Akiko’s gasp was audible from the backseat as she spotted the vehicle that was unfamiliar to her, but also the silhouette of a woman she was very familiar with. “Dad look!” She unbuckled her seat belt before the truck had stopped to lean over the center console and point at the figure out the windshield. It's Aphrodite!” The child was practically buzzing with excitement.
Lochellen followed the line of Akiko’s pointing finger, though she had already seen the car and the woman standing near it. Looking over Akiko’s head and towards Sanders’ almost blank expression, she chose not to ask any questions.
The teenager was quicker out of the car than either her father or Loch. She kicked up gravel as she raced from her own open door to where Aphrodite was leaning against a red Audi. Aphrodite pushed away from the vehicle and opened her arms to accept the arrival of the over eager child, who barreled into her and wrapped clinging arms around her waist.
“Oh my gosh, look at you,” she said petting Akiko’s hair. Her gentle, accented tone was an immediate comfort to Akiko and she clung tighter. “You’ve grown so much! And in only a year! If you keep this up you’ll be as tall as your father.” Gentle hands with meticulously short manicured nails nudged Akiko away from her. Akiko laughed and pushed up her glasses before fixing the jacket that had fallen off her shoulders.
The sound of Sanders coming up behind her made Akiko step to the side. Aphrodite smiled softly as she passed her hands over her hips. Smoothing down the pleats of her skirt as a nervous gesture. Violet eyes focused on blue ones. “Oh, I should have called.” She sounded apologetic as her hands fell to her sides. They remained there for only a moment before Sanders pulled her into a hug. “But I wasn’t waiting long at all.” She let her face rest against his shoulder, closing her eyes as she hugged him back, one arm around his back and the other around his shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment, surreptitiously enjoying being held by him. Unavoidable now, but she would certainly feel guilty about it later.
Lochellan had been even slower out of the vehicle than Sanders, sensing some tension in regards to the upcoming interaction. His girlfriend, perhaps? She followed behind him, nonetheless, stopping a bit farther back as he approached the woman. She was...very possibly the most beautiful woman that Loch had ever seen. And Loch thought very highly of herself. She looked like she had just stepped out of the pages of Better Homes and Gardens magazine from the fifties. Blonde hair was styled perfectly and help back with gleaming barrettes. There wasn't a single wrinkle in her yellow blouse, and a circle skirt decorated in summer flowers fell perfectly over her hips and dangled around her knees. She wore honest to goodness Cuban-heel stockings that Loch would bet money were being held up by garters and heel that matched perfectly, and made Lochellen feel like a mess in her riding breeches and nylon pullover.
Akiko watched the way Aphrodite and her father interacted. Though, she didn’t quite understand it, there was an obvious affection between them. She had begun to notice, beginning in the last summer that she was at the ranch, that her father behaved differently towards Dite than he did other women. Or other people in general. Though, she would never admit it out loud, Akiko secretly wished that her father and Aphrodite would get together somehow, and then Dite could be her mom for real. And not just the way Akiko pretended she was. But Aphrodite had her own family and Akiko knew it was selfish to think that way.
Loch smiled when she was ushered into the conversation, professional as ever and immediately holding her hand out towards the other woman. “I’m Lochellan,”she chimed, smiling brightly. Dite took the offered hand in a friendly but firm shake.
“Aphrodite,” she returned, knowing full well that Sanders had called her Maeve, as he always had. As he’d implied he always would. “It’s lovely to meet you. I hope I wasn’t...interrupting anything? I really should have called, but I wanted to surprise Akiko.”
“I am surprised!” Akiko forced her way into that small space between Sanders and Dite and hugged the woman again. Dite laughed and loosely draped an arm around her shoulders.
“Good. Because I brought you something, and I want to hear all about your lesson.”
The instructor waved her hand in the air as if to also imply that Aphrodite hadn’t been interrupting. That wasn’t to say she had not been enjoying her time with the handsome cowboy whose availability was still being thrown into question. “I should actually be heading out,” she explained. Loch started to back up slowly, separating herself from the group and the weird tension that she was still feeling despite the smiles. “Akiko, you did wonderful and I will see you on Wednesday. And thank you both so much for lunch.”
Lochellen followed the line of Akiko’s pointing finger, though she had already seen the car and the woman standing near it. Looking over Akiko’s head and towards Sanders’ almost blank expression, she chose not to ask any questions.
The teenager was quicker out of the car than either her father or Loch. She kicked up gravel as she raced from her own open door to where Aphrodite was leaning against a red Audi. Aphrodite pushed away from the vehicle and opened her arms to accept the arrival of the over eager child, who barreled into her and wrapped clinging arms around her waist.
