Behind the face

13- Remember

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Vodka. Check.

Ice cubes. Check.

Plastic cups. Check.

Devy's special chocolate chip cookies. Check.

Laura made sure everything was ready for Devina's Barbecue party. Devina was always having parties like this every year. She didn't know what possessed her to agree to help host the party this year but then she remembered how convincing Devina could be.

"Everything ready, Ll?" A woman in her early fifties who looked thirty in her brunette hair which was styled in a ponytail and her beautiful sunny gown. Devina was a very beautiful lady that refused to grow old. She, just like her daughter was a psychologist who had a power of persuasion like no other.

"Yeah. I think. Remind me why I agreed to do this again?" Laura carried a tray of cookies and dropped on the table.

"Because you love me and you love my special wine." Devina smiled at her.

"Definitely the wine."

Devina laughed. "Come on darling, they are not that bad. Come to the window and see the guest that has arrived." She motioned with her hands for Laura to follow her.

They stood at the kitchen window that showed them the backyard.

"Seriously?! You invited Gary? That guy is just the worst company to have in a party." Laura lamented after seeing her colleague, Gary Donovan who always saying something stupid and meaningless with a straight face.

"Com'n Ll, he's not that bad. And I invited his wife Rita, there was no way I could tell him not to come."

Laura rolled her eyes. "Where is Tiffany?"

"She should be here in the next seven minutes." She said looking at her wristwatch.

"Seven minutes alone in hell then. Where is that wine that you used to trap me here? I need it now." She walked to the bar in the dining and brought out a bottle of wine.

"No you don't. What you need is to party."

"You know I could have been doing something more interesting right now." She opened the wine and poured it in a wine glass. She took a sip and closed her eyes savoring the moment. "Heaven." She sighed.

"Like what? Drink and cry yourself to sleep expecting Nathan to walk through the door like a perfect fairytale?" Devina collected the glass from her hands, keeping it some inches away from her.

Laura was quiet. What Devina said was true but it hurt her even when she knew.

"Come here child." Devina hugged her. "Sorry for the way I said it but I need you to let go of him. And I brought you here for a reason. You just don't know yet."

"What reason?" Laura got out of her embrace.

"Look outside who do you see?" They stood in front of the kitchen window again.

Laura was surprised at the question. "I don't understand what you mean?"

"I mean literally. Who do you see?"

Laura looked outside again. "I see Saint and Maryann. Gary and Rita. Kate from the coffee shop. Maddy. Maddy is here? Why didn't you tell me?" Maddy was a girl who attended the same elementary school with Laura. They weren't friends but more like acquaintances. "Logan is here. Are you serious?" She didn't know what could spoil her evening more than that. "Presley and Gina. Seriously I didn't know Gina was in town." She turned to Devina. "Okay let's be serious. Why did you tell me to do that?"