I go home now?"
"You could, but I heard you like popcorn and movies. Is that true?"
"Yes."
"I have a movie theater in my house. I thought you and your mommy, Cee Cee, and Maribel might want to have a sleepover at my place. What do you think?"
Her eyes light up. "Mommy! Can we?"
I nod. "Sure."
She turns back to Colton. "What movie can we watch?"
"Tell you what. When we get to my place, I'll show you all your options, and you can pick. How does that sound?"
She grins. "Okay!"
"Sounds like a deal. Should we fist-bump on it?" He holds out his hand.
She bumps it, and he rises.
The nurse comes in, and I sign a bunch of forms.
"Colton, can my dolls come to your house?"
He smiles. "You can bring anything you want. As long as your mommy's okay with it."
"Why don't Maribel and I go to the house and pack bags?" Cee Cee suggests.
"I'll have my driver take you after he drops Jasmine, Abby, and me off," Colton says.
"Great. Jasmine, can I talk to you for a minute in private?" Cee Cee asks.
"Sure."
We step into the hall. "What's wrong? Colton said you thought it was a good idea to go to his house."
Her lips twitch. "I think it's a great idea. Better than sitting around our place, waiting for every minute to pass."
"Okay. What's wrong, then?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to know where the lingerie from La Perla was."
"Why?"
She smirks. "I think you should wear it tonight."
11
Jasmine
Caroline kisses Abby's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep."
"I'll walk you outside to the car, Mom," Colton says.
We've spent all day watching Christmas movies, playing games, and baking cookies and other holiday desserts. Caroline brought over construction paper. She cut them into strips so Abby and Maribel could make a chain. She also brought needles and thread. Colton made a ridiculous amount of popcorn. Caroline taught Abby and Maribel how to string it then they added everything they created to the tree.
"Okay, Abby. Time for bed."
"Mommy," she whines.
"Nope. You need your rest. Let's go."
"Get sleep so we can have more fun tomorrow," Caroline tells her.
Abby dramatically sighs. "Okay."
I take her to the guest room. Colton put her stuff in it earlier. All her dolls, favorite blanket, and a few outfits are there. She's already in her pajamas. After she goes to the bathroom, I slide next to her in the queen-size bed.
She snuggles into me. "I like it here."
I smile and stroke her head. "I do, too."
"Colton's nice."
"Mm-hmm."
"Is he rich?"
I pause for a moment. Debating how to answer her question. "Yes. But he grew up in our neighborhood."
"He did?"
"Yep."
She yawns.
I kiss her forehead. "Close your eyes, sweetie."
She obeys, and within a few minutes, falls asleep. I creep out of her room and go back into the kitchen.
"She asleep?" Cee Cee asks.
"Yep. Where is Maribel?"
"The theater. We're going to watch a marathon."
"Of what?"
"Some new reality show that's streaming. Don't ask." Cee Cee rolls her eyes.
I chuckle. "Have fun with that."
"You, too." She wiggles her eyebrows.
My stomach flips. "Stop it," I whisper. Cee Cee's been making comments all day whenever she gets a chance.
"Did you wear the red outfit?"
I groan. "Since you conveniently didn't pack any bras or underwear for me, yes, I'm wearing the red set."
"And a very merry Christmas it'll be," she teases.
I swat her on the arm. "Stop. And I haven't had sex in over six years. You're making me nervous."
"So you are going to do it?" she chirps.
My face gets red. "I didn't say that."
She tilts her head and raises her eyebrows.
"What?"
She smirks. "I think you're a bit overdue. Don't you think?"
My insides quiver. I look around and whisper, "What if I don't remember what to do?"
Cee Cee grunts. "It's like riding a bike. Get on and pedal, girl."
I put my face in my hands. "You're not helping."
"Stop overthinking it. You like him, right?"
"Yeah."
She rises and rubs my back. She leans in and mutters, "Sometimes you pedal fast, sometimes you pedal slow. The point is to keep going until you get a flat tire. Well, or someone else does."
I elbow her. "You're killing me."
She laughs, kisses me on the cheek, and waves. "I'm taking Abby duty all night. See you tomorrow." She leaves.
I go into the living room, stand at the window, and stare out at the blinking lights of the New York City skyline. So much has happened in a matter of days. I don't have financial worries anymore. I'm still scared about Abby's outcome, but I have hope for the first time