Page 65 of Counting the Stars
Alex
“That is the worst rendition of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ I’ve ever heard.” Gabby doubles over with laughter while I huff and puff from jumping all over the Big Piano at FAO Schwarz. After our visit with Lucia, we decided to explore the city the rest of the afternoon. It’s no easy feat since we’re scheduled to fly back tonight, but we’re trying to make the most of our time here.
“It looked so easy when Tom Hanks did it in the movie.” I thought for sure I’d be a maestro.
“That’s ’cause Tom Hanks is a legend.”
“And I’m not?” I place my hand over my heart, pretending to be offended.
“Maybe not Tom Hanks level.” She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me on the cheek. “But you’ll always be a legend to me.”
“Aww, how sweet. Now it’s your turn.”
“What?” She takes a step back, letting go from our embrace.
“Come on. If I can make a fool of myself, so can you.” I playfully smack her butt, inching her closer to the keyboard on the floor.
“Oh, fine.” She steps over to the piano and tests out a few keys before jumping fully onto the instrument. Then she breaks out a perfect rendition of “Chopsticks.”
“No! Uh-uh! You can’t be serious!” I say a little too loudly. “How did you do that? It was perfect. You must’ve cheated somehow.”
“All right, you got me.” She steps off the giant keyboard, earning a few claps from the crowd surrounding us. She takes a small bow. “I have one of these I keep hidden under my bed. I’ve been practicing it every night just in case this moment ever happened.”
“You are such a smart-ass.” I give her a quick kiss.
Gabby looks up at me with a smile that reaches from ear to ear. The golden flecks in her brown eyes look brighter than ever. I’ve noticed a lightness to her ever since the day she told me about losing her family. But after meeting Lucia? It’s like she’s floating on air.
Something behind me catches her eye and she pushes on my shoulders to spin me around. “Look!” She points to a wall of stuffed dinosaurs.
“Do you see something you want to get for baby J.J.?” I scan the stuffed animals, not sure what made her so excited.
“No, well, yes, of course I’ll pick something up for him, but look to the left.” She takes my hand and points to a display of hybrid dinosaurs.
“No way!” I grab her hand and zigzag through the crowd to get closer to the shelves. I pick up a bananasaurus rex that looks similar to the one I gifted Gabby, only this one has a little tiara on it.
“Look!” Gabby squeals and holds up the tiniest tuxedo I’ve ever seen. “They sell clothes too. We have to get my bananasaurus rex a girlfriend.”
A half hour later, we leave the toy store with a stuffed bear for baby J.J. and a girl bananasaurus rex with two sets of seasonal wardrobes so the dinos can coordinate for the holidays. My girl hates receiving flowers, but give her a tiny Santa hat for a bananasaurus rex and she’ll look at you like you hung the moon.
“Where to next, milady?” We push through the doors and back out onto West 49th Street with our bags full of ridiculousness. There’s a chill in the air, but for the most part, the weather is mild for this time of year.
“I know we don’t have too much time left.” She bounces on her feet. “And I know it’s not the most glamorous thing, but I’ve always wondered what New York pizza tastes like. You know, the real stuff, not like the places back home that claim it’s authentic.”
I scoop her up and give her a little spin. “We’re in a place that has every type of food imaginable within walking distance and you want pizza. I adore you for that.” I bend to place her feet back on the ground.
“Wait! Don’t put me down just yet.” She throws her arms around my neck. “I like this height. We’re at the same level.”
“You want to know what it’s like to be as tall as me?”
“No. I want to kiss you without standing on my toes.”
I press my lips against hers, expecting something quick, but she tightens her grip around my neck and draws me in closer. We’ve kissed before, but something about this time is different. Her body vibrates with a delicate moan when she parts her lips and lets my tongue explore her mouth. She melts into me and I realize she’s finally letting herself savor being in the moment.
“I love you, Alex. I have for a while. I was just too afraid to admit it.” She reaches out and fidgets with the zipper of my jacket. “It’s like I’ve had tunnel vision and I’m finally starting to see the light. I’ve been too focused on the fear of losing you to realize I’d be even more devastated if something happened to you and I never had the chance to tell you how I feel. I understand if you’re not ready to say it back, but I needed you to know.”
“You think I’m not ready?” My smile is so wide, my face could crack. “I’ve only been holding out because I didn’t want to scare you off. You’ve been through so much and things between us have been going so well. This”—I point my finger at her then back to me—“is real and I’m living for every moment of us together. I love you too, baby girl.”
Things are finally coming together. Gabby has been through so much, and again, her strength astounds me. No question meeting her aunt has freed something within her, but there’s more. These last weeks, after returning from the chaos of my parents’ party, Gabby and I have become inseparable. We’ve even had a few more sleepovers under the stars, and that’s when we have our most intimate conversations. I’m so proud of her for stepping outside her comfort zone and actually thinking about a future.