But I was younger then

“I think what you’re describing is a shopaholic.” She smiled, pulling her friend’s shoulders. “We know you look good.” She touched the fabric of the dress, trying to assess if she liked it as much up close. “I suppose i’ve lived the sulking life for long enough… it’s time to go back out there.”

“I mean, don’t tell Asher that I admitted it. But I am,” she laughed at herself, letting her friend pull her. “We do know and we know you look good too.” Amy smiled, watching Astrid examine the dress. “You have, I agree. You’re gorgeous and you can try again. You’re still young. I had a baby with someone and I have... had many relationships since.”

a small smile crept onto ryan’s lips. “I’m glad we can both agree that I was a joy to behold as a child - but, i hardly ever saw my parents when I was growing up, they were always away working – but i did plenty of insufferable things they weren’t impressed with.” 

“is this a particularly bad day?”

Amy laughed a little at the smile on his lips. “We both agree on that. I have a child but I’m not... like ancient. I still have things I do and like for me.” She nodded. “Oh, a joy to behold. Wow. But I am sorry to hear that. I can believe insufferable things,” she joked. “Particularly bad?” she repeated. “Not really, it’s just part of being a mom.”

“I am the favourite uncle.” He grinned, leaning back in his seat. He enjoyed his time with his sister, even if he had no intention of showing it. She might be the only member of the family that actually understood him. Or was able to talk him out of dumb things. “I’m not biting…. this ends with me shopping for shoes for 4 hours.” 

“Well, have you see her uncles on his side?” she laughed, nudging him. They were close really and they both knew it. “I was not saying come shoe shopping with me. I just have good taste in shoes. We should go get a coffee though.”

Astrid laughed “You seem like a pro at this?” She raised a brow. “I suppose I don’t treat myself as often as i should… and I am going out a bit more again now.” She was the quiet type, but she enjoyed going out with Parker. “I wish i had your confidence. I know i look good. But you just aren’t afraid to… tell people you know it. I love it.”

“When I went to college, I used to go to all the fancy stores out there. I just enjoy the special treatment. Like yes, my family have money. But you don’t always want to buy everything,” she laughed at herself. “But you, right now. Yes, treat yourself to that dress.” Amy smiled. “Oh, I tell people I look good. No shame.”

“Ah, yes it is”, he continued to smile while they shook hands, “So I did leave an impression here in good old Claybourne.” At her next sentence he quickly started to shake his head though, “No, no. It was never my intention to say anything about women not being smart. Honestly, my ex-wife was so much smarter than me, I wonder why she ever put up with me in the first place.” He gave her an awkward laugh, hoping he had not pissed off the mayor during their first interaction. That was definitely not where he had planned for this to go. “Then please remind me to never pick a fight with you. I get all jumbled during arguments. Risk assessments, yes, I can do that. If you want me to? But pinky swear, nothing too dangerous and nothing too close to the kids. They will all be safe and hopefully kind of interested in chemistry afterwards.”

“I’m good with names and faces, always have been. Maybe that’s why I went into law and politics,” she laughed gently, looking back at him. “But I see we both ended up back in good old Claybourne.” Amy couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. “Relax, I know you didn’t mean that. I’m messing with you. And good of you to admit your ex-wife was smarter.” She gave another laugh. “People usually learn pretty quickly not to piss me off, I’m good with words. Good, keep the children safe please. But I fully support encouraging them to engage and enjoy in science. We need that for our future generations.”

Astrid smiled, watching the mayor’s words as she dragged her into the high end boutique. Claybourne had plenty of shops like these, over priced and barely stocked. “You literally always look stunning in your business meetings, people walk in a room and go… that’s the mayor? And you so know it. You love it.”

Amy smiled over at her friend. “The key is to look interested, try things on and then say you’ll think about it. Then you never have to buy it if you don’t want to,” she laughed. “Aww, thank you. I do care about my appearance. I always have. So yeah, I know it.”

“….and this is why you shouldn’t have kids, they steal all your stuff and are an insufferable drain on your resources.” ryan shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. “this is why I don’t have any… I like my things to be mine.”

“Well, aren’t you honest,” she nodded, tapping her own coffee in her hands. “Well, I like my things to be mine too. Believe it or not, parents still do adult things.” She smiled. “I’m sure you never stole your parents stuff or did anything insufferable?”

“You can never be the cool mom, it’s a myth. They know what they do to us.” he laughed gently, folding his arms. “I have a good relationship with her mom still and not to brag but she’s a bit of a dad’s girl.”

“Shattering my hopes and dreams there,” she joked, giving her a smile. “Oh you’re lucky. We’re not... on the best terms. But we’re adults and it could be worse. And yeah, brag about that. I’m glad she likes me more,” she laughed.

Ximena nodded a little, “Yeah, kind of between parents. Not really, I guess thinking back I would have preferred it that way, but only that I now have this insight that I’ve had. Back then,” she cocked her head to one side, “Not so much.” the woman shrugged, intrigued to find out more about Amy’s daughter. She always wanted kids of her own, but with everything going on in town and her own personal life, she wasn’t sure she would find the right time or place to raise them, “How old’s your little one?”

“I think it’s always different looking back on things as an adult,” Amy nodded at the girl. She enjoyed talking about her daughter she was her life and she was so proud of her. “She’s not even that little now. She’s 10, which is insane and makes me feel very old.”

Ximena smiled, listening intently and letting out a small laugh with Amy, “Just a little, my sisters stole all my makeup and destroyed it to no recognition when they were little,” she grinned. “But we are definitely in different boats, I only had to live with them while I was still living with my mother. It’s a lot easier being in my own little bubble of an apartment. I hope she doesn’t do too much harm to the cardigan! Come down to Coral Brews if you get a chance, drink of your choice and a hot cocoa on the house for the little one.”

