"River!" She exclaims, "It's been a couple days." Her bright smile and her eyes match Harrison and Ginger's. Although her hair is greying around the edges, it is beautifully curly and dark brown, just like her son's.
She greets her son with a hug and squeezes past, into the living room. I take this as my opportunity to run away from a terrible confrontation, and follow her. Harrison grumbles something about interrupting, but reluctantly takes up the rear of our human train. Ginger smiles as she sees the three of us, eyes lighting up when she processes that her mom is home early.
"Mom! You're just in time. Harrison, River, and I were just about to watch a movie. You wanna join?" She asks hopefully.
Lilly smiles tiredly, but shakes her head. "Maybe some other time, sweets. Customer service takes a lot out of me these days."
Ginger's face shows complete understanding. "Okay. How about tomorrow, then?"
"It's a date." Lilly confirms, getting a giggle from her daughter. She then turns her attention to Harrison and me. "I'll be reading. Behave, you two."
I feel Harrison's eyes on me as I nod and scurry to my spot on the couch. He and his mother exchange a few more hushed words and he joins me on the opposite end. I glance up at him, hoping he's already forgotten about what happened just minutes ago, but as my eyes meet his once more, I feel guilty. His face radiates concern, but I know he won't bring up the subject anymore if I don't want him to. I look away, focusing on the blank TV screen instead.
"So..." Ginger starts, breaking the silence. "Are we going to start the movie, or am I going to have to sit here and watch you two make googly eyes at each other for two hours?"
My hair covers my face, and my pink, burning cheeks. I was not making googly eyes at Harrison, was I? I mean, how could I? I don't even know what that means. Googly eyes; that reminds me of those fake eyes you put on pet rocks when you're in first grade.
Harrison sighs and gets up, turning the television on and plugging the DVD into the player. As he sits back down, I look up again, only to have his gaze focused on me as well. For the second time in less than ten minutes, I am blushing a deep shade of red, and breaking our staring contest.
"Um, so what are we watching?" I ask quietly.
"It's a surprise." Ginger replies, gaining her a scolding look from Harrison.
She greets her son with a hug and squeezes past, into the living room. I take this as my opportunity to run away from a terrible confrontation, and follow her. Harrison grumbles something about interrupting, but reluctantly takes up the rear of our human train. Ginger smiles as she sees the three of us, eyes lighting up when she processes that her mom is home early.
"Mom! You're just in time. Harrison, River, and I were just about to watch a movie. You wanna join?" She asks hopefully.
Lilly smiles tiredly, but shakes her head. "Maybe some other time, sweets. Customer service takes a lot out of me these days."
Ginger's face shows complete understanding. "Okay. How about tomorrow, then?"
"It's a date." Lilly confirms, getting a giggle from her daughter. She then turns her attention to Harrison and me. "I'll be reading. Behave, you two."
I feel Harrison's eyes on me as I nod and scurry to my spot on the couch. He and his mother exchange a few more hushed words and he joins me on the opposite end. I glance up at him, hoping he's already forgotten about what happened just minutes ago, but as my eyes meet his once more, I feel guilty. His face radiates concern, but I know he won't bring up the subject anymore if I don't want him to. I look away, focusing on the blank TV screen instead.
"So..." Ginger starts, breaking the silence. "Are we going to start the movie, or am I going to have to sit here and watch you two make googly eyes at each other for two hours?"
My hair covers my face, and my pink, burning cheeks. I was not making googly eyes at Harrison, was I? I mean, how could I? I don't even know what that means. Googly eyes; that reminds me of those fake eyes you put on pet rocks when you're in first grade.
Harrison sighs and gets up, turning the television on and plugging the DVD into the player. As he sits back down, I look up again, only to have his gaze focused on me as well. For the second time in less than ten minutes, I am blushing a deep shade of red, and breaking our staring contest.
"Um, so what are we watching?" I ask quietly.
"It's a surprise." Ginger replies, gaining her a scolding look from Harrison.
