

Jade turned around and smiled at the blonde's appearance. "Don't we all?" she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and reached for her chilled water behind her. "I've been going at it for three hours straight with no break. Camila closed down the store at 5:30."

"And here you are," the blonde leaned in against the doorway taking in her work space. She could still remember entering the room for the first time four years ago when it was opened. She was astounded at all the flowers hidden in the tiny room, the explosion of colors – blues, lavender, purple, greens, deep reds, scarlet red, pinks, oranges, yellows, whites and every color in between. It was overwhelming that it made her wonder how the brunette could stand in the clutter and still work.

"Here I am," the brunette said, letting her hair fall from its pins. "Is everyone there already?" she asked putting her newly-made flowers into the cooler and then taking off her apron and washing her hands.

"Leigh decided to open up my place for dinner, but yeah, everyone should be there. Jesy called me and asked me to check in on you, if you needed a ride."

The four women started a little routine or tradition of having dinner at each other's houses every week when they all graduated high school, and the ladies made a vow to never lose touch. As years passed by, the group just got bigger with every husband and children who entered the picture; André and Harry on Leigh and Jesy's case. It was something that was needed to be accepted about the women's lives. No one only entered into one's life, they were initiated in everyone's life.

"I have a car," Jade announced pulling a hoodie over her head and pulling her hair out from underneath.

"Is that what you call it?" the blonde joked with her. "It seems like something you've kept hostage for the past ten years. I can no longer count how many times that thing has broken down with my hands. It exceeds all my ten fingers and ten toes!"

Jade hooked her bag over her shoulder and pushed the taller girl out the door of her work room. "Okay, that's enough about my car! You are exactly like the rest of them."

"Does that mean you'll get a ride from me?"

Jade turned the key and shut off the lights. "Just shut up and open the door for me."

The blonde did as she asked and helped her inside.

Perrie moved into her two-storey house after two years of living in an apartment. It had everything she wanted in a house, large windows, big open space and no clutter. It was modern, yet didn't feel cold and robotic and had just enough of character -  her character.

Being an architect made it easy for her to make adjustments to the things she hated in the house. For instance, she gutted the old kitchen with its antique-looking cabinets and drawers and created herself a chef's paradise. She put in not one island, but two islands; one for cooking, one for eating at. She bought a stove fit for a King and 8 pots and the ugly cabinets were replaced with sliding chrome doors.

When they walked in, they could already hear all the laughter and running around. Perrie helped Jade take off her jacket and hang it in the closet. "Nobody better be in my bedroom!" she called out, stretching out her arms for the children encompassing her.