Ruby
“Darn it. How many scoops of the formula was that again?” I asked, after being side-tracked by my thoughts and lost count.
“If you’re not sure, tip it down the sink and start anew,” Mom replied, whilst pacing back and forth with Sam, trying to lull him to slumber.
Childbirth had worn Mom out. Even Dad dragged his feet going to work this morning. He had to drink a strong cup of coffee, just so he could function.
I finished measuring the formula into the little yellow scoop that came with it, leveling the excess off with the back of a clean knife. My mind kept wandering to Caleb, and how great he’d been the other day. He ran to my rescue like my very own knight in shining Armani.
“Ruby, what ar
RubyIt took a while for me to calm down. I stormed to my room, heading straight for my cell phone, to do what girls do best. Both my thumbs were moving at the speed of light as I sent my multi-text rant to my three best friends.I sent a text saying, “Need to get out of here for a while. My mom is driving me insane! I swear, and I’ve had like, three hours sleep all night and I require some girl time. You’re not going to believe what just happened here!”Sarah replied, “My house, in fifteen minutes.”Tegan replied, “Hello stranger, come over!”Mia replied, “Yay, Ruby!”I kicked off the slippers that my Gran had given me as a Christmas gift and
CalebI hate arriving late for anything. Aaron said to be there at five sharp and it was now almost half past. Tonight he was going to announce to all our friends and family that his mate, Angie, was pregnant ... again.He had contacted all of our old school buddies and our close family members, asking them to meet up here for a celebratory dinner. Rachel Miller was among the guests. I avoided her like the plague. But tonight, everyone would be seated in couples, which left us as the only two single people in the group. It was awkward, but I could put up with it for Aaron and Angie’s sake.I winced in apology as I approached the table, over half an hour late, leaning down to kiss Angie on the cheek. “I’m sorry, I’m late. Who’s looking after the kids?” I asked, noticing their absence.
CalebThe last few days before Prom...Over the years, I’ve watched my soul mate, my Little Ruby Red, go through many phases. I was there to witness some of the highest and lowest points in her life.Few mates watched their future spouse grow up. I witnessed Ruby learn to ride her bike without training wheels, lose her first tooth, and place it under her pillow for cash. She would try to wait up for Santa but would fall asleep after eleven.My proudest moment was when she won gold at Regionals. She cried when watching Finding Nemo, even though she claimed to have an eyelash in her eye. The most bizarre times were when she binge-ate chocolate eggs, only to regret it.I witnessed the fear, pain, and despair when she found out that her mom had Canc
CalebI leaned back in my office chair, having driven all the way here with a goofy smile on my face while singing to the radio. I never do that. After Saturday, I won’t have to hide behind shrubs to spy on Ruby anymore.I better rephrase that.What I meant was, I could hand her a bunch of flowers, instead of leaving them on her doorstep and playing knock and run.I spied on her through the foliage like a sixteen-year-old kid, grinning as she glanced around with confusion. She then looked down at her feet at the floral arrangement of her favorite peach roses.I loved everything about her. The way she closed her eyes whilst she smelled one of the flower heads, and how her face lit up with wonder and surprise as she studied the card.
Caleb“Are you ready?” I asked Aaron.He had just called home to check in with Angie and the kids before we set off to the bar. We finished our work for the day, and now it was time for us to relax and wind down.“Let’s go,” he replied with enthusiasm.He needed a breather. I had known the man all my life and never had I witnessed him lose his cool like that before. The whole way there, I just let him talk it out, letting him get everything that had all piled up on top of him off his chest.“I just feel taken for granted, that’s all.” It deflated his mood, which was so unlike the fun guy I knew.“Yeah, but Angie loves you, man. You’re
RubyThe day after...“How can you ‘not’ park a Mini in that space?” Sarah huffed, agitated after my second attempt failed and I had to reverse back again.I growled, flustered. “It is new and I don’t want to dent it, so shut up and let me concentrate.”A group of guys had congregated in the parking lot and were all stood by, watching with amusement.Sarah, being her usual sassy self, applauded. “Bravo! Third time lucky. Oh, look, we have an audience.”I turned to glare through the rear window. “So what? They all walk to school.”Who were they to judge?
RubyI placed my things out on my bed. I had my makeup bag, hair products, new underwear, and my silver glitzy shoes. All my life, I had wanted to look like a princess, and today was that day.“Oh God, I feel sick. I don’t want to go,” I groaned to myself, having a sudden rush of nerves.I admired the floor-length red prom dress that was hanging up on my curtain rail. The diamanté crystals sparkled as they captured the light. So, no, I was happy with the gown. That wasn’t it. I was just worried sick.I paced back and forth along my bedroom floor in nothing but a towel. I was wearing out my carpet, clutching either side of my head muttering ‘Please let me be attracted to him, please, please, please’.
RubyDad was rather excited as he ushered me through the door to where a white stretch limousine was waiting, parked up at the side of the road.“Oh my God! You guys did this for me?” I practically shrieked with joy.I had always wanted to ride in a limo. I let out a high-pitched girly squeal as I trotted over to look inside.“Oh my God, it’s huge in here!” I breathed, awestruck.I’m not kidding you, I could’ve sprawled out three times over in there.“Pose for a picture.” Dad had the camera ready. He took one of me standing next to the limo, one of me sitting in it, and one of me pretending to drink straight from the miniature bottle of champagne.
