Half a Heart

30. Whether Daddy Likes It or Not

It was a surprise to have seen Peter at the lake, but I wouldn't say it was a bad surprise. I'm glad he showed up or else I probably would've done something that I would have regretted. When I got home, Dad and Carter were working on one of the four-wheelers so I assumed they worked out their issues from last night. I went inside and baked chocolate chip cookies. Tomorrow at school, I was feeding them to the cheer squad. Cheerleaders didn't typically cheer at baseball games, so we were done for the year. It was both a relief and a heartbreak.

After I was done with the cookies, I went outside to look at my flower garden. All my flowers had died with the frosts of the winter, but it was getting close to spring when I would replant them. I spent some time pulling weeds and getting it prepped. I called Dani and asked her if she wanted to go flower shopping with me. She agreed so I hit Dad up for some money and drove up to her house to pick her up.

"So, we haven't had a chance to really catch up," Dani said as we got down the road a ways.

"So catch me up. What's been going on with you?" I replied with a smile.

For this week, I will be ok. I will smile and act like nothing is happening. If anyone asked how I am doing, I will lie. For this week.

"Well, Auston texted me last week and asked me to go out with him," she started.

"That's amazing," I replied.

I left out the fact that Auston had a crush on me. I knew she really liked him, I have no clue how, and if he was going to give her a chance, I wouldn't stand in the way.

"Yeah, we went to a movie and got milkshakes after in a diner," she was lit up with excitement and I was happy for her.

After I broke up with Dylan, he talked to me, through her. I had him blocked so he couldn't call or text me. He sent me letters through her. Because they talked so much due to this, she started to fall for him. He saw this as a way to 'get back at me'. He dated her while still sending me love notes through her. She was too naive to see it.

We got to town a little after six. We went to Lowes and were browsing in the garden section when a handsome associate came up to us.

"Y-You ladies finding everything ok?" he asked with a smile. Dimples!

"Yes, thank you for asking," I replied with a smile of my own.

"My name is J-Joel and I will be right over there if you need anything."

"Thank you," I responded.

After he walked away, Dani turned towards me, "He totally thought you were pretty."

"Everyone thinks I'm pretty," I winked, "I like the guys who tell me I'm pretty."

She rolled her eyes at me. She and I had been best friends for as long as I can remember therefore she knows that I have been boy crazy since kindergarten. That has been eleven years she has put up with this.

We continued browsing around and picking out flowers. So far I had gotten some seeds for dahlias, daisies, and sunflowers. I wanted to look at their porch pot collection as well. We walked over to where they were and I picked out a basket with white flowers and one with pink flowers. I got a couple other things I would need like gloves and little shovels.

When we got to the checkout, Joel was our cashier.

"Did you gals find everything alright?"

"Sure did."

"Great. Looks like somebody's planting some flowers," he commented.

"Yep. I need something to keep me busy."