“Oh my gosh, look at you,” she said petting Akiko’s hair. Her gentle, accented tone was an immediate comfort to Akiko and she clung tighter. “You’ve grown so much! And in only a year! If you keep this up you’ll be as tall as your father.” Gentle hands with meticulously short manicured nails nudged Akiko away from her. Akiko laughed and pushed up her glasses before fixing the jacket that had fallen off her shoulders.
The sound of Sanders coming up behind her made Akiko step to the side. Aphrodite smiled softly as she passed her hands over her hips. Smoothing down the pleats of her skirt as a nervous gesture. Violet eyes focused on blue ones. “Oh, I should have called.” She sounded apologetic as her hands fell to her sides. They remained there for only a moment before Sanders pulled her into a hug. “But I wasn’t waiting long at all.” She let her face rest against his shoulder, closing her eyes as she hugged him back, one arm around his back and the other around his shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment, surreptitiously enjoying being held by him. Unavoidable now, but she would certainly feel guilty about it later.
Lochellan had been even slower out of the vehicle than Sanders, sensing some tension in regards to the upcoming interaction. His girlfriend, perhaps? She followed behind him, nonetheless, stopping a bit farther back as he approached the woman. She was...very possibly the most beautiful woman that Loch had ever seen. And Loch thought very highly of herself. She looked like she had just stepped out of the pages of Better Homes and Gardens magazine from the fifties. Blonde hair was styled perfectly and help back with gleaming barrettes. There wasn't a single wrinkle in her yellow blouse, and a circle skirt decorated in summer flowers fell perfectly over her hips and dangled around her knees. She wore honest to goodness Cuban-heel stockings that Loch would bet money were being held up by garters and heel that matched perfectly, and made Lochellen feel like a mess in her riding breeches and nylon pullover.
Akiko watched the way Aphrodite and her father interacted. Though, she didn’t quite understand it, there was an obvious affection between them. She had begun to notice, beginning in the last summer that she was at the ranch, that her father behaved differently towards Dite than he did other women. Or other people in general. Though, she would never admit it out loud, Akiko secretly wished that her father and Aphrodite would get together somehow, and then Dite could be her mom for real. And not just the way Akiko pretended she was. But Aphrodite had her own family and Akiko knew it was selfish to think that way.
Loch smiled when she was ushered into the conversation, professional as ever and immediately holding her hand out towards the other woman. “I’m Lochellan,”she chimed, smiling brightly. Dite took the offered hand in a friendly but firm shake.
“Aphrodite,” she returned, knowing full well that Sanders had called her Maeve, as he always had. As he’d implied he always would. “It’s lovely to meet you. I hope I wasn’t...interrupting anything? I really should have called, but I wanted to surprise Akiko.”
“I am surprised!” Akiko forced her way into that small space between Sanders and Dite and hugged the woman again. Dite laughed and loosely draped an arm around her shoulders.
“Good. Because I brought you something, and I want to hear all about your lesson.”
The instructor waved her hand in the air as if to also imply that Aphrodite hadn’t been interrupting. That wasn’t to say she had not been enjoying her time with the handsome cowboy whose availability was still being thrown into question. “I should actually be heading out,” she explained. Loch started to back up slowly, separating herself from the group and the weird tension that she was still feeling despite the smiles. “Akiko, you did wonderful and I will see you on Wednesday. And thank you both so much for lunch.”
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you.
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 11-07-2016, 10:41 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 11-08-2016, 12:08 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 11-08-2016, 07:24 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 11-09-2016, 04:33 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 11-10-2016, 04:05 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 11-10-2016, 05:35 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 11-11-2016, 12:46 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 11-16-2016, 01:07 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 11-16-2016, 04:30 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 12-01-2016, 08:54 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 12-03-2016, 07:03 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 12-04-2016, 12:29 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 12-07-2016, 03:38 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 12-08-2016, 01:49 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 02:44 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 04:13 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 02-05-2017, 09:45 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 04-30-2017, 12:24 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 04-30-2017, 06:44 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 05-12-2017, 11:21 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 05-15-2017, 11:00 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 05-18-2017, 01:11 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 05-21-2017, 04:53 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 05-27-2017, 06:25 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 05-29-2017, 03:46 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 06-09-2017, 10:03 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 06-24-2017, 09:15 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 06-27-2017, 12:44 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 07-23-2017, 08:57 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 08-03-2017, 05:52 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 08-08-2017, 05:53 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 08-13-2017, 06:56 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 10-09-2017, 07:32 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 10-24-2017, 12:20 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 11-06-2017, 01:58 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 11-22-2017, 01:43 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by saronym - 03-15-2018, 12:41 AM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 01-05-2018, 07:52 PM
RE: Summer Reins [Closed] - by megs - 04-01-2018, 04:35 AM