Taking the Risk

Pulling Through -17

Aynslee

Present

Aynslee didn't know what to say about her sister's pregnancy, but she really is truly happy that her sister had found someone that she can really trust and start a family with.

A warm hand grazes her hand, Aynslee looks up to see Luna touching her hand and handing her a napkin. She takes the napkin, Luna signals to wipe her face. Aynslee dabs her face and looks at the napkin, small tear drops were on it. She hadn't even noticed that she is crying, smiling she dabs her eyes again and sniffles. "Sorry."

Luna frowns at her sister, "I know that both of your babies would have been at least 6 or 7 years old. In the 2nd grade or 1st grade."

Aynslee had to pull herself together, she just had to. No real reason why. "Yeah, they would but there is no telling how many I've truly had." She jokes and Luna smiles along with her older sister.

After their light lunch, they walk down the strip and enter a thrift shop. There really weren't very many people in the thrift shop, Aynslee looks around at the very tidy store. Most stores on the strip were unclean and full of dust; not this one. Bauhaus is what the store is called.

Luna goes towards the baby things which is in the very back of the store and Aynslee moves to the business clothes located to the left of the shoes in the front of the store. She seriously needed a job and she knew that her old job of being a corporate receptionist probably wouldn't take her back after all the days Patrick made her miss.

But, it is worth a try to see if they would. She picks up a few nice looking skirts and then remembers that Maryanne bought her clothes but not enough for a job or an interview. She grabs a loose buggy.

"Hey, that's my fuc-Aynslee?" A female says about to go off but when she sees who it is, she thinks twice.

Aynslee stares at the female and her own eyes widen in shock, "Noelle? Noelle Jellel?"

They hug each other and say their greetings to each other as well. Noelle says, "Wow, you look marvelous!" stepping back to look at Aynslee.

Aynslee looks at Noelle's beady, tired coffee colored eyes, baggy clothes, messed up straight neck- length weave, very narrow build, and dark chocolate skin tone.

"So do you." Noelle scoffs, "Psh, girl. No need to lie to me. I know I look a hot mess, but it's the life of motherhood."

Aynslee nods as a little boy runs up to Noelle holding a faded red fire truck that's missing a wheel. "My goodness." Aynslee looks down at the little boy. "Well, hello."

The little boy smiles and blushes a little. "Hey." Aynslee pinches his cheek, gently and he slyly scoots behind Noelle. Aynslee smiles, "He is so cute."

"Thank you. He will be...5 years old, next month and trying to do a cartoon-themed party is running me ragged." Noelle laughs. "What's going on with you?"

Aynslee answers. "Here with my sister; Luna." She nods over to the baby aisle. Noelle looks to where Aynslee nods to, "Oh, I see. Didn't know you had a sister." She turns to Aynslee, "What else is new?"

Aynslee sighs, "Finally, left that boyfriend of mine with a little help." Noelle shoes her son away to the toys. "Ugh, I am glad to hear that. No, kids?"" Aynslee shakes her head, "Not yet, but I am looking for a job right now."

"Oh, I know that a company that deals with computers is hiring. It is called..." She snaps her fingers trying to remember the name of the company, "Oh yeah...Kaleidoscope Company because of all the different colors that the motherboard of some computers and laptops have. Hell, I don't know."

Aynslee nods liking that idea, since computers and literature is what she majored in when she went to college. Patrick tried to get her to drop out and depend on him completely. But she was not having that. When she graduated in computer science and landed a job with a big corporation as a receptionist/computer tech, she would often make more than he did. Which really caused a huge fight within the household.

"What's the company's address?" Aynslee asks. Noelle shrugs her bony shoulders, "I know that it's off the interstate slight right." She uses her hands to direct herself on how to get there so that she can make sure she is telling Aynslee the right thing. "It should be on the left 5 miles from the old Burger King. If you can remember all of that." She titters.

Aynslee nods hoping that she could; because her memory has been a little foggy since that day. Luna comes up to Aynslee and Noelle. "Hello, I am Luna. Aynslee's sister." Luna introduces herself. "Noelle. I and Aynslee were best friends back in high school." Noelle informs. Luna nods and says, "She told me about all the trouble you two would get into." Luna teases causing Aynslee to gasp and Noelle to smirk and roll her eyes. Luna turns to Aynslee telling her, "They didn't have the car seat I wanted so they said they'd order it for me."

Aynslee did not know that thrift stores could order anything. Luna looks at the skirts in Aynslee's hands, "Paying for those?"

Aynslee nods, "Yeah. Mind doing it for me?"

She hands Luna the clothes and a Platinum card from her back pocket as Luna nods. Luna takes the card, "Tyson Reese? Yall re-connected after a few years now?" Luna teases as she arches her brow on a more serious note.

Aynslee giggles, "Something like that." Luna purses her lips together and goes to the counter to pay for the skirts and shirts.

Aynslee turns back to Noelle whose face has suddenly dropped, "What's wrong, Noelle?" Aynslee asks concerned.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I have got to get out of here, really. Got a lot of things to do for this boy's party. Son?" Confused, Aynslee nods while her son comes running and grabs his mother's hand and they leave the shop; abruptly.