VEE. Having Shane and Kace as our best friends was a real gift. Sometimes, and probably more often than not, the best friend and spouse of a woman’s significant other are people that she cannot stand to be around. Shane and Kace were the opposite. Shane kept Michael grounded, and did his best to attempt to cause Michael to see life the way it should be seen. Without Shane, Michael would be living life with blinders on. Kace was one of the sweetest women I had even met, and not only was good for Shane, but a great friend to Michael. I was grateful to have them both in my life.

  “No, it’s not like the other Lancome’s. It’s better. Just try it. It really makes a difference. It’s all I’ll use. Hypnose Doll Lashes,” I said as I pulled the mascara from the display.

“I don’t know, but it’s thirty dollars for mascara,” Kace wrinkled her nose and touched the lid of the mascara lightly.

“But look,” I batted my eyelashes and smiled.

“But you have great eyelashes. They’re full. And so long,” Kace grinned.

“They’re shit, Kace. They’re little, short, and thin. Until…” I lifted the mascara from the display and held in between my finger and thumb.

“You want to try it? It’s wonderful, I love it,” the sales clerk said as she reached for the mascara.

Her eyelashes looked as if they were four inches long.

As she cleaned the brush on a tissue, and sprayed the tip with disinfectant, she smiled. Her hair was silver, shaved on one side and long on the other.  Her makeup was dramatic on her gaunt face, she looked like she weighed a hundred and ten pounds, and her boobs were massive.

I was jealous.

“Here, try this,” she said as she handed the tube of mascara to me.

Kace took the tube, pulled the brush and twisted it onto her lashes as she looked in the mirror. She placed the brush back into the tube and leaned toward the mirror and blinked her eyes. As she twisted her head left and right in the mirror, she smiled.

“Oh my God,” she turned to face me and grinned.

“I know, right? But do the other one, you look lop-sided,” I giggled.

“Vee, this is amazing. I’ve always wanted good eyelashes. This is good eyelashes in a bottle,” she twisted the brush against her lashes, raised her eyebrows, and blinked her eyes as she looked in the mirror.

“Holy crap,” she said, still batting her lashes.

“Amazing, huh?” I grinned.

“You want one?” the clerk asked.

“Yes, please,” Kace responded as she placed the sample into the display.

“Don’t tell Shane what it cost,” she sighed as she reached into her purse.

“What happens at Dillard’s stays at Dillard’s,” I responded.

“Shane’s kind of frugal or whatever,” she smiled as she pulled her wallet from her purse.

“Thirty-seven eighty,” the clerk said.

Kace handed the clerk two twenty dollar bills and smiled, “I pay for this stuff with cash so he doesn’t have a chance to get mad at me.”

“He’d really get mad?” I asked.

“No, he never gets mad at me. But he doesn’t like to spend money. So, I don’t know, maybe it’s respect. I just don’t want to cause him to have any reason to be disappointed with me. If I use the debit card, he sees it. If I pay with cash, he doesn’t. It’s probably still me acting the way I used to act with my ex. You know the asshole in court, Josh,” she rolled her eyes as the clerk handed her the mascara and her change.

“Thank you,” Kace smiled.

“Old habits are hard to break sometimes,” she said as she dropped her change into her wallet.

“I suppose so. He was pretty bad?” I asked.

“Uhm. Worse. He beat me for ten years. I told myself it was my fault. I tried over and over to fix it, but finally realized it couldn’t be fixed. Shane gave me the courage to get out of it. One day, he kicked me in the face. Josh, not Shane,” she turned and smiled as we walked out of the store.

“He kicked me in the face, and knocked me unconscious. Oh, and he knocked out a tooth,” she smiled and tapped her front tooth with the tip of her index finger.

“And that was it. I was done. When I woke up he was playing video games. I grabbed a cast-iron skillet and hit him as hard as I could while he was sitting on the couch. It felt pretty good. You know it was nice to have him say what he said in court,” she nodded her head as she pulled the strap of her purse over her shoulder.

“And that’s when Ripp went to see him?” I asked.

“Uh huh. That’s the day I met Ripp. I’d never met him before. Shane was so mad he was shaking. He said he was going to go. Ripp wouldn’t have it. He told Shane she’s your girl. If you go, and you get caught, this is all for not. You stay here with the girl, I got this. I love him, Vee,” she batted her new lashes as her eyes filled with tears.

I turned away, not wanting to make her feel self-conscious about her emotional state. After a few moments of silence, I turned to face her. She was smiling and walking through the mall, looking in the windows of the stores as we passed.

“He said that? I got this?” I asked.

She nodded her head, “Yeah. That’s Ripp. Mister I got this. It’s what he says. And when he says it, he’s got it. He’s my big brother, Vee. And that’s something we need to talk about, I suppose,” she stopped walking and turned to face me.

“I like you, Vee,” she smiled and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“I like you too, Kace,” I widened my eyes and smiled.

“If you hurt him, Vee. If you hurt my Ripp, it isn’t going to be pretty for you. I’ll come find you, and I mean it. Don’t you dare hurt him,” she said in as stern of a tone as she could manage.

She’s so cute.

“I’ll never hurt him, Kace. Not even a little bit, I promise,” I said as I opened my arms.

As she leaned into me and hugged me I realized just how much she loved Michael. He was, to her, a big brother, her protector, and a friend. He was someone she could rely on when life got tough. In her mind, Michael was the fireman that saved her from the burning house. Shane was where she decided to settle and who she loved, but Michael stopped the nightmare for her. He’s the one that made it possible. He would always have a special place in her heart.

And in mine.

As we continued to walk through the mall, she looked in the windows of the shops as we passed. From time-to-time she’d stop and point, making a comment of how cute something was. I really enjoyed spending time with her, and how much of a no-nonsense woman she really was. So many females these days want to try to compete with everyone. Bragging about what they do, who they are, and what they have. Kace was the opposite. Kace was real.

As we walked through the parking lot toward the car, I pulled my keys from my purse and unlocked the car. As the alarm chimed, Kace looked up.

“Maybe we can all go on a date. The three of us,” I said.

“Austin? And Nikki?” she asked.

“No, Bug and A-Train,” I responded as I opened the door to the car.

“Okay, yeah. Sounds good, Vee. You know,” she paused as she opened the door to the car.

“That Nikki? She was at the gym the other day. She uhhm. Well, her boobs, do you think they’re fake?” she asked over the top of the car.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do,” I smiled.

Yeah, Kace and I are going to be the best of friends. I’m sure of it.

“That’s what I was thinking,” she said as she got into the car.

Oh hell, I just as well ask.

“What are your thoughts on getting your head stepped on? You know, during sex? Head steppin?” I asked over my shoulder as I buckled my seatbelt.

She coughed and giggled. As she buckled her seat belt, she looked over her shoulder and smiled.

“I love it,” she giggled.

Yeah, Kace and I are going to get along just fine.