by J. Nichole
Her body begins to tremble, and before she reaches her peak, I grab her hips and thrust into her so we both release at the same time. Both of our bodies, slick with sweat, collapse against each other. “Not a bad Sunday at all,” she says before rolling onto her side.
I pull the comforter on top of us; my urgency to get ready for work tomorrow dissipates. Instead, I can stay here all night watching Kai recover. Her eyes begin to close, and I whisper, “Another nap?”
She mumbles, “Mmhmm.”
My stomach begins to growl and I turn towards the clock. The last time we ate was hours ago. Kai is probably starving too. I move my hand across the bed, but turn over when I don’t feel her beside me. “Kai,” I say as I move towards my bathroom, then down the hallway. I backtrack to my bedroom looking for her clothes that she had discarded earlier, and they aren’t there.
Damn. Did she leave me in the middle of the night? I look for my phone and find it on the couch where we fell asleep earlier in the day. Although there aren’t any notifications on my screen I open my message app just in case she sent a text. Nothing.
Not like I don’t have enough to keep me busy tonight. I open the refrigerator and pull out the deli meat to make a sandwich before I do my nightly prep for my workday and head to bed.
Because I planned a few days of vacation between Christmas and New Year’s, today is my last day of the year. Clearing out the books, wrapping up lingering requests, is a must. I’ve been dodging my staff today trying to get it all complete. When I hear a knock on my office door I look up from my computer with a loud sigh.
“Bad time?” I hear a familiar voice ask.
As much as I’d like to tell her that it is a horrible time, Shiloh is a customer, and being a bank manager requires customer service. “What can I do for you, Shiloh?” I wave my hand towards the open seat across from me. She takes the seat and sits back looking around my office.
“I won’t keep you long, but I needed to stop by and chat with you for a second.” I nod my head for her to continue. “Kai called me last night.” Of course she did, because Kai and Shiloh could never move independently. “Be patient with her.”
I lean forward with my elbows on my desk. “Patient with her?” I’m not sure what she’s referencing. I haven’t heard from Kai since she disappeared in the middle of the night.
“She didn’t expect things to”—she looks away from me—“progress the way they did.” I nod my head understanding where she’s going with this. “But she likes you.”
If I were to close my eyes right now, this conversation could have been a similar conversation that happened years ago, except it was Kai talking to me about Shiloh. Laughing, I say, “Crazy how Kai told me the same thing about you when we were in high school.” She looks at me with a side-eye.
“We were something else back then, weren’t we?” By we, I assume she means me and her. “We always looked out for each other.” She looks at me sternly and says, “Nothing has changed.” Then I realize she’s talking about her and Kai.
“You know,” she continues, “when we were together, I always thought you had a thing for Kai. You were always looking out for her, making sure dudes didn’t step to her the wrong way. Shielded her from dudes like Boris.” I did all those things. Back then I thought it was because she was Shiloh’s homegirl and they came in a package deal, but maybe there was more there.
I shrug my shoulders and say, “Maybe you are right.” I bite my lip as I think through our times together back then. “Wonder if she ever thought that. And if she did, why she caped for you back then.”
Shiloh stands up from her seat and begins to walk towards the door before stopping and saying, “Same reason I’m here today. She knew I kinda liked you, and wanted me to be happy.”
Kai
Eva and I stayed up late last night waiting for Reece to be sound asleep before we could unload all her gifts around the Christmas tree. Now, it is six o’clock in the morning and instead of being asleep I’m wide awake waiting to hear Reece’s feet hit the ground. When we were kids we’d wake each other up then run into our parents’ room and make them get out of bed.
If Reece out sleeps me today, of all days, I’m waking her up. I start my morning routine of brushing my teeth and washing my face to give her a few more minutes. Then I hear feet pattering down the hallway, and Eva groaning. I’m sure she wasn’t as excited about getting up this early in the morning.
“Auntie Kai,” Reece yells from the hallway. “Time for gifts.”
Drying my face, I throw my towel down and join them in the hallway before we all descend the stairs. I lead out in front of her so I can capture the moment she sees all her gifts under the tree.
She runs to the tree and says, “Wow, look at all these gifts.” Before she takes any of her gifts she rounds the tree a couple of times. “I don’t see it.” Eva and I both look at each other. Of all the gifts, how could we have forgotten one thing she would be looking to have?
Eva stands beside her and asks, “What are you looking for?” With a gift in her hand she hands it to Reece so we can get the party started, but Reece puts it to the side.
Reece looks to me with tears in her eyes and says, “I don’t see Mommy’s gift.” Eva and I exchanged gifts last night and now I’m realizing that was probably a bad idea considering Santa is supposed to deliver gifts.
Then I realize she’s probably looking for the cookie set she bought. I pick it up and hand it to Eva. Reece looks at it and says, “No, not the one I bought her.”
