MIA HASN’T SAID a word the entire ride to Philadelphia.
I tried, when we first got in the car, but she gave me a glare so cutting that I stopped mid-sentence. A couple tears spilled over her cheeks, but she didn’t let me wipe them away. Or kiss her. Or hold her hand. Anything that could bring her comfort, she ignored. When I asked if she still wanted to visit James and Bex, she nodded and turned her body so her head rested against the passenger door window.
It was awkward, with her brother and father, but something must have happened with her mother. Something big enough to turn my normally fiery Mia into a lifeless version of herself. It’s been agonizing to drive instead of barraging her with questions. I turned on a rock playlist to try to get her out of her funk, but not even Pink Floyd helped. The other day while we were cleaning the house, she scream-sang the lyrics to “Young Lust” while using a duster as a microphone. I laughed so hard I nearly fell down the stairs. Today? She didn’t even tap her foot to the beat.
Once we get to James and Bex’s place, I hope I can find a moment alone with her to talk. I’m sure the first thing she’ll want to do is get out of that dress. I’m half-surprised she didn’t change right there in the passenger seat, our backseat companions and other drivers be damned.
“Almost there,” I say as I turn the car onto James and Bex’s street. “Maybe we’ll get lucky with the parking.”
“This is such a pretty neighborhood,” Penny murmurs from the back seat. I glance into the rearview mirror and see that she’s holding hands with my brother. They’ve had their phones out a lot during the drive, and I’d bet my car that they were texting about what happened at the barbecue. “I’m excited to see their house again, too. Mia, there’s like five different levels.”
“And a rooftop patio,” Cooper says. “Maybe we can use the fire pit later.”
Mia slowly unglues herself from the door. She runs a hand through her hair. “That would be nice.”
Her voice is flat. There’s no emotion in it, good or bad. She reaches for the pink purse at her feet, pulls out a makeup bag, and flips down the sun visor to use the mirror.
I glance over quickly as she starts to touch up her makeup. “Are you still sure you’re okay to visit? We can always go back to Moorbridge.”
She shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. Your family is tame in comparison to mine.”
“Do you want to talk about what happened?”
“No,” she snaps. Her face falls as soon as the word leaves her mouth, blush coloring her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I just—no thank you.”
“It’s okay.” I find a spot not too far away from the townhouse and pull in. “If you need some space, take some space.”
For whatever reason, that makes her bite her lip so hard I’m afraid she’s going to draw blood. I try to hold her hand as we walk down the sidewalk, but she sidesteps, balancing along the curb instead.
I know I shouldn’t let it hurt me. Mia is a black cat sometimes, always ready to bring out the claws. If I give her space, she’ll come to me. If there’s anything I don’t want to do right now, it’s fight with her, and with the mood she’s in, I’m not sure how she’d react to a push.
At the door, Cooper steps forward and rings the doorbell. I remember the bright yellow door from the listing James showed us, back when he was considering whether to make the investment. It’s a beautiful house, fit for a superstar quarterback, but he didn’t want to live in it alone. His engagement to Bex last summer helped seal the deal, and as far as I know, they’ve been happy since. He made sure that wherever he lived, there would be room for a nice photography studio. Beckett Callahan Photography has taken off in the past year, just like James’ football career with the Eagles.
It’s adorable that she uses our last name even though they’re not officially married yet. I think she’s found a home with the family, the same way I did. The way I want for Mia, if I’m being honest with myself. She deserves better than the family the universe gave her.
Bex opens the door, her arms already out to pull the closest of us into a hug. “You guys! You’re early!”
“Hey, Bex,” Cooper says. He kisses her on the cheek. “How are you?”
“Better now,” she says, pulling Penny into a hug next. “Mia, it’s so nice to see you again. We’re so excited for you all to—Kiwi, stay right here.”
