Borrowed Time Part 2

Chapter 213

"Juliette, of course you are." She murmured, and Juliette cleared her throat, trying to regain control of the situation. She didn't think that Britt had any sort of ill will toward her, but that didn't get rid of the concern that maybe she could... and the fact that she didn't really know her enough to be trapped in this long of a hug with her.

"Uh..." She hadn't even meant to let the sound out of her body, but she felt Britt stiffen against her nonetheless before she let go of her entirely, taking a step back with an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean... That was a bit presumptive." She said, and Juliette waved her off. It was presumptive, but not presumptive enough that Juliette wanted to hold it against her in any sort of way, because it was clear that she hadn't meant anything by it.

"No, it's okay." She insisted, and Britt chuckled, shrugging as she fiddled with her fingers, seeming just as nervous as Juliette was, which was actually very comforting - she liked not being alone in being afraid, that helped.

"I just feel like I know you already, Dakota talks about you all the time." Juliette perked up at that... She hadn't realized that she was important enough that Dakota would want to talk about her that much. "I can remember when she went home for your birth, she was so nervous to become an aunt... and then she wouldn't stop talking about you... I think her camera was full of baby pictures of you." Juliette blinked, feeling shocked... She hadn't realized that she meant enough to Dakota, especially Dakota who was busy with college at the time, to come all the way home and see her when she was born, to keep baby pictures of her...

It was nice to know how loved she was.

"Britt." Dakota groaned, sitting down in her seat as Britt froze for a moment before looking down at Dakota and rubbing her hand comfortingly across her upper back before slipping into the seat beside her.

"Sorry, that's... She didn't want me saying that." Britt said, and Juliette nodded, clearing her throat as she slipped into her seat across from Dakota, who wouldn't meet her eye, but she wasn't sure why. What was embarrassing about loving her enough that she wanted to remember what she looked like when she was born?

"I didn't know you kept baby pictures of me." She said, and Dakota sighed, nodding as she looked over at her, still seeming embarrassed even though she really had no reason to be.

"'Course I did.  Made you a whole baby book." Dakota said, making Juliette's heart feel funny in her chest... How had she not known that Dakota had something to do with her baby book?

God, she hadn't seen that thing in years, let alone thought of it.

"Really?" She asked, and Dakota nodded, giving her a warm smile even as her cheeks remained a little pink.  She thought it was sweet that Dakota cared enough about her to want to make a baby book for her, there was nothing that she needed to be sheepish about with it.

She loved being loved by the people who mattered to her.

"Well, your mom and I were working on it together, I took it after she passed, I just... Wanted to finish it, you know?" Dakota asked, and Juliette nodded, leaning forward so that she could place her hand over Dakota's.  There was nothing more touching than knowing that she had been so easily loved.

"I'd love to see it sometime." And she meant that.  She wanted to know how she was seen through other's eyes.  Dakota grinned, flipping her hand over so that she could give Juliette's a light squeeze in return, nodding.

"For sure." She said, and for a moment the table fell silent, not a comfortable one but not an uncomfortable one either, one that was just there.