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Post by Aislinn Dean on Dec 30, 2010 22:04:28 GMT -5
Aislinn's morning shift was over at her father's coffee shop. She would have stayed longer, but she wanted to do a little shopping. Putting away her white apron, Aislinn kissed her father on the cheek before leaving. She ran back by her apartment to send off a letter to her brother that she finished on her break, just asking how he was and letting him know how things were going. She never received an answer from her brother and she wasn't even sure he really received her letters but since her owl always returned without the letter she sent, there was a little hope that he got it.
Still smelling faintly of coffee, Aislinn headed out to Diagon Alley. There weren't going to be a lot of people out so she felt a little safer out. Still she had the nightmares she had as a child, but she didn't dare mention it to her father or her brother. She tried her best not to let the nightmares bother her, just like her hearing disability. Aislinn could still hear but some days were worse than others and that frustrated her but she carried on with her life.
Today was one of the days where she was hearing okay. Walking into a few stores, Aislinn bought a few things here and there. Finally, she walked into one of her favorite stores. It had a little bit of everything in it. She walked back to the book section just as she bumped into someone who was coming off an aisle over. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly, not looking at the person. "Sorry," she said again but more quietly.
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Post by Ricki Crawford on May 22, 2011 0:37:48 GMT -5
As luck would have it, the person she ran into just happened to be Ricki. She had been wandering the store, and was herself a bit distracted. Milo's birthday was coming up, and she was trying to find just the perfect gift for him. She was looking for something that said "I love you," but wasn't so obvious as to embarrass her, in case he didn't feel the same way about her. But she wanted him to know that he was special to her, that he meant something... and she would let him decide just how far to take that message.
So far, she wasn't having much luck, and she was getting frustrated. She was just turning down an aisle and wasn't paying attention when Aislinn ran into her. She was about to yell at the person to watch where they were going (knowing full well, of course, that it would have been hypocritical of her to do so, since she had not been watching where she was going, either), when the apology came in a quiet but familiar voice.
Ricki looked down and broke into a smile at the girl in front of her. "Aislinn!" she greeted the girl. "It's quite all right, I wasn't watching where I was going, either. Are you all right? How have you been?"
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jun 5, 2011 21:41:26 GMT -5
Relief washed over Aislinn as she heard a familiar voice. At least it wasn't someone who would have been rude and yelled at her for not paying attention. Noticing that it was Ricki, she broke into a smile. There weren't many people that Aislinn talked to, but she liked Ricki. She was one of the few people that she didn't mind talking to. The way she knew Ricki was because of Milo. Aislinn usually referred to him as an uncle, because he usually treated her as an uncle would and she didn't mind it. She knew a little bit about Ricki and Milo, but she never said anything since it wasn't really her place to say anything about it.
"Hello Ricki," she responded. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Are you?" Aislinn was beyond relieved that it was someone she knew that she ran into and her expression had said as much. "I've been good. Keeping myself busy at the shop. How have you been?"
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Post by Ricki Crawford on Jun 5, 2011 22:17:42 GMT -5
Ricki wasn't necessarily the "hugging" type, but she did make an exception for certain people. Her parents, of course, were one exception. Aislinn was another. Interestingly, she did not hug Milo... she simply couldn't get that close to him without embarrassing herself (or so she thought).
Pulling the girl into a quick hug, Ricki smiled warmly. "I'm doing well, thank you," she replied. "I was just... well, honestly, I was trying to get Milo a birthday present. He's so hard to buy for... I'm afraid I'm quite at a loss."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jun 6, 2011 6:53:03 GMT -5
Aislinn couldn't help the smile that appeared again. She held back a laugh. As much as Aislinn loved Milo and Ricki, she couldn't be around them both together for too terribly long without wanting to just say the obvious.
"Uncle Milo can be someone that is hard to buy for, but then again he likes almost everything he gets really." She wasn't in a big rush to get anywhere, so she thought maybe she could help out a little. "Were you thinking about anything in particular at first?"
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Post by Ricki Crawford on Jun 7, 2011 23:51:33 GMT -5
What she wanted was something that would tell him that she loved him, but in just a vague enough way that it wouldn't make things awkward. But how was she to find such a thing? What could possibly say all the things she wanted to say to him, and yet keep things from being awkward if he didn't feel the same way?
She sighed and wrinkled her bottom lip in frustration. "I really don't... I mean, I just couldn't... Ugh. I have no idea."
Realizing how stupid she must sound, she laughed lightly. She had never actually discussed her feelings for Milo with Aislinn before, but she rather suspected that the girl knew... it was sort of the unspoken language of women that they could usually tell when they had feelings for a man.
