Free Between Octobers Bk 1, Savor The Days Series by A.R. Rivera Page A

asked him to wait. He chose a seat on the fluffy, navy
blue couch monster as the kids disappeared into their rooms,
totally unimpressed. Lily had agreed to watch the boys for me—I
don’t think there was a chance that she’d say no—so I set off to
get ready for the movie.
    The image in my large mirror showed the face
of a stranger. Her eyes were too bright, her cheeks too pink. The
trace of an eager smile played at the edges of her lips. My hand
touched her flushed face. It felt so warm.
    I threw on the first dressy top I found and
paired it with comfy, faded jeans and black flats. Casual. Then, I
brushed my hair and set it in a loose bun to keep it off my neck.
Next, I applied mascara. The chances of ruining my makeup were
small, but I still opted for the waterproof, to be safe. I even
splurged on eyeliner and a light shadow.
    Caleb bounded into my line of sight as I
entered the long hallway. He stood, leaning his little head back to
stare. I made a silly face and he giggled.
    “Please tell my guest I will be ready to
leave in a few minutes.” He agreed and took off.
    Noah was on my mind. I knocked on the door
and opened it after a brief pause—my usual entrance. He was so used
to the intrusion that he rarely ascended to greet anyone on the
other side. That worked exactly the way I designed it. By knocking,
I gave the respect for his personal space; yet by opening the door
myself, I silently asserted my position of authority. At least,
that was how I like to think of it. In any case, he didn’t seem to
mind. I rested against the wall near his closet and looked around
at the clutter on the floor and in the corners. He was sitting on
his bed, studiously playing online video games.
    “You need to vacuum this room, Noah.”
    He turned and his eyes perked up. “You look
pretty, Mom.” And back to the television.
    I looked myself over, checking to make sure
he was not being sarcastic, as there was always that chance and I
wasn’t catching on. Nothing was amiss. I decided he was serious.
“Thank you. I want to ask you something.”
    “Shoot.” He paused his game, giving me his
full attention. Good kid.
    “Are you . . .” I almost used the word
‘okay’ but that didn’t fit. “Are you alright with me seeing a movie
tonight?” At the last second, I decided to exclude the name of my
company. It wasn’t a date and I didn’t want Noah to think it was.
But if I explained that, he may have thought I was being too
defensive.
    “You mean am I alright with you dating? It’s
kind of a weird day to start, but no, I don’t mind.” A satirical
smirk bent one corner of his mouth.
    “This is not a date. It’s two adults, who
happen to be the opposite sex, enjoying each other’s company and
agreeing to go to the same place at the same time. There’s nothing
romantic about it.”
    “Then why are you asking me?”
    “You’ve been worried about me. I want
you to know that I’m okay. I won’t get like that ever again, Noah.”
    The corners of his eyes turned down as my
words reminded him of those first six months. “I know, Mom, and I’m
glad you got Dad’s phone back. It was nice of him to bring it to
you.”
    “And that’s the only reason I agreed to go
to the movies with him.”
    “Is he taking you to see one of his movies?”
He whispered, “If he is, you should take a book.”
    “I don’t know what we’re seeing.” My voice
dropped to a whisper. “Are his films really that bad?”
    He groaned. “Ugh, so stupid and
predictable.”
    “But he’s a nice person.”
    “ Yeah,” he shrugged, “he made you
laugh; that’s got to count for something.”
    “You’re a sweet boy, Noah.” I grabbed his
chin and quickly kissed his forehead.
    “Great. Pink lip gloss.” He rubbed the
splotch away with the back of his hand.
    On my way to the living room, the distinct
sound of muffled chuckles carried down the hall. Ever the
Nosey-Nellie, I stopped just shy of the living room entry.
    “Let me see if I