Page 53 of Grasp The Moment

When we get to the Princess North and Prince South themed room, Delilah pauses in the door and hugs both of us.

The action takes Derek and me by surprise, but we hug her immediately, pulling her close.

“Thank you for doing my hair, Mamá! I’ll see you after school!”

My mouth parts, but no words come out as Derek stands me up, pulling me into his arms.

Did she just call me her mamá?

Me—Georgia “Lemon Drop is my middle name” Adams?

My jaw quivers as I pull my bottom lip into my mouth, trying my hardest not to cry as Derek pulls me closer, kissing the top of my head.

“It’s okay to feel, darlin’... I’ve got ya.”

His words, his comfort… It’s all too much, but just enough. They’re exactly what I need at this moment, and I do what he says and cry.

“She called me her ‘mamá’!” I cry from the car, fifteen minutes after we’d left Delilah’s school.

“I know, darlin’, I was there…”

I turn in my seat to face him as he drives. “Did you see her cute little smile when she said it? Please tell me you saw it!”

“I saw it, honey,” he says, entertaining my bullshit.

I continue to cry happy tears all the way to the fabric store.

Derek is the first one out of the car, grinning from ear to ear as he opens the door for me.

“What a gentleman,” I tease as he smacks my ass.

“I try…”

We’re greeted by a store clerk as soon as we enter the small fabric store. The store smells old and dusty as we make our way through the dozens of aisles of fabric, stopping in the tulle section.

Derek furrows his brows at the large amount of clothing material before frowning, “What do we need to get? It’s kinda creepy in here…”

I smile, patting his chest, before focusing on the fabric at hand.

“We’re looking for fabric for my next piece. I don’t have the right fabric to make the perfect dress, and the fabric shop on campus is trash. This place has a good variety for a fairly cheap price.”

He mulls over my words for a moment before nodding. “Sounds perfect, what’s the game plan, coach?”

My eyes light up, the world growing brighter as his words sink in.

“We need the most perfect tulle known to man…” My words are drowned out when he picks up a redsatinfabric from the shelf.

“Get it together, assistant… That is very clearly satin.”

He frowns. “What’s the difference?”

I gasp, horrified.

“What’s the difference?! That’s like asking me what the difference is between hockey and football—hot guys are in both sports, but the sports couldn’t be any more different.”

He raises an amused brow at me. “Hot guys?”

“I did have a crush on Ryan,” I say offhandedly, turning to the tulle opposite the satin.