Rivals

Chapter 7

"When Life Gives You Lemons..."

    The entangling warmth within Dory Park is consuming. The perfect and gentle breeze kisses my white floral print, short sleeve wrap dress - temporarily clearing my mind from what went down from my own hands yesterday.

I certainly need it. It's peaceful here. And I've always endured the scenery of leafy trees standing tall around the open and still pond in the center of the park - with a few younger kids playfully running around to make their way towards the wooden dock that leads onto the center of the pond, only to end in the form of a canopy.

In my tan three inch ankle boots, I follow into step with my twin brother - my light irises fixing on his own as he laughs profusely at one of his own jokes next to me - one that he hasn't even got to enlighten me with yet.

I fail miserably at fighting back my amused smile, watching him, before shaking my head.

"Whatever. The last one was touché, I'll give you that." I point, bringing up my cup of iced lemonade to my pink lips before taking a sweet sip.

"Miss Isabel!" I hear the soft pitch of Emily's tone call out from far behind me. Turning around to glance down to her seven year old height, her light blue eyes are bright, flicking up to meet mine. "We might need some more help in a few minutes with squeezing more lemons." She informs, sweetly.

I plaster a smile when leaning down to align with her bright eyes that sparkle with mere potential. "I'll be right there the second you call for me. And I see Carlos hovering the lemonade stand over there, tell him I have him covered for a cup." I send her a grateful wink, before standing upright again.

"Yes ma'am!" Emily forms a contagious smile again before spinning around to run off.

"And ask Mrs. Sandra for another pair of gloves before you get the lemons ready!" I shout, just seconds before she glimpses back to offer me a thumbs up, and proceeding to head towards the lemonade stand.

"Man, it's been a while since I've seen the kids," Callum says next to me, beginning to follow into step beside me again. "You still help volunteer often for their youth group?" He asks - in hopes to catching up.

"I do." I feel my lips curve upward slightly. "I try to as much as I can at least, when I'm not at work. Luckily I contacted them to check up just in time to help out with fundraising." I glance around, to the lemonade stand that succeeds in lulling over the parks visitors, and to the other donation stand we had set up for the city's homeless.

"Well, I'm glad you called me to help out. I don't think we've talked in person since you first saw my new place." My brother remarks. I fixate on his ocean colored eyes that glint with a certain flaring content that I haven't seen in months.

"I'm glad you came, too. And," I take in a deep breath as we continue in our steps on the cemented path circling the vast pond, "I've just been caught up with work, like, heavily." I explain, bringing up my cup of lemonade to my lips once more, before tossing it into the trashcan we pass by.

"Gah, that job of yours." I hear Cal say, before I glance over to see him forming a smirk. "I'm sorry but every time you bring it up, I'm always taken back to that one case you did to catch that drunk football player that was seen loitering the city." Callum chuckles beside me, and I roll my eyes playfully.

"Didn't he break into a museum and injured a ton of people, by literally tackling them down, just to get to an autographed football on display?" He questions with a perched up brow. I nod in turn, as he continues. "And they couldn't track him down?" I deliberately nod again.