She hesitated for a moment. She had discussed the subject of Milo before with Shelby, and even with her parents. But they didn't really know Milo like Aislinn did. In the end, Ricki decided just to spit it out. "It's just... I love him, you know? And I know he doesn't feel the same way, but I still want to get him something special... something that says how I feel but won't make him... uncomfortable. So, something that a really close friend would give him.... not too personal, but not too impersonal, either. Does that even make sense?"
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jun 9, 2011 22:14:58 GMT -5
Aislinn could barely contain a giggle that escaped her when Ricki admitted that she loved Milo. Her laughter was shown in her eyes. She figured out that Ricki was in love with Milo the first time she ever saw them together. It wasn't that hard to figure out, but for them to actually figure it out for themselves it seemed nearly impossible. She wanted to tell them both their feelings were mutual, but it wasn't her place to just come out and say it. They had to figure it out for themselves.
Milo and Aislinn had had a similar conversation like this not too long ago. He said almost the exact same thing and it was amusing to see two of the most observant people be so completely clueless as to what was right in front of them. Of course sometimes Aislinn just wanted to yell it out but she kept quiet.
"Makes perfect sense," she said. "I know exactly what you mean and I can see what I could do to help. I mean, even if the gift was personal, I doubt that Uncle Milo would think too much about it, since you two are close anyway, if that might help you out any." Aislinn couldn't help but ask the next question. "Have you ever thought about just telling him you love him?"
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Post by Ricki Crawford on Jun 14, 2011 13:31:33 GMT -5
Ricki froze, the smile fading from her face. Yes, of course she'd thought about it... and she'd always talked herself out of it. It wasn't in her nature to be afraid of anything, but somehow the idea of telling Milo how she felt about him was positively terrifying. The strange thing was, Ricki was outspoken and open in just about everything else in her life. She used the fact that Milo didn't seem to share her feelings as an excuse, but in any other situation that wouldn't have held her back. She was used to risking just about everything... but not her heart. Her marriage to Tom had left deep scars that she didn't even realize were there anymore. It was easy to date other guys and have fun with them, maybe because she knew that she could never love them. Her heart already belonged to Milo, even though he didn't know it. While her heart was engaged, she could date and have fun and be risking nothing. But to tell Milo the truth--to put herself out there--especially when she was so certain that she would be rejected... she couldn't do it. She couldn't put herself through that kind of pain. Milo was her best friend, and maybe it was better that way. She could love her best friend and he would never have to know it. Because if she told him the truth and he didn't feel the same way, she would lose her best friend. And she couldn't lose him.
"I... Well, I... I can't," she said at last. "He doesn't feel the same way. He flirts with every girl but me... I might as well be wallpaper. We're just friends, right? I don't want to lose the friendship or mess up our working relationship, and if I told him, it would be.... awkward."
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Part of her knew that she was just making excuses, but she just knew that she couldn't tell him. Not about this.
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jun 15, 2011 20:36:05 GMT -5
"How do you know he doesn't feel the same way if you haven't asked?" Aislinn wanted to tell Ricki that Milo was head over heels for her, but it wasn't her place to. She wanted to lock them up in a room together until something happened. She was pretty sure her father felt the same way.
"If you tell him, things might be awkward, but you'll finally know your answer and then I'm pretty sure Uncle Milo wouldn't lose you as a friend. You two work so well together, I'm pretty sure things would work themselves out." Aislinn knew that even though she attempted to tell her that she should just say what she felt, she knew Ricki wouldn't do it. "Plus too, I think you two are too close for something like that to get seriously awkward."
She sighed knowing that even though she wanted to just spill the beans, she couldn't. "I mean, you could still get him something that says you love him. He could take it as something like a friend thing if that might put you at ease. Of course if you did that it shouldn't be too lovey. I know that you have already gotten him plenty of ties. Maybe something that deals with the kitchen could be nice."
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Post by Ricki Crawford on Jun 18, 2011 23:46:27 GMT -5
Ricki gave a nervous laugh. "Come on, have you ever known Milo to hold anything back? If he felt that way about me, he would have told me by now. But you've seen him; he flirts with pretty much every woman he sees, except for me. Really, it's OK.... I've accepted it. I guess it hurts sometimes, but really, I'm content just to have him in my life."
Of course, if Aislinn was smart, she would know that Ricki was lying through her teeth. She wasn't OK with it, and she had by no means accepted it. And yet, she still didn't do anything about it, because she didn't want to ruin what they already had.
"I can't tell him. I just... I can't. If I told him, and it went wrong... I can't lose him. He's too important to me."
The ironic thing was that if Aislinn were in a similar situation, she would be encouraging her just as Aislinn was encouraging her right now. She probably would have noticed all the little clues that she was missing with Milo. She was strangely blinded to what was really going on, maybe because she was almost afraid of it.
