hug.
'Hey, kiddo.' I leaned down, and got my own hug, squeezing the girl tight, then poking her in the ribs. She giggled, then ran off to where her party was in full swing, with all her guests on wheels, skating at blurring speeds around a wooden floor with loud music being pumped through speakers.
'Do you skate?' Haley asked, looking around, her eyes bright with childish glee. I shook my head.
'Never.'
'You’re serious? Oh, honey, that’s about to change.'
'No, Haley. I’m fine, really. If you want to go strut around on eight wheels, be my guest. I’m quite fine sitting with Michelle.'
'Andi, Michelle’s out there.' She pointed toward the rink. Sure enough, there she was, going around and around, sometimes holding the hand of some child, sometimes just skating, a huge smile on her face.
'Well, okay, I’ll sit by myself.'
'Nope. Let’s go.' She grabbed me by the hand, and marched my butt to the counter by the door where you rented your skates.
'Can I help you?' the pubescent boy asked us.
'Yes. I’d like a pair of size nine, and,' she turned to me, 'Andi?'
'Uh,' feeling like a deer who was caught in the headlights, 'seven.'
The boy headed back into the room, and came back with two pairs of skates. He set a pair in front of each of us.
'Okay, Andi. Come on.' I was led to a bench in another room where there were lockers. 'I can’t believe you’ve never been roller skating. That’s just criminal.' Haley muttered as she helped me to lace my skates.
'I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood filed with lots of little, excited girls, you know.' She looked up at me, shaking her head.
'Then I’ll just have to make up for that.'
'If I die, you can have my house.' Haley chuckled, and grabbed my arm.
'Okay, now be careful. Standing will be interesting for the first time.' I pushed myself up, but not much happened, other than the skates wanting to roll right out from under me. 'Whoa. Hang on to me.' I did.
Slowly we made our way to the skating rink, where pulsing music met us.
'God, these children are better at this than I am.' I muttered. Haley chuckled.
'Come on, old woman. You can do this. It’s all about balance, and I know you have a ton of that with everything you do.' She led us toward the wall, which had carpet covering the bottom half of it. I figured that was for losers like me who would be using the wall to stop myself, instead of the floor.
'Oh, shit!' The floor was far more slick than it had originally appeared, and for some reason, the wheels of my skates wanted to just take off.
'It’s okay. You’re doing fine, Andi,' Haley put her arm around my waist, going slowly with me. I felt fairly safe between Haley and the wall, but still wasn’t that keen on this whole roller skating idea.
Just up ahead was a small ledge, and I greedily grabbed onto it. Haley stopped behind me.
'Um, Andi?'
'Yes?'
'See, the whole idea behind this is to actually move.'
'Bite me.'
'Ohh, tempting.' I glanced back at her, nearly falling on my ass for the effort, and saw a lecherous grin on her face.
'Kendall’s birthday party has been set up, so anyone here for the birthday girl, head on over to the recreation room.'
'Oh, thank you god! Saved by the birthday cake,' I muttered. Haley chuckled, and helped me to pull my way back along the wall toward the festivities.
I headed toward the hospital, a smile upon my face, a bit of pep in my step. It was Valentine’s Day, a day and holiday which I generally despised, and sometimes ignored under the guise of forgetfulness. But not this year. I’m not even sure why, but today it meant something to me.
I smiled my way into the lab, waving at Samantha as I made my way to my office. I unlocked the door, flicked on the light, and stopped. Sitting on my desk was an envelope, the likes of which cards come in.
Brows narrowed, I sat behind my desk, and picked it up. I could hear movement near my office door, but didn’t look up. My attention was taken by the pink envelope in my hands. Biting my lower lip, I tried to decide who I thought it was from. And, how the hell had it gotten into my office?
Anyway, I ripped the top of the envelope open, and slid the card out. On the front was a big, hairy ape, his arms crossed over a massive chest. In large, red letters above his head, read:
How much do you mean to me?
Smiling, I opened the card, and black, paper ape arms sprung out at me, opened wide.
THIS MUCH! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
I chuckled, then read the hand-written message.
Andi, you are quickly becoming my world, and that scares the crap out of me, but I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else. XOXO
I heard some giggling outside the door, and I looked up to see who had been standing there the entire time.
'Samantha?'
Giggle, giggle,
She stepped out from around the corner, a grin on her face.
'Yeah, boss?'
'Did you leave this here?' I asked, waving the card at her. She shook her head.
'Nope.'
'But you know who did?' She nodded.
'Yep.'
'And you’re going to tell me, right?' Again, she shook her head.
'Nope.'
'Great. You’re fired.' She grinned, and headed back into the lab. I read the card again, and then glanced over at the phone. Chewing on my lip again, I picked it up, and dialed the three numbers of the extension that I knew so well.
'Haley Corregan.'
'You’ve got some explaining to do,' I said, my voice low, menacing.
'Excuse me?' she said, sounding confused. I chuckled.
'Have you been this way this morning?' I heard a low, throaty chuckle on the other end of the line.
'Nope.'
'You haven’t been to the lab today?'
'Nope.'
'Are you lying?'
Silence
'Did you leave me a card today?'
'Nope.'
'You didn’t leave a card here for me this morning?'
Silence
I grinned, amused at the game.
'You know, my dear, your silence says everything' I heard the chuckle on the other end of the line.
'Happy Valentine’s Day, Andi.' I smiled, ear to ear as I looked at the card again, wishing so badly that Haley was in my office right now, or I was in hers so I could thank her properly.
Whoa, chick! Hey, when you stopped dreaming, you stopped living, and as long as Haley was in my life, I definitely wouldn’t stop dreaming.