Ruby The cold, wet sensation from the ultrasound gel made me tense for a moment, watching the small screen with eagle eyes. As the black and white image appeared before us, it was clear to see that there was not one, but two babies nestled together, side by side. Caleb scrubbed a hand over his shocked face, edging closer to the screen. "Well, I'll be damned," the doctor breathed out with surprise. "There is no doubt about it, you're having twins. Do you want to know the sex?" she asked, invoking mixed feelings within me. Part of me wanted to keep it a surprise but the terrified part of me needed to know for sure. Caleb gave me a look which suggested that he was fine either way. God love him, his eyes were glossing over with proud tears of joy
Ruby "I still remember the first night that we laid like this while watching over Alex. It was the same when Raine was born," Caleb reminisced. Something somewhere caused the room around me to distort, like ripples spreading wide across a calm lake. "Ruby," Caleb's youthful voice called out to me from somewhere beyond a dream. "Babe, you better wake up or else we're going to be late for the obstetrician appointment," I heard him say. Temporary confusion fogged my brain until I realized that I had been dreaming again. Part of me felt the loss of what I hoped our future could be as it slipped away, and the other part of me was relieved that I woke up at that point before the beautiful vision altered into something that could only be de
Ruby As the years rolled by, Caleb and I looked back on our lives with no regrets. When that time eventually comes when we have to leave this world behind, we would be taking a lifetime full of beautiful memories with us. My heart was full, my life was fulfilled. There was nothing that I would change or do differently. Everything was as it should be. With each lumbered step, my slippers brushed over the soft-pile carpet of the stair landing until I stopped to pause outside the old nursery that once belonged to my children. I thought that we had been bestowed a gift from the heavens the day I found out that we were having twins, but little did I know how much more my heart could contain the moment I discovered that I was to become a grandmother. The Goddess had blessed our family many times, and now my son, Alex, was the proud
Caleb Ruby turned on the steps of the town hall, facing away from the jubilant crowd. Snowflakes clung to the tips of her lashes, melting as they kissed her rosy cheeks. She tossed the bouquet of white and blue flowers behind her, and as she did so, the women rushed forward, shrieking deliriously, all snatching at the spinning object as it burst apart like a fragrant petal bomb. It was Grandma Lizzie who unwittingly made the save. She walked straight past the jostling females and caught the flowers against her chest. Her face blanched as she realized what had happened and tossed the bouquet away as if it was a hot potato. “Once was more than enough for me,” she joked. “Although, I wouldn’t mind a good old roll in the hay with one of those wolf boys. They've got abs that I could scrub my laundry on and then some.” She winked a
Ruby The emotion blazed in Caleb's eyes as I walked down the aisle; his mouth hung agape and his brows started to bunch in the middle, giving me the reaction that any bride longed to see. Caleb swallowed hard, causing his Adam’s apple to bob nervously in his throat. There was no sign of humor on Aaron’s face as he observed his friend's special moment. Instead, his expression was one of relieved happiness. Now that his best friend since childhood had found his soulmate, he adopted an air of accomplishment as if all was now right in the world. As the strong notes of the traditional wedding march came to an end, I released Dad’s arm and came to stand beside the love of my life. Caleb mouthed the word “Wow” as he lifted my chin with his fingers, and breathed, “You look breath-taking, love.”
Ruby “Are you okay, kiddo?” Dad asked, his expression softening as he clasped hold of my trembling hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I swallowed away the dryness before answering, “I just want everything to be perfect, that’s all.” “And it will be,” Dad was quick to reassure me. “I know how much this means to you; Caleb knows it too. He’s probably memorized his wedding vows off by heart. I bet he was up all night Googling templates from the internet,” Dad remarked in an attempt to make me laugh. His best efforts worked like a charm. I gazed through the tinted windows and out onto the wintry streets. Ice glittered the scraped roads and sidewalks, and some of the maintenance guys were shoveling grit salt on the main walkways throughout town.
Ruby I turned from side to side, admiring how the full-length wedding gown swayed with my movements. The white sweetheart bodice helped to boost my humble assets, glittering as the Swarovski crystals captured the light. The long, silky skirt gracefully swished around my legs, sending a wisp of cool air around my thighs. Dad made my day when he produced a pair of custom-made Sketchers in Bride White. He paid a seamstress from Montana to sew lace into the leather and add sparkles around the soles. It meant I would be comfortable all day long, especially as my ankle still ached from standing for long periods. “Are you ready, sweetheart?” Dad asked, through the closed door. He had resisted the urge to look at me in my wedding dress, pacing the hall outside mine and Caleb’s room like a caged animal.
Caleb "Yeah, plenty of thing’s spring to mind, but there is one that is owed a confession," Dylan said as he grinned at Aiden, then edged his chair away to maintain a safer distance. "I was sixteen, and Aiden was eighteen," Dylan began to confess, much to Aiden's interest. Upon hearing his name, he folded his bare muscular arms across his chest. "He borrowed my bike without my permission and ended up buckling the front wheel. He never said anything to me, and put it back in the garage in the hope that I wouldn’t find out what he’d done. I found it the following day and smelled his scent all over it, so I knew that he had used it. I was passive-aggressive, and in an act of vengeance, I sabotaged a burrito that he’d been saving in the fridge by filling it with laxatives. I watched as he devoured it for lunch, and asked if I could hang out with him and Vanessa that day. He was rather reluctant because he wanted to fool around with her while her dorm was
Caleb Aaron tipped the empty Tequila bottle upside down to prove a point. “No way! We’ve gone through the second bottle already?” He turned to my father with an accusatory tone. “It was opened twenty minutes ago.” Aaron’s face was partially hidden beneath his Batman mask, but the whites of his bulging eyes were visible among the black face paint. He had been doing rather well, talking in a gruff tone to imitate the caped crusader's voice, but the sheer shock at how fast my father could sink his liquor caused his pitch to raise a few octaves. Dad gave a casual shrug of his green padded shoulders as he raised the shot glass to his lips and downed the contents in one large gulp. Even I had to admit that was pretty good going, considering he was wearing a pair of oversized hulk hands