“Santa doesn’t usually bring gifts for mommies and daddies.” Eva looks at me and says, “Or aunties.” I nod my head in agreement. Good save.
“But I asked Santa to bring you something,” she whispers before settling on the floor to open a gift. Dolls, doll clothes, books, widgets, and games are all laid in front of her but her face still doesn’t display the joy I was hoping to see.
As Eva and I clean up around Reece we take a trip to the garbage where I ask, “What do you think she wanted Santa to bring you?” Eva shrugs her shoulders. “Me and my bright idea to write a letter to Santa, I should have remembered to peek at it.”
“It’s okay,” Eva says. “I’m sure she’ll lighten up as the day goes on.” Our family should be here soon. My mom and Eva’s mother-in-law both agreed to help us pull Christmas dinner together. With the feast Eva has planned we’ll need all the help we can get.
I volunteer to keep the Christmas music blasting all day to keep us in the spirit. When the grandpas get wind of Reece’s sour mood, they enlist in playing dollhouse. I smile at all of us doing our part to make sure their first Christmas without Lawrence isn’t filled with sorrow. It’s the first of many holidays where they’ll have to learn a new normal, and I can’t imagine any of it being easy, but I’m glad I’m here to help.
Until my mom taps my shoulder reminding me that I’m on prep duty, I thought I had escaped the kitchen when she found me walking around taking pictures of everyone.
As I shred the cheese for the macaroni, I curse to myself at the fact that my mom’s recipe can’t use store bought shredded cheese. As if there is a difference. The doorbell rings, and I run to answer it. Any reason to get out of the kitchen with three other women.
Wiping my hands on the apron my sister had made for me, matching each that she gave us all who are on kitchen duty today, I open the door. “Noah?”
Noah looks up at me, looking slightly shocked. He holds up a fat folder and says, “I was actually looking for Eva, but I just remembered you said you’d be here.” I look between him and the folder. “Some papers she needs to sign.”
On Christmas, papers from the bank? “I know Baxter is small but last I checked the bank manager didn’t make home visits, especially on Christmas.” With a smirk on my face I move out of the way and usher him into the house.
“Usually I wouldn’t, but I know these are probably important for your sister to have signed before the New Year, and I was hoping I could catch her
here before she goes back to work, and I won’t be in the office this week.” He continues on and I laugh holding my hand up. “Right. Too much?” I nod.
I grab Eva from the kitchen and explain to her why Noah’s in her foyer. Reece stops playing and runs up to me. “Auntie Kai, why’s he here?” I tap her nose and remind her to mind her business, but she persists. “But I heard you say bank.” I nod my head at her and hope that response will send her back to playing with her dolls, but it doesn’t.
Instead the widest smile crosses her face and she says, “Santa did bring my Christmas wish.” She looks towards Noah and her mom. “Just a little late.” I’m not following what she’s saying so I ask her to elaborate. “When you first moved here I heard Mommy telling you that money was running out now that daddy was gone. I asked Santa to give Mommy more money.” She points at Noah. “He’s from the bank, is he giving her money?” By now the entire family has stopped to listen to Reece rant.
“Oh, Reece, your mommy will never have to worry about money,” my mom finally says looking at Lawrence’s parents. “Your daddy made sure that you and Mommy would be alright.”
My dad picks Reece off the ground and adds, “And even if Mommy only had one more penny left, Papa would make sure you were okay.” He kisses the top of her head and adds, “Okay?”
I sit back amazed at what transpired. Reece is an amazing kid, and I can’t wait to one day have a little one just as kind-hearted as she has been. While Eva and Noah wrap up the paperwork, Reece comes over to me with the same smile plastered on her face and says, “Santa brought your wish too, Auntie Kai.” I look at her with my head cocked, having a difficult time translating seven-year-old speak today. “He brought you a boyfriend.” I laugh and look up at Noah as he and Eva enter the room.
Eva walks over to me and says, “We’re all done, can you walk him out, please?” She winks before she returns to her station in front of the stove.
Noah walks behind me as I walk to the front door. Before he leaves we both try to speak. “You first,” he says.
“I was just going to ask if you didn’t have plans later on this evening, maybe we could get together for a Christmas cocktail.”
He smiles and says, “Only if you promise not to sneak away in the middle of the night this time.”
I nod my head and respond, “Promise.”
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The End
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About the Author
J. Nichole received her bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
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J. Nichole has spent the past ten years as an IT Consultant. She is married with one daughter.
For more information:
www.NotTheLastPage.com
Also by J. Nichole
Love 101 Series:
Freshmen Fifteen
Sophisticated Sophomore
Summer Fling
Grown & Sexy Senior
Creative Love
City Lights: A Short Story
Christmas Secrets: A Short Story
Boyfriend for Christmas
Coming Soon:
Time for Love
