What I Love Most

Chapter 26

Opie and Ellie had spent all day on the couch and the moment Kenny got home, he joined them. Mae had spent a few hours with them but all the TV made her head throb and her eyes hurt. Just as they started a movie, Mae didn't even know or care to know which it was, she pulled herself off the sofa. "Okay, I'm going to run out. Should I pick up pizza on the way back?"

"Pepperoni!" Ellie squealed with excitement.

"Joining the dark side of toppings?" Mae laughed as she kissed each of them, whispering to Opie as she pressed her lips to his. "I'll only be a little bit, should be home by six. Amelia needs a little girl help." He rolled his eyes and nodded, better Mae have friends involved in the club than not.

Mae saw Rat half a block down from Amelia's, Juice had told him not to let her out of his sight and called to reiterate that order after what Lotto had said. He pressed his fingers to his lips hoping Mae would keep the secret. She rolled her eyes and nodded before heading into the building. Before Ellie had even gotten hurt, Mae agreed to help Amelia find the perfect outfit for her date. She was giddy, her cheeks flushed with excitement as they went through her closet. This was something most girls did in high school for first dates but Mae and Amelia didn't exactly have the adolescence those girls did. Dating as adults, well Amelia didn't, she'd never been on a proper date before Juice and although Mae had a few here and there, she was mostly busy in college or after with a needle in her arm and never had many friends. It was a much-needed experience for both of them.

"God, my first date with Ope was at my old house, I made him dinner and we ended up in bed. We'd known each other a while though, I'm not a slut." She said defensively. "We don't really go out. We're so lame it makes me feel old."

"I think you guys are adorable." Amelia assured her as she threw a black dress into the 'no' pile. "You're homebodies, embrace it. How long have you been together, anyway?"

Mae smiled and nodded. It was true, they'd much rather be together at home than anywhere else and that was always the way it was. "Not long, we met about three years ago but we've only been married for like four months." Seeing a flash of color Mae clapped her hands. "Oh! Go with the blue," she said pointing to the cobalt dress in the back of the closet.

"You think? I bought this so long ago but never wore it."

"Do it, it'll look great with your hair." Mae messed Amelia's red curls in her hands a bit before pulling a face. "How did you end up with red hair? Tig's hair is super dark, is your mom a redhead?"

"No, she's blonde but her dad was and a few cousins. Random DNA jackpot, I guess."

"Lucky," Mae lamented as she preened in the mirror. "I hate this gross, bland brown." She swore she could see some tiny wrinkles forming around her eyes, she touched them and sighed suddenly feeling old and insecure at the age of thirty. "Did Ope ever cheat on Donna?" It was totally out of the blue. Amelia looked at her in the reflection and slowly shook her head. "Before they divorced, I mean, when they were happy and all."

"I haven't been around for a while but Ope isn't that guy. He doesn't get random blowjobs on runs or bang the shanks it's just not him. Besides he loves the shit out of you, I can tell. Why?"

"I have these insecure streaks. I get most of the stuff, the way they are with us and why they get all 'do as I say' when it comes to certain safety issues. I've never seen it but I hear it, prison clauses and that lovely saying 'what happens on a run, stays on a run' that just blows my mind."

"That isn't all of them, Piney wasn't really like that, Clay is and my dad but you don't have to worry. If it makes you feel better sit him down and tell him that's a deal breaker."