“Thankfully she has never destroyed my stuff but she does enjoy using it,” she laughed gently. “I had a brother who used my stuff, not my makeup, he was just a kid and annoyed me,” she replied, laughing once more. “You lived between parents?” she asked. “Me too, it’s a really cute cardigan and she wears it like a robe. But that would be lovely, yeah, I’ll bring her over some time.”

He thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Ah, I don’t think we’ve ever crossed paths actually. Although, I could be wrong. I do mix up voices sometimes. But, I don’t recognise the name.” he put his hands to his hips, still trying to confirm whether or not he was right in saying they’d never met. “A confident, bubbly, blonde, lawyer.” he repeated, “They all sound like good things to me. Would you want her to be a lawyer though? Do lawyers not have to see and hear all kinds of scary stuff all the time?”

“Oh well, you’d know if you had. So probably not. He’s around town, I’m sure you will at some point,” she nodded. “Yeah, it’s a cute movie. It’s like almost 20 years old now, I’m surprised you haven’t seen it.” She raised a brow. “Scary stuff? I have worked in a law firm for years. It’s a job... like a lot of paperwork most of the time. Lawyers aren’t like crime lords or something.”

“When she’s a teenager you are in so much trouble, i’m glad i have a girl.” He smiled, sipping his coffee. “It’s only going to get so much worse… honestly i think once Jen gets past this cute baby stage i am going to be so out of my depth.”

“She’s going to manipulate me, isn’t she? ‘Cause I’ll want to be the cool mom,” she said, laughing at herself. “Well, if you ever need some girl advice. I was a teenage girl once,” she smiled. “But you do seem really good with her.”

“It’s hardly stealing if it never leaves the house. But, no, I did give them back eventually. I got bored of CDs very quickly. When you’re six or seven, you can only listen to the same one, what? One-hundred times? Two-hundred times?” He smiled. “The good news is that we all end up as our parents one way or another. We become teenagers, and swear up and down that, no, we’ll be different. But we never are. Not really. I have my father’s nose, and I also have his neurosis about wasting water.” Yousef rolled his shoulders and sighed very deeply. “Oh, no, I just wanted it. What I mean is, I annoyed her by default; I didn’t have to try. I don’t think we annoy each other anymore, but…you know, they all have husbands and kids and dogs now. I’m sure all that’s vexing enough.” He waved something of a dismissive hand through the air. “All we really have is right now, though, don’t you think? And wouldn’t it be terrible anyway? To have to experience any one thing forever? You take a lovely moment, and you stretch it out, it’s no longer a lovely moment.”

“I mean, your sister might disagree with that. I know I did when my brother borrowed my things and never gave them back,” she laughed a little. “Kids now, have no idea how lucky they are. We did not have streaming. I had the same few CDs,” she nodded. “Hmm, well, yeah. I’m a mom now, so I do embarrassing mom things I used to hate,” she laughed. “You’ll have to ask if you still annoy her,” she joked. “I mean, I am a little lost off. But yeah, I try to live in the moment. Even if I can be a little bit of a control freak sometimes.”

Asher smiled proudly. “I am her favourite uncle, or that’s what she tells me… but i suspect it might be because i’m her only uncle. She’s a bright spark that kid. She knows how to pull my heart strings.” He laughed, putting his hands in his pockets. “You’re a Brooke. You are naturally cool. You don’t get a choice.” 

“Hmmm, sure, playing the favourite uncle line,” she smiled back at her brother. “But she is a smart little thing. And I am damn proud of her,” she nodded. “Ah, just part of me. Who am I to argue? And well, I do have cool shoes.”

“I might have. Who’s your brother?” he asked, trying to think of conversations he’d had that may give him an inkling. “I always wished I had a brother growing up. I have a real good friend now who kinda fills that role. He’s pretty bold, but if there’s a spider in the house it’s every man for himself!” he couldn’t help but giggle, thinking back to his roomate’s freak-outs. Unable to watch movies and not a fan of audio commentary, the reference went over his head. “I’m guessing a confident, sassy, bookworm? Basically my polar opposite.”

“Asher Brooke? If you’d met him, you’d know,” she laughed gently, she loved her brother really and she knew Asher knew that too. “As annoying as siblings can be, it is nice at times. I always had my baby brother to look out for me and me for him.” Amy smiled. “Elle Woods? No she’s a bubbly confident blonde girl who proves she can be a lawyer.”

“Confidence is great to have at that age. I was always a nervous little thing and was super jealous of the kids who just went out there and had a good time. Definitely nurture that self worth, that’s what I plan to do if I get the chance.” He couldn’t help but smile, he could tell the other had a good relationship with their child and it was pleasing to hear about. “Maybe she’ll be a photographer someday, there’s some talent around here I’m sure could train her up.”

“I was always pretty confident too, I knew I was smart, I liked how I looked. Maybe I am just lucky. But no, she has my confidence too and well, maybe that is a Brooke thing. Have you met my brother? He’s not afraid of much,” she laughed, shaking her head. Amy smiled. “Oh, she already talks about her future. She pretty much wants to be Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. Her dad is lawyer and that’s the route I went down too.”

“Uhhuh.” Astrid smiled, feeling the urge to step into the store at least to feel how the material of the dress felt. It was harmless if it was good quality, right? “And stand in front of teenagers and lecture in the fancy dress? I don’t have a death wish.”  

“Where is the enthusiasm,” Amy laughed, nudging her gently. “Come on, lets go in. I love shopping anyway.” She nodded, grinning at her. “Why not? Own it. Maybe I should do meetings in over the top dresses.”