"Hmm. A kitchen thing? Maybe.... But what? I'm afraid I'm rather lost in the kitchen..."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jun 19, 2011 9:50:19 GMT -5
A look crossed Aislinn's face that pretty much said are you kidding me. She wanted to tell her that was exactly why he hadn't really flirted with her the way he did other women. Milo actually flirted with Ricki in a different way, but naturally Ricki didn't see it. Of course, Aislinn knew that Ricki wasn't content with just the way things were. She had known both Ricki and Milo for awhile now and she watched both of them. It was completely obvious that if something ever happened with the other, then the other wouldn't be content at all.
Aislinn let out a loud sigh. "You never know until you ask," she said with her eyebrows raised. Ricki wouldn't lose Milo but then again she didn't know that.
A smile crossed her face when Ricki said she was rather lost in the kitchen. "There are plenty of things that you can get him for his kitchen. You've seen his apartment." Aislinn let out a soft laugh. "Or it doesn't have to even be anything for the kitchen it could be something for his apartment in general. Something that says you. I'm fairly sure Milo would put it up once he got it."
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Post by Ricki Crawford on Jun 19, 2011 22:33:57 GMT -5
Ricki was no stranger to having men flirt with her. She knew when a man was interested in her; she could see it in the way they looked at her. Milo didn't look at her like that. Maybe he had once thought her attractive, and maybe even now he still thought she was pretty, but he had never done anything about it. And by now they had both known each other so long that surely he didn't even see her anymore. Maybe they had just been friends for too long, and there was no changing it.
"I don't know, Aislinn. I just... I can't. He needs to make the first move. I'm always telling him that I'm dating other men, just to see if he gets jealous, and he doesn't even react. Not a flicker. I just think... maybe it's too late."
She sighed heavily. "It has to be something that means something... something that no one else would get him but me. But I can't think of what that would be."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jun 19, 2011 22:52:19 GMT -5
Aislinn had seen Milo's reaction to Ricki admitting she has dated other men. She gave Ricki a look and then shook her head. "Nothing is ever too late," she said. There was a knowing look in her eye, but she highly doubted that Ricki would notice it because she was too wrapped up in thinking Milo didn't love her. If only she could do something about it. It was bugging her to no end that neither one of them was doing anything about the other.
"You're thinking too hard," she said. "If you think too much about it, then it's not really going to mean anything. You just have to see it to know that's the right gift. Besides, I'm pretty sure you are the only woman that gives him gifts."
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Post by Ricki Crawford on Jun 20, 2011 22:48:29 GMT -5
Ricki was glad to let the subject drop. The idea of telling Milo about her feelings for him just filled her with such confusing emotions. The whole situation was frustrating, depressing, and scary at the same time. Maybe her refusal to see what was obvious to everyone else was caused by an unconscious fear deep in the back of her mind. Maybe she was just as afraid that he did return her feelings than that he didn't. The last time she had given her whole heart to someone, it hadn't worked out so well for her, and even though she knew that Milo was different, the fear still lingered, whether she knew it or not. She couldn't make the first move.
In the meantime, it was easier to focus on the gift problem. At least it gave her a problem to solve that would have a definite solution. The risk was smaller. Giving the wrong gift would be less dangerous than giving her heart and getting it broken.
"Maybe I am overthinking it," Ricki said. "I do that a lot." She had no idea just how right that was, with her tendency to overthink the whole situation with Milo, causing her to miss the spark between them.
Suddenly her eyes lit up. "I know!" she said, her voice brightening. "I'll get him a puppy!"
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jun 22, 2011 22:13:11 GMT -5
Now all Aislinn really needed to do was attempt to urge Milo into telling Ricki his feelings for her. However, both Ricki and Milo had the same fear of telling each other. There had to be a way for Milo to open up and just tell her. If Ricki ever seriously dated someone, Aislinn knew for a fact Milo would go insane and vice versa. There had to be a way for it to happen.
At Ricki's brightening, Aislinn laughed. "A puppy would be an excellent gift." Of course, it could give Ricki more of an excuse to go over to see Milo, but then again she might not see it that way. "I'm pretty sure he would love a puppy."
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Post by Ricki Crawford on Jun 25, 2011 22:40:47 GMT -5
A puppy was perfect, Ricki decided. It would love him unconditionally, and he would love it, almost as though he was loving her. Although she had never heard him say so, Ricki felt fairly certain that Milo was a dog person. Whenever he saw one on the street, he would stop to pet it. She could just see him playing with a dog, fussing over it, and laughing about its antics. It would be perfect.
"Great!" she said, smiling brightly. "Well, obviously we're not going to find a puppy in here. Let's go to the pet store. You can help me pick one out. I'm thinking something big... maybe a Golden Retriever?"
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