Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“It’s not always like this,” Abigail shares from beside me, and I turn to look at her. She sits with her head back on the rest, and the way the sun is coming in, it hits her eyes and makes them even lighter.
I laugh a little. “I’ve been around them for the past six years,” I remind her. “If I were going to run away, it would have been way before now.” I lean back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest. “Besides, your family has been nothing but supportive and by my side this whole time.”
“Oh my.” I hear from the aisle and turn to see Gabriella. Even though she and Abigail are identical twins, I can tell them apart. Abigail has a bigger smile than Gabriella, and her eyes are warmer than Gabriella. Abigail also has one eye with a fleck of green in it. “I didn’t know you were coming on the trip.” She looks at me and then looks at Abigail. “Fun.” She continues walking toward the back.
Matthew gets on the plane next, followed by Max, as they start doing a head count. I close my eyes for a second, and when I open them some forty minutes later, the plane door is shut, and I look over and see Penelope and Abigail are coloring together.
She smiles at Penelope, and my heart feels like it grows tenfold in my chest. She tucks her hair behind her ear, something she always does. Something she isn’t doing to be sexy, but it just is. I take one long look at her before I turn around and tell myself, yet again, this is a bad idea.
This family has helped me from day one, and what do I do? I am lusting over one of their family members. They invited me in, and all I can do is sit here thinking about Abigail in ways I should not be thinking about her.
“If you want to rest,” Abigail starts, looking up at me from her coloring page, “I can watch Penelope.” I don’t say anything because the words are all jumbled in my throat. All the words that want to come out are me telling her that she is beautiful or she smells amazing or I want to kiss her. “I know that the last couple of days have been hectic, and from what I’ve been hearing, not many people got much rest.”
“It wasn’t that bad.” I watch her color the paper and then show Penelope, who smiles at her and shows her the picture she’s doing.
“I didn’t even attend all the events you did, and I ended up getting sick,” she informs me, and I am worried for her.
“What happened?” I ask, my tone going softer than I want it to.
“Nothing major, I just think with the whole moving and then not sleeping when I should’ve been sleeping, and then partying, I was burning the candle at both ends, and I got sick,” she says as if it’s nothing. I want to ask her what kind of sick she was. I want to ask her if she is okay right now.
“Do you need anything?” I start to unfasten my seat belt, ready to get up and make sure I can get her something. “I think I have water,” I say, leaning forward and grabbing the black backpack I always bring when we travel.
She puts her hand on my arm, and I swear to God, my whole body zaps to life. I haven’t touched or been with anyone in the six years since I became a dad. My dating life was put on the back burner. Then every single time I tried to put myself out there, there was always something missing, or better yet, they weren’t Abigail. “I’m okay,” she assures me, and Penelope looks at the bag in my hand.
“Dad, can I have the iPad?” she asks, and as much as I don’t want to pull my arm away from her touch, I have no choice. “Do you want to watch Encanto with me?” She looks at Abigail.
“Why don’t we leave Abigail to rest,” I redirect, and Abigail just laughs.
“I love Encanto,” Abigail says. Her eyes light up as she sings, “We don’t talk about Bruno.”
I chuckle as I pass the iPad to Penelope and then hand her the small white square AirPod case, “You have one,” Penelope says, handing her an earbud and then putting it in her own ear. I lean back and close my eyes, just to rest them, and the next thing I know, the plane is touching down, and applause fills the air.
I blink open my eyes and look over and see Abigail with her hand over Penelope's shoulder as they look out the window. “Daddy,” Penelope says, her eyes bright, “we saw the crystal-blue water, and Abigail said it looked like our eyes.” She points at the same eyes we both have.