Kelli serves a side salad with baked spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner. It is delicious. Khloe insists that I sit between her and Kai for the meal. He seems to be a bit uncomfortable. I accidentally brush knuckles with him and he flinches away from my touch as though I am dirty. It shouldn’t hurt my feelings, but it stings a bit.
After we are finished eating, Khloe has her way and drags me away to her room to play.
Her bedroom is every little girl’s dream. There is a beautiful castle mural painted behind her canopy bed. Khloe has everything I ever wanted growing up…a dollhouse, any Barbie you can think of, and a trunk full of dresses. She has to point out everything, and names all of her dolls and stuffed animals off to me in rapid succession. I will never keep them all straight.
She is insistent upon giving me a makeover. I am hesitant, but I can’t say no to her little pouty face. “I pwomise to make you pwetty.” Her hands are clasped in front of her as her bottom lip sticks out in the perfect puppy dog sad face.
“Okay, make me pretty,” I tell her and close my eyes as I sit cross legged by her pink light up vanity. I always wanted one of those too.
When she is finished, she begins clapping, quite pleased with the job she has done.
“Now Khloe fix Katie hair.” She is so serious as she gets out her combs and bows, I almost laugh, but I’m afraid if I do I will hurt her feelings. No wonder Raven is so enamored by this kid. She’s adorable.
One second Khloe is dragging her brush through my tangled mess on my head and the next she is yelling at Kai to come play. I look over to see him watching us from the doorway. I have no idea how long he has been watching us.
“For a minute, but then mom says it’s bath time for you.” He walks into the room, seeming more relaxed. His hands are shoved in his jean pockets and he doesn’t have any idea how cute he looks right now perched on the edge of his sister’s bed.
“I made Katie pwetty. Kai be frog so Katie can kiss you and make you a pwince.” Her little green eyes are sparkling with excitement. “Pwease Kai, be frog.”
I feel a bit nervous about what she just said. I am in no way kissing Kai in front of his baby sister.
“’Mere, Kai, ‘mere,” she says to him sweetly.
He must have a hard time saying no to her as well. He comes over, standing behind me. “Katie knows a lot about frog lips,” he jokes.
I discreetly give him the finger.
“Up, Katie.” She pulls on my hands until I get up.
Khloe directs us, telling us how and where to stand. Kai swallows hard and brushes his hair back behind his ears. He grins at me and licks his lip. Oh my God. Does he really think we are doing this?
Just as he tilts his face toward mine
Khloe saves the day, yelling, “Wait, you need your pwincess wand, Katie. You break spell then kiss Kai frog.” She goes over to her toy box and starts digging through it.
Kelli comes in and tells Khloe it is time for her bath. She wants me to assist her because I will be bathing Khloe the nights I watch her.
Kai’s mom goes over an extensive list of don’ts. Khloe has really sensitive skin when it comes to anything with a fragrance. I feel like I should be taking notes.
Kelli watches on as I read Khloe a bedtime story after I dried her hair, got her into her pajamas, and assisted brushing her teeth. Khloe’s eyes flutter as I get halfway through Cinderella. I put her into bed and tuck her covers in around her.
I follow Kai’s mom downstairs to the family room where Kai is waiting to drive me home. Kai and I are given instructions to pick Khloe up from daycare after school and to bring her straight home tomorrow.
Kelli tried to pay me for tonight, but I declined. I really had a good time. It was a great end to my craptastic day.
Sliding into the passenger seat, I buckle my seatbelt and wait for Kai. He said there was something he needed to get. I hear him put something in the trunk before he gets in. He reaches over and brushes his thumb over my knuckles. “I don’t know what happened, but you didn’t deserve that from your friends today.”
“Thanks,” I choke out, trying not to cry at the word waiting for me on the front of the house when I get home. “I made a mistake the summer before ninth grade, in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t...I didn’t need to ask, Kat. You don’t have to explain. I know we might not talk much, but I know you aren’t like that. I have known girls like that and you definitely aren’t one of them.” I can’t help but wonder what he means by I am not like that. I want to ask him, but I am too much of a chicken.
He withdraws his hand from mine, and I have that feeling of missing his skin against mine. Backing out of the driveway, he tells me to pick something on the radio. I settle for The White Buffalo, I am the light.
I can’t help it as I belt the lyrics out. It is one of my favorite songs. Kai turns the volume down and listens to me intently. I feel naked…exposed, and vulnerable letting him share in this with me, but I like the way I feel when he looks over, flashing his dimples at me, impressed with my vocals.
The drive to my house feels a lot faster than it did coming the other direction, but it seems that is how it goes. It seems like it takes forever to reach your destination, but the road back is shorter. The car is idling in front of my gate and Kai is grinning at me. Silence stretches between us, neither of us knowing what to say, but not ready to say goodbye.
“What would you have done if I kissed you earlier?” He asks with hungry eyes.