Read Online Friends & Forever by J.M. Darhower - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.M. Darhower
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three-year olds,"
Carmine muttered, picking up the lollipop and tossing it in the trash less than
five feet away. "They're assholes, I swear."
Dom stepped over, plopping down in
the spot Maura had just vacated, right on Haven's lap. Haven laughed, leaning
her head against his back, her eyes shifting back to Carmine as he leaned
against the counter. She smiled softly, and he returned her smile, no words
necessary to convey a message. She was happy, and that was all that mattered to
Carmine.
"Halloween is the best holiday
there is," Dom said, picking up a small peanut butter cup and tearing off
the wrapper, balling up the foil in his hand as he popped the candy in his
mouth. "None others come close."
"How do you figure?" Tess
asked.
"Because, for one, it's pretty
much the only holiday where you're not obligated to visit family," Dom
said. "I mean, we do, mostly because I like you guys some days, but you
don't have to. Secondly, you don't have to buy anyone presents. There's
no gift giving, and let's be real… gift-giving is only cool when you're the
receiver. C, because it's completely acceptable to go into public dressed like
a fool." He motioned toward Carmine. "Proof."
Carmine made sure Vinnie wasn't
looking before flashing his middle finger at his brother, mouthing 'fuck you'.
Dom laughed, flicking the foil wrapper at him, hitting him in the chest.
"And fourthly," Dom continued,
" people give you candy for no reason. And D, because there are swords. Everywhere you look,
swords. What's not to love about Halloween?"
The women laughed, as did Vinnie,
while Carmine just stared at his brother. "You know that should've been E,
right? Not D."
Dom waved him off, picking up another
piece of candy.
"Technically," Haven said,
pushing on Dom to get him off her lap. He rose up, letting her slip out from
beneath him, before he commandeered her chair. "He started with firstly so
it should've been fifthly."
"You heard the woman,"
Carmine said, just as there was a loud crash in the living room, followed by an
exaggerated 'uh-oh' . Haven sighed, heading out of the kitchen to
investigate, while Carmine pointed at his brother. "Whatever that was, you're
paying for it."
Dom picked up the twenty from the
table, holding it up. "Pretty sure that'll cover it, bro. If not, put it
on my account."
"What account?"
"On the account that I ain't got
no money to give you right now."
An end table, it turned out. She
knocked the lamp right off the motherfucker, taking some picture frames with
it. Haven carried Maura into the kitchen, the girl still wielding the sword.
"Say goodnight," Haven
said.
"Night!" Maura yelled.
Dom jumped up. "I'll trade you
some sugar for the sword."
Maura debated it for a moment before
holding the sword out to him. Dom took it, tossing it to Vinnie, before
grasping both of Maura's cheeks with his palms, holding her face there so he
could smother her in kisses. She giggled, loudly, the sound warming Carmine's
heart.
Haven took Maura upstairs for a bath
while the others got their stuff together to leave. Carmine walked them out,
pausing on the porch with his brother, while Tess got Vinnie buckled into the
car.
"Good to see you, bro," Dom
said seriously, reaching over and smacking him on the back. "Probably
won't see you before, but I'll see you Thanksgiving at Celia's, right?"
"Of course," Carmine said.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Better not," Dom said.
"Corrado would probably come down here and drag you to his house if you
tried."
Dom walked away, getting into his
car, as Carmine turned around and headed back inside. He locked up the house, going
straight upstairs, making his way down the hall toward his daughter's bedroom.
Maura was already out of the bath and had her pajamas on, climbing into her
bed. She looked over toward the doorway, spotting Carmine, and grinned.
"Story, Daddy!"
Carmine sighed, pushing away from the
doorframe and strolling over. "What story?"
"The princess
Carmine muttered, picking up the lollipop and tossing it in the trash less than
five feet away. "They're assholes, I swear."
Dom stepped over, plopping down in
the spot Maura had just vacated, right on Haven's lap. Haven laughed, leaning
her head against his back, her eyes shifting back to Carmine as he leaned
against the counter. She smiled softly, and he returned her smile, no words
necessary to convey a message. She was happy, and that was all that mattered to
Carmine.
"Halloween is the best holiday
there is," Dom said, picking up a small peanut butter cup and tearing off
the wrapper, balling up the foil in his hand as he popped the candy in his
mouth. "None others come close."
"How do you figure?" Tess
asked.
"Because, for one, it's pretty
much the only holiday where you're not obligated to visit family," Dom
said. "I mean, we do, mostly because I like you guys some days, but you
don't have to. Secondly, you don't have to buy anyone presents. There's
no gift giving, and let's be real… gift-giving is only cool when you're the
receiver. C, because it's completely acceptable to go into public dressed like
a fool." He motioned toward Carmine. "Proof."
Carmine made sure Vinnie wasn't
looking before flashing his middle finger at his brother, mouthing 'fuck you'.
Dom laughed, flicking the foil wrapper at him, hitting him in the chest.
"And fourthly," Dom continued,
" people give you candy for no reason. And D, because there are swords. Everywhere you look,
swords. What's not to love about Halloween?"
The women laughed, as did Vinnie,
while Carmine just stared at his brother. "You know that should've been E,
right? Not D."
Dom waved him off, picking up another
piece of candy.
"Technically," Haven said,
pushing on Dom to get him off her lap. He rose up, letting her slip out from
beneath him, before he commandeered her chair. "He started with firstly so
it should've been fifthly."
"You heard the woman,"
Carmine said, just as there was a loud crash in the living room, followed by an
exaggerated 'uh-oh' . Haven sighed, heading out of the kitchen to
investigate, while Carmine pointed at his brother. "Whatever that was, you're
paying for it."
Dom picked up the twenty from the
table, holding it up. "Pretty sure that'll cover it, bro. If not, put it
on my account."
"What account?"
"On the account that I ain't got
no money to give you right now."
An end table, it turned out. She
knocked the lamp right off the motherfucker, taking some picture frames with
it. Haven carried Maura into the kitchen, the girl still wielding the sword.
"Say goodnight," Haven
said.
"Night!" Maura yelled.
Dom jumped up. "I'll trade you
some sugar for the sword."
Maura debated it for a moment before
holding the sword out to him. Dom took it, tossing it to Vinnie, before
grasping both of Maura's cheeks with his palms, holding her face there so he
could smother her in kisses. She giggled, loudly, the sound warming Carmine's
heart.
Haven took Maura upstairs for a bath
while the others got their stuff together to leave. Carmine walked them out,
pausing on the porch with his brother, while Tess got Vinnie buckled into the
car.
"Good to see you, bro," Dom
said seriously, reaching over and smacking him on the back. "Probably
won't see you before, but I'll see you Thanksgiving at Celia's, right?"
"Of course," Carmine said.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Better not," Dom said.
"Corrado would probably come down here and drag you to his house if you
tried."
Dom walked away, getting into his
car, as Carmine turned around and headed back inside. He locked up the house, going
straight upstairs, making his way down the hall toward his daughter's bedroom.
Maura was already out of the bath and had her pajamas on, climbing into her
bed. She looked over toward the doorway, spotting Carmine, and grinned.
"Story, Daddy!"
Carmine sighed, pushing away from the
doorframe and strolling over. "What story?"
"The princess
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