A sweet, gangly puppy with a white-and-brown speckled coat pokes its head out of the doorway. Bex blocks the entryway with her body, leaving the dog to bark plaintively. “Babe, the dog is trying—”
“I’m here, I’m here.” James scoops up the puppy, flashing us all a smile. “Sorry, we’re still trying to get him to understand the concept of doors.”
“When did you get a dog?” Cooper demands.
The puppy—Kiwi—squirms, trying to lick James’ face. When we’re all safely inside, he shuts the door and sets him down. He promptly runs in a circle around us, sniffing excitedly at our feet and our overnight bags.
Penny drops to her knees, coaxing the dog into her arms. He licks her across the face, but she doesn’t flinch. “His name is Kiwi? I’m dead, that’s too cute. Mia, come pet him.”
Mia looks wary for half a second, but then Kiwi plops right in front of her and rolls onto his belly, and she can’t resist. I think I catch a flash of a smile as she bends down, thank God. To be fair, there isn’t much that an adorable dog can’t fix, and this one has cuteness in spades. I have no idea what kind of dog he is, but his wiggly energy and bright eyes are infectious.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us,” Cooper says. “I think you broke the bro code by not texting us pictures the moment you got him.”
“Seconded,” I tell James. “I’m personally offended you didn’t introduce him to his uncles immediately.”
“How many pictures of my cat daughter do I send you on a weekly basis?” Cooper says. “At least ten.”
“More like twenty,” says Penny. She gasps. “Wait. I just realized he has a fruit name too. This is amazing.”
“It’s recent,” Bex says, a note of dryness in her tone. “Wait until you hear why we have him.”
“Jumping right into it, princess?” James teases.
Bex reaches up and kisses his cheek. “Drinks first. Can I get you guys anything? I have a cheese plate ready to go.”
“I’ll get everything,” James says. “Show them the living room, honey.”
He leads the way upstairs, continuing, “She’s working on this beautiful gallery wall—you have to see it. We’re collecting some pieces, but of course her work is the star.”
Bex is positively pink by the time we make it to the living room. She tucks her hair, a little shorter than the last time I saw her, behind her ears. She’s not at all dressed up; she’s wearing leggings and an oversized Outer Banks sweatshirt, but she looks pretty as always, her diamond-and-sapphire engagement ring shining on her finger. The way my brother gazes at her before he disappears into the kitchen is how I hope people notice me looking at Mia.
We settle onto the comfortable couches in the living room. I don’t know if they hired someone to do their interior decorating or if they picked everything out themselves, but the whole room is airy, done up in whites and blues. It faces the street, with huge windows to let in light, and across the far wall, the beginnings of the gallery wall are taking shape. I recognize Bex’s work immediately; the photograph of her mother’s old diner, the beach at Kitty Hawk in the morning, a close-up of what has to be James’ hands, holding a football.
I pat the seat next to me, but Mia holds up her bag.
“Hey, Bex?” she says. “Do you have somewhere I can change? I’d love to get out of this dress.”
“Oh, of course,” Bex says. “If you go upstairs, there’s a guest bedroom to the left. We figured you and Sebastian could have that one, and Penny, you and Cooper could have the one on the right side of the hall.”
Mia smiles at her. “Thanks. Your house is beautiful, by the way. I can’t wait to see the rest of it.”
“And I can’t wait to get to know you,” Bex says. “I remember you from The Purple Kettle. You always seemed really cool.”
“Yeah, it’s so funny that you worked there too,” Mia says.
“She is the coolest, can confirm,” Penny says. “How’s the studio going, by the way? Your Instagram totally exploded over the past couple months.”
“I think that’s mostly because everyone realized who I’m engaged to,” Bex says. She pulls Kiwi into her lap, petting him between the ears. “Although—”
I hurry after Mia. I saw her fond eye roll at Penny’s words, but also the way her face fell.
I catch up to her on the next floor, reaching for her hand. “Sweetheart.”
She opens the door to the guest room, easing away from me. I walk in after her and shut the door behind us. She sets her bag on the bed, which has a cheery yellow throw blanket folded over the end and matching throw pillows at the