Almost Home

Chapter Seventeen

"What are the five," Lydia enunciates the word, though it isn't really necessary for her to do so, "Most beautiful things in the world to you?"

Upon returning to my room, I found the two of them patiently waiting on the rug, their eyes bright with anticipation.

Faith had chosen to play type 'A' - each person gets to ask every member of the game a question - and had chosen to ask me the questions first.

I, unable to come up with really good questions, had been done within five minutes and am now patiently awaiting my own questions.

Lydia, I can tell by the gleam in her eyes, has a good question prepared for me, a question so good, I suspect, that I'll regret bringing this game up, but for now, she's focused on Faith.

Faith shrugs, like the question directed at her is simple before, ticking them off on her fingers, she says, "A brand new softball."

"Good one," I interrupt as she continues.

"The first nice day of the year," she pauses to add to it, "Usually near the end of April or the beginning of May."

"But, also," she laughs, silently, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear before saying, "The first snowfall of the year, which I know contradicts the first nice day of the year, but I love them both."

"Two more," Lydia chirps, a small smile twitching at her lips.

"Okay, um," Faith's face becomes a bit more serious as she thinks, her eyebrows furrowing before she says, "I like dogs - all of the dogs."

I giggle, as does Lydia before Faith finishes with, "And I really like chocolate sundaes."

"Okay, so," now it's Lydia's turn to tick them off on her fingers, "Softball, sunshine, snow, dogs, and ice cream?"

Faith bursts into laughter at the casual tone that my best friend is using, "I guess when you put it that way, it does sound a little-"

"No, it doesn't," Lydia gives her a playful shrug, "You did good."

Faith opens her mouth to thank her, but is immediately silenced at the slight smirk playing about Lydia's mouth now that her attention is focused on me.

"Go ahead," I challenge, ignoring the squirming in my gut at the thought of what this question might be, "Ask your worst."

"It's not bad," Lydia takes a thoughtful sip of her drink before continuing, "But I can't wait to hear your answer."

"Shoot."

"Have you told Easton that you love him yet?"

Stupidly, I'd tried taking a small sip of my drink before she could finish the question, but, not surprisingly, had began to choke the moment she finished.

Lydia certainly knows how to catch me by surprise.

When I finally clear my throat and sit back up, I see both Lydia and Faith side-eyeing me, one of Lydia's perfectly groomed brows arched.

"No," I say instantly, holding my hands out in front of me in a gesture of surrender, "And he hasn't either."

"Does that upset you?"

"Not at all," I shrug, meeting Lydia and Faith's intense stares, respectively, "We're taking things slow and I'm okay with it. You know how against premature declarations I am."

"That I do," Lydia mumbles and then says a little louder, "Do you love him?"

Finally buckling under the weight of their stares, I sigh, "Isn't the point of this game to only ask one, deep question? Lyd, that's your third."