“IT’S the one at the end of the cul-de-sac,” Mia says. “With the blue shutters.”
“It’s a nice house,” I say as I wedge the car in between a driveway and an SUV. The whole street is crammed with cars, even though it’s barely noon. “There are a lot of people here already.”
Mia has a grim look on her face. “I told you it would be busy.”
I squeeze her hand, glancing at Cooper and Penny, who are both unbuckling in the backseat. “It’s not too late to bail. We could get lunch somewhere, or just go to James and Bex’s place early.”
She shakes her head before I even get the whole sentence out. “I told Giana I would be here. I want to keep that promise, at least.”
“We’ve got your back,” Penny says. “I’m not above telling off Momma di Angelo if things get weird.”
“It’s her specialty,” Cooper drawls.
Mia slides out of the passenger side of the car, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Thanks, guys.”
“If you want to leave early, just say something about Philly cheesesteaks,” Penny says. She smooths down the front of her sundress, balancing on the curb.
At Cooper’s look, she adds, “What? Your brother lives in Philly. I thought that made complete sense.”
“I love you,” Cooper says, sounding both fond and exasperated.
I hold out my hand, glad when Mia takes it, and let her lead us in the direction of her parents’ house. I still can’t get over the outfit she’s wearing; when she came downstairs earlier, I nearly did a double take. She’s in a light pink dress with a matching cardigan and sandals with white bows on top. I don’t know where she unearthed it, but she’s carrying a matching pink purse, and there’s even a pink clip in her hair. When I stared at her, raising my eyebrows, she just gave me the finger. She looks a lot like Izzy in this getup, but I know better than to tell her that.
When we get to the door, she stops, smoothing my hair back. “Maybe you should have worn the blue shirt.”
“I’m sure this is fine,” I say. I’m in jeans and an Eagles t-shirt, because I intend to respect the rules of the land I’m about to enter, and in addition to the cookies I made for the dessert table, I have a bunch of James Callahan signed jerseys and hats for Mia’s relatives. Her dad is a huge football fan, so Cooper and I are prepared for a touch football game. We don’t have a lot of extended family, so this is foreign to me, but I know when to turn on the charm. By the end of the day, Mia’s family will love me, and hopefully, that will help ease any tension. I might not be a baseball player for much longer, but they don’t have to know that right now, and I intend to milk that all-American image for all its worth.
Mia sighs, taking a step back. “I guess you look acceptable.”
“That’s her favorite compliment,” I say, grinning at our friends.
She rolls her eyes as she gives Cooper and Penny a once-over. “And I guess you look fine too.”
“Hey,” Penny says. “Who spent an hour in the bathroom with you before we left?”
“True,” Mia concedes. “Okay, let’s—”
The front door swings open, revealing a woman who looks like a version of Mia a couple years into the future: the same dark hair and eyes, the olive complexion, the heart-shaped face. She’s wearing a spring green dress and an apron dusted with flour.
“Mi-Mi. Are you going to make your friends stand on the porch all day?”
Mia smiles. It’s a mask of a smile, one I recognize from the days she tried to brush me off. She steps forward to hug the woman. “Hi, Giana.”
“Giana,” Penny says, accepting a hug from Giana next. “It’s nice to see you again.”
She gives me and Cooper flour-and-rosemary scented hugs too. “Let me guess,” she says, gesturing to me. “You’re Sebastian.”
“Guilty,” I say. “And you’re Mia’s sister? It’s so nice to meet you.”
She waves us into the house. “Oh, you’re so handsome. Auntie Carmela especially is going to flip. Too bad you’re not Italian, but no one’s perfect.”
MIA WASN’T KIDDING when she said she had a big family. In the past half hour—because it took that long for her to go around introducing us to everyone—I’ve met her Nana, her parents, her older brother Anthony and his wife Michelle, plus their two children, Giana’s husband Peter and his family, her extended family on both sides, and what must be half the neighborhood.
I shake hands with everyone, but more often than not I’m drawn into a hug, and I definitely have lipstick on my cheek. Giana wasn’t kidding about Aunt Carmela. (Mia’s mother’s side, but not actually Mia’s aunt—she’s a cousin of a cousin.) We don’t get a moment alone until Giana finally thrusts sodas into our hands and tells us to make ourselves comfortable by the pool, but won’t you come help in the kitchen, Mi-Mi?
Mia grimaces as her sister walks back to the house, stopping on the way to fuss with the buffet. “I can probably take the long way into the house.”
“I’ll come with you,” Penny offers.
I look around the backyard. It’s a big, sloping lawn that backs up to trees, currently littered with plastic chairs and tables decorated with vases of flowers. A couple of the little kids are splashing around in the pool, Mia’s father and uncles hold court at the grill, and laughter floats out of the kitchen, mixing with the rock music in the background. When we first arrived, Mia’s mother took one look at me, kissed both my cheeks, and told me that she had to run inside to finish arranging the cheese platter.
“This is nice,” I say, gesturing with my soda can at the sunny lawn. I enjoyed meeting everyone, but I’m wary, knowing they’ve placed such strict expectations on her. If things were so bad that she didn’t even want to be honest with them about what she wanted to major in, I need to keep up my guard, and protect her if necessary.
“Yeah,” Cooper says. “Thanks for inviting us, Mia. Whatever your dad is cooking smells great.”
She snorts. “Chaotic, definitely. Nice, I don’t know.”
“No, it is.” I watch as two kids race past with water guns. “I liked meeting everyone.”
She licks her thumb and wipes at my cheek. “Of course they all love you.”
“Isn’t that what you want?”
She wraps her arms around herself, worrying her lower lip. She looks beautiful, even if it’s not how she normally dresses. “Sure.”
I set down the soda on the nearest table and pull her into my arms. “Hey. What’s the matter? Do you want to leave?”
She stays frozen in my arms, refusing to thaw and hug me back. I press my lips to her forehead, anyway, rocking us slightly. Cooper meets my eyes over her head, a frown on his face.
Her mother’s voice wafts over the lawn. “Maria, come see your poor mother! Bring the dessert your boyfriend was nice enough to make. Didn’t I teach you a thing about cooking?”
“I’m fine,” she says, pulling away. “I’m fine. Go talk to Dad, okay? Anthony is a Mets fan, if you want to talk baseball.”
“Are you sure?”
She nods. “Yeah. Go enjoy yourself. Keep making a good impression.”
I kiss her cheek. “Okay. I love you.”
Her smile is fleeting. “I know.”
