After dinner, Joy and Selina were all hyped up to have a snowball fight in the backyard. Devin declined their "childish" invitation but couldn't dodge their "petty" revenge.
Huddled together, whispering and conspiring, Joy and Selina launched the first volley of snowballs at Devin.
One hit him square in the chest, the other smack in the face.
Devin's proud nose almost took a beating. Cursing under his breath, he stumbled back, scooped up a handful of snow, and flung it at the girls.
Joy and Selina squealed and darted away, just as Skyler, who had flown in from Australia, and Jeremy, fresh from a business trip, stepped through the archway into the yard, only to be greeted by snow. Joy and Selina were stunned.
While brushing snow off his coat, Jeremy quipped, "Thanks, but no need for such a warm welcome."
Setting down a massive box containing a baby car seat inside, Skyler rolled his sleeves and dove into the fray.
The backyard erupted into chaos, snow flying everywhere.
Watching from the porch, Leanne nearly got caught in the crossfire several times, but Curtis pulled her close quickly.
She was having the time of her life, and Curtis, bending down to form a snowball, placed it gently in her palm.
Holding her "weapon" and taking advantage of her vantage point, Leanne saw Devin chasing Joy around. Spotting an opportunity to help her friend, she threw her snowball. Thud!
Joy face-planted into the snow, got up, rubbed the back of her head, and yelled, "Who did that? Who dares ambush me?!"
Curtis chuckled. "You hate her. Come on, how long have you been holding a grudge?"
"Shh!" Under Joy's searching gaze, Leanne discreetly hid behind him.
Joy's eyes landed on Curtis, who calmly brushed off his hands, looking utterly unfazed as if to say, "Yeah, I did it. What are you going to do about it?" "Sorry, my hand slipped."
Joy ranted and raved but didn't dare retaliate, especially since she had the delicious chicken noodle soup still settling in her stomach.
She formed a solid snowball, passed it to Leanne, like a kid running home to tattle, and pointed at Curtis. "Avenge for me!"
Too embarrassed to admit she was the real culprit, Leanne said, "Okay."
She looked at Curtis' handsome face, pondering.
Curtis didn't dodge, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Could you do it?"
She couldn't bring herself to throw it.
After all, he was covering for her.
With Joy glaring from the side, Leanne could only dab the snowball against Curtis' face.
His smile deepened.
"That's it," Leanne declared.
Puzzled, Joy looked at her, "Babe? Don't you love me anymore?"
Taking a deep breath, Leanne owned up to her actions. "I was the one who hit you."
"You don't hit him back, but cover for him? Truly, a friend once married is like water poured away!"
Joy walked away, deeply disappointed and heartbroken.
Leanne didn't know what to say.
The garden, covered in the snow, was lively all day, surrounded by best friends.
Leanne's smile never faded, and as evening came and they all left, the fatigue from missing her nap caught up with her, and she yawned. Having seen off the last of their friends, Curtis returned to find Leanne asleep on the lounge chair.
Somehow, her insomnia had disappeared. She slept soundly, and her face was peaceful.
The garden lights came on one by one, casting a warm, golden glow over the snow.
In her slender frame lay the serenity of peaceful years, reminiscent of the sunny afternoon when Curtis was eighteen, filled with piano music.
He gently covered her with a blanket and lay down beside her. Deep in sleep, Leanne instinctively snuggled into his warm embrace.
Curtis kissed her forehead, holding her tenderly, picking up the book she hadn't finished reading from the glass table.
"Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" by Jeanette Winterson, with a bookmark in the middle.
"I long for someone to love me to death, to understand that love is as strong as death."
[The End]
It concludes the story with Joy and Anne's study abroad adventures to be detailed in a spin-off.
The spin-off will also tell the story of Tina and her distinguished, father-figure boyfriend, showcasing their seven-year age gap. Considering a spin-off for Joy, any takers?
Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report
