But life was all about the little things, and getting a rise out of Rip without exactly pissing him off was a game I liked playing more than I should have. Every once in a while, if the situation was right and he was wearing his navy-colored compression shirt, I could get a smirk out of him. And on really rare occasions, I might sneak a quick half-smile out of him that was gone in a blink of an eye later. And if my little heart sighed over that sneaky little smile or smirk, it was nobody else’s business but mine. And my siblings. And my best friend. But that was it.
Real 😭
