Who We Have

Chapter 20

The next day, Adam, Colin, Lilly and Andy had decided to head to town for a time together. They had packed up and left in the morning. As they walked in, the couple realized that things between Colin and Lilly were still the same, and cheerful.

They walked into a little market where Andy was immediately taken away by the wares. There was a little stall where they sold little bracelets and necklaces, and Andy was completely in love with one of them. She didn’t want it for herself, though. A little while into the market, Adam had dragged Colin aside to talk, and Lilly was standing beside Andy, looking over the accessories.

“Do you see anything you like?” she asked Andy.

“Definitely,” Andy replied, “But I’m not sure if I should get it.”

“Which is it?” asked Lilly.

Andy pointed to a bracelet that was on a hanger with others. It was a strip of sturdy, black leather, that tied off neatly at the ends. There was an intricate pattern carved into it.

“That’s very cool,” said Lilly, looking over it. “It’s something Adam would like,” she stated.

“That’s actually what I was wondering,” said Andy.

“Oh, it’s for him?” asked Lilly, smiling.

“Yeah. Would he really like it?” Andy asked her, “I really want to get him something but I never knew what, until now.”

“I think he would love it,” she told her.

Andy asked the person behind the stall how much it was, and they gave her a price, one that Andy couldn’t afford. It wasn’t expensive, she just didn’t have enough. Lilly reached into her bag and got her wallet out.

“Lilly, no, you can’t,” Andy persisted, trying to stop her.

“Of course I can,” Lilly smiled, paying off the man. “We’re family, Andrea. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll pay you back, I promise,” she told her.

“Don’t even think about it,” Lilly insisted, raising her wallet slightly, “I probably won’t need this for long anyway-“ her words cut off and she realized where she was going with them. “I’m sorry,” she said, trying to cover it with a chuckle.

Andy reached over and gave Lilly a warm hug. “Don’t be,” she told her, and Lilly hugged her back. Andy wanted to say so many things to her, but as they pulled away, Lilly spoke.

“Well, go on, put it away for now, you can give it to him by the tree later, or whenever you wish,” she smiled.

“Thank you, Lilly. Really, I appreciate it,” said Andy.

“No problem at all,” Lilly smiled.

After a little more browsing, the girls caught up with Colin and Adam, and they headed to a restaurant. They sat down at the back of the restaurant and in a very comfortable section. In the back, the sections were slightly secluded by the booths, so it was a bit private.

The restaurant was different from what Andy had usually experienced. It certainly had the outskirt-country touch. There was a certain scent wafting through the air. Andy couldn’t tell what it was, but it was great and definitely mouth-watering. When their food arrived, Andy dug into her spaghetti.

“Where have I been living?” she asked after swallowing her first bite.

“I’ll take that as a good thing,” Adam smiled, eating his own.

“Very good thing,” she added.

“It really is good,” said Colin.

After a short moment, Lilly looked at Adam and spoke, “Wait-“ she cleared her throat, “So what do mum and dad have planned for tomorrow?”