Page 23 of Mine to Promise
“I don’t think so,” Addison says, “but we should see who it is.”
“Look inside the hole,” Avery shouts, “in case it’s a killer!”
I shake my head, chuckling at the way she said the word. “Go get dressed,” I hear Addison say to her before I hear her little feet running away from the door. The sound of the locks opening makes my heart speed up a touch faster, my hands get even more sweaty as I hold the bags in them. The door swings open and I see Addison with a smile on her face. “Hi,” she says, holding the door handle. She’s wearing black dress pants that hug her curves and stop at her ankles, her feet are bare. The white button-down shirt flows around her and is tucked into the pants. She looks so professional, and I wonder if she’s as nervous as I am. “Welcome.” She moves aside for me to step inside.
“Thank you,” I say, nodding at her as I walk in and stand on her little carpet at the door, “for having me.” I take a look around at the small apartment that is neat and tidy, but bare and minimal. She has a small two-seat couch with a TV stand with a tiny television on it. The kitchen and dining area are right on the other side of the room.
“What do you have there?” Addison asks me as she closes the door behind me.
“I brought her flowers,” I say, holding up the flowers I picked up right before I got here. “I got pink flowers since they looked like princess flowers,” I tell her, nervously holding them up for her to see them.
“Those are very pretty,” she admires, with a smirk on her face.
“I also bought her a couple of things.” I hold up the two bags of toys I bought her today. “Some toys and some princess things.”
Addison comes over and puts a hand on my arm. “Are you nervous?” she asks me, and I chuckle nervously.
“I have never been this out of my comfort zone before in my life,” I admit to her. “I spent a full two hours at the toy store going aisle by aisle. Picking up things and then putting them down. Then going back over again.” I shake my head. “I’m sure at one point the salesgirl thought I was lying about buying anything because she just left me there.”
“Whatever you chose, I’m sure will be amazing,” Addison assures me, and then I hear the small feet running out from one of the bedrooms. Her hair is flying everywhere as she runs to the front door, her dress swooshing around her legs.
“I know you,” Avery states from beside Addison, her arm wrapped around her leg as she sizes me up. “You called me the prettiest princess in all the land.”
“You do know me,” I say nervously, but excited she remembers me. “I brought you flowers,” I say, handing her the bouquet and realizing it’s maybe a bit too big for her. “I got pink because I think they look like princess flowers.”
“Momma, he brought flowers for me,” she whisper-yells, making me laugh out loud.
“I see, why don’t you say thank you,” Addison tells her.
“Thank you for the princess flowers.” Avery smiles at me.
“I’ll take those and put them in a vase,” Addison informs me, “so your hands aren’t full.” I hand her the flowers and she gives me a smile of encouragement.
“What is in the bags?” Avery asks, pointing at the two bags I’m carrying.
“Well, I went to the store, and I saw a couple of things that reminded me of you.” I smile at her. “I got you a couple of presents.”
“You bought me presents?” she says shocked, as she looks from me to the bag and then back to me, then looks at Addison, who is standing in the kitchen opening the cupboard on top of the fridge to grab a vase. “Momma.” Avery walks over to her. “Is it my birthday?”
“It is not your birthday,” Addison tells her, putting the flowers in the vase. “Sometimes people buy you presents just because, or if they are coming to see you.”
“Oh,” Avery says before skipping back to me, “it’s not my birthday.”
“I know,” I tell her, squatting down, “but it’s the first time I’ve visited you, and I thought I would bring you a little something.”
She claps her hands, and her face fills with a megawatt smile. “Okay.” She jumps up and down. “What is it? What is it?”
“Well, you are going to have to open it up and see,” I tell her, handing her one bag first.
“Open this one first,” I tell her and she gets on her knees as she pulls open the bag.
Her little hands work the bag down from the box, and she gasps right before she squeals. “Momma,” she yells over her shoulder, “I got princess shoes!”
Addison looks at her and then looks at me. “What do you mean you got princess shoes?” She comes over and squats down next to Avery. “Oh my!” she exclaims when she takes in the pink box. Inside the big box are six small boxes and four of the boxes have different colored shoes. One is gold, another silver, then a pink and a blue pair. In the top two are three different types of crowns and then some plastic earrings, rings, and plastic bracelets. “That is a lot of princess things.”
“If she has them, we can always go back and exchange it,” I assure her, and I see Avery shaking her head side to side fast.
“I’m almost afraid what is in the other bag,” Addison mumbles as Avery comes back over to me for the second bag. I give the bag to Avery, who struggles to bring it to Addison, dragging it half the way. “What’s in the bag?”