Her Right Mistake

(37) Vren

"I told you they would fit." Audrey look up from her phone when he emerged from the bathroom wearing her dad's shirt and slacks.

"It doesn't fit. Are we seeing the same thing here? The slacks is at least three inches short and I have to unbutton the first two buttons of his shirt so I can breathe." He shuffled inside the room.

She narrowed her eyes on him. "Would you like me to lend you one of my tank tops like Kylie? Or maybe you'd look better in my crop tops."

"Really? Wow. I need to see you in one of those crop tops."

Audrey snorted, not bothering to make a clever comeback. She was occupied with her phone and he of her. She sits on the edge of her tiny bed whom she lend for Kylie while she sleeps in the stock room her parents renovated into a guest room. Vren will be sleeping downstairs in the couch.

She rummaged through her closet and wore one of her tank tops that clung more tightly on her now than it did years ago. Her shorts that probably used to be in a reasonable length, is shorter and making her legs look like they were miles long.

"Go stare at something else," she deadpans without lifting her gaze off her phone.

He chuckles, walking over to the photo collage on the wall. He entertained himself with it, squinting at the photo of Audrey in her princess Belle costume beside Rachel wearing something that could be a ghost or a pillow.

"She was a tooth." Audrey was behind him, looking at the same photo as he was.

Vren looks over his shoulder, laughing.

She bit her lip to stifle her laughter but thought better of it. "That's not the most ridiculous thing she's worn."

"Really? What's more ridiculous than a tooth?"

Audrey burst out a louder laugh. "She once dressed as a bathroom tissue."

"What?"

She nods, dabbing her eyes that started to water from her laughing. "And she makes it herself."

"Really? How?"

Their laughter melded inside her bedroom, echoing through the walls. It faded into a comfortable silence.

"I have no idea. She likes making her costumes herself. Her parents doesn't buy her one but she has her creativity." She wrapped her hand on his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. She had on a smile as bright as the ones in her photos.

"That's a little sad."

"Well, she have four other siblings and her parents struggle to make ends meet. I make her come over so often, she practically lived her." Her face sported a far off look, it made his chest crumple a little.

"Who buys your costume?"

Her eyes flick up to him. "I only have one costume. Dad bought it for me. Here." She pointed her finger on one of the photos where she was wearing a headband with red reindeer antlers, unwrapping a gift.

"It was a Christmas gift?"

Audrey nods. "The best gift ever."

"Still is?"

"Yup." She giggles.

"You guys were pretty close." Or at least that's what he could see when her eyes glimmer at the mention of her father. And she had more photos with her dad than her mom.

She shrug. "I guess, we were close. I looked up to him like he was my hero. You know, typical father-daughter relationship."

"You still do?"