Return to The Game of Love Chapter Twenty-Three



The Game of Love
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Author: Shai
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Unfortunately neither Tara nor Willow are mine. Neither's anyone else in this fic for that matter!


Willow was into the house to be greeted by the smell of roast chicken in the air. "Mom, I'm here" she called out.

"In here honey" Sheila Rosenberg called out from the kitchen.

Willow could have closed her eyes and followed her sense of smell into the kitchen, which was smelling absolutely delicious. Sheila was standing with her back to Willow, facing the stove. Willow walked up to her mother and hugged her from behind, before Sheila turned around and enveloped her daughter in a warm hug.

Pulling back Sheila took a close 'motherly' look at her daughter before stating "You've lost weight".

"Mom!!!!" Willow whined. "At the rate at which you proclaim that I've lost weight every time you see me I should be some medical wonder or like, invisible!"

Sheila smiled at her daughters whiny tone, before turning back to her cooking. Willow opened the fridge and picked out a piece of fruit for herself, before perching herself atop at stool near the kitchen counter.

"How was Egypt?" she asked.

"Hot!!!!" Sheila exclaimed, turning around to roll here eyes at her daughter. "And you have no idea what I mean by 'hot' baby! Still, it was nice, since I finally managed to drag my lazy butt to the Giza Pyramid. It's huge!"

"Did Dad go with you too?" Willow questioned, taking a bite of the pear in her hand.

"Yeah, I managed to drag him away from the gym, to go with me! He's taken some pictures in the digital camera that he thinks you'll like" her mother said, chopping some potatoes.

"Where is Dad anyway?" Willow asked.

"Mr. Agassi's gone to the Club to play tennis. He said he'd be back by 7, so that means that any minutes we'll hear him shout his regular 'Oh honey, I'm home' as soon as he walks through the door".

Both women laughed at Ira's predictability, and when seconds later a man's voice called out 'Oh honey, I'm home' the two women burst out laughing.

Ira Rosenberg walked into the kitchen to see the two women he loved most in the world laughing hard. He smiled at the scene, before walking up to his fiery haired daughter and embracing her. "How's my Princess doing?" he asked, with deep affection in his voice.

"I'm great Daddy" Willow smiled back, placing a kiss on her fathers cheek. "How are you?" she asked.

"Feeling old" he sighed, although Willow knew he was kidding by the tone in his voice. "I lost to a girl today!" he exclaimed, pulling out a glass of orange juice from the fridge.

"Noooo!" Willow said, surprised. She knew her father was a very good player, despite his age, and was genuinely finding it hard to believe that he'd lost to a girl.

"That's right" Ira said, taking a sip. "Looks like age is catching up with me...although she was an exceptionally good player..."

Just then the phone started ringing. "I'll get it" Willow said, rising and heading to the living room to answer the call. It was Buffy. Willow never heard her father tell her mother about the "Tara" girl, who's "kicked his butt in every direction of the court".

Minutes later when Willow returned to the kitchen after hanging up with Buffy, Ira was in the shower. When he got out, they settled down to a comfortable evening to catching up. They spoke of Egypt, of Oz's band, of college work, of Ira's upcoming promotion... the lost game forgotten.


That night as Willow fell asleep in her old room, she found herself thinking of what the girls were doing at Tara's place....of Tara.Through out the day Willow had found herself thinking of the blonde, but kept pushing the thought out of her head by busying herself with some work, like college assignments or just helping her mother clear the table.

Now there was nothing left to do but lie there, and think of the blonde. Willow didn't know why, but she missed Tara[s presence. "What two nights of sleeping next to her and you can't sleep without her Rosenberg???" her conscious questioned her.

She found herself thinking of the blue eyes and slight smile...and realized that she was smiling herself. "Tomorrow...I'll see her tomorrow..." she told herself, finally drifting off to sleep.


Continue to The Game of Love Chapter Twenty-Five


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