February
Ch. 2: February
Riley was on her break at the hospital in Maryland. She was on her phone.
“Did you get it,” Sloane asked on the other end.
Riley looked down at the bracelet on her wrist. “I did, it’s beautiful, but you didn’t have to. I thought you didn’t want to do the whole Valentine’s Day thing.”
Riley couldn’t see Sloane’s shrug, but Sloane said, “I know, but since we’re not together on Valentine's Day I just thought you should have something to think of me.”
“I’m always thinking of you," Riley admitted, "And what happened to the whole “it was a one-time thing” girl I was talking to a month ago?”
“Hey,” said Sloane, “I can’t help how you make me feel. And you know it doesn’t have to be a one-time thing. You know, it could be a casual hook-up between friends every now and then whenever you’re in town. I’d be there with you now if I could.”
“Oh really?”
“Forget I said that.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I wish I could be there with you too. It beats looking in body cavities all day.”
“Gross. Seriously though, Riley, I miss you.”
Riley smiled. “I miss you too. Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”
Sloane blushed at the endearment. Sloane heard a knock on the front door. “Riley, I gotta go, my mom just got here with the twins.”
“That’s fine. I have a surgery in half an hour anyway. I’ll call you later?”
“Talk to you then,” Sloane said as she hung up the phone.
The knocking persisted and Sloane got up from the couch to go open the door. When she opened it the twins ran inside. Without saying ‘hi’ to her they went straight to their rooms.
“Bad day?” Sloane asked.
“The worst,” Tipper said as she entered the house. “Some of the kids at school teased Magnus because they thought he had a girlfriend.”
“He’s too young.”
“Exactly.”
Before Sloane could close the door, a delivery man walked up. “Sloane Caldwell?” he asked.
“That’s me,” said Sloane.
He held out the two vases, each filled with twenty-four roses. “Then these are for you.”
Tipper’s eyes widened when Sloane took them. “Wow, Eric must really be trying to get back in your good graces.”
Sloane ignored the comment and went to put the vases on the table. She saw that there was a note. They were from Riley. Tipper then registered the look on her daughter’s face.
“Unless they’re not from him?” Tipper asked, trying to get information.
“It’s nothing,” said Sloane as she hid the note in the back of her jeans pocket.
“Nothing,” said Tipper, “Sloane ever since last Christmas you know we don’t keep secrets in this family anymore. What are you keeping from me?”
Sloane wasn’t sure what to say so she deflected and said, “I should probably go check on the kids,” she said as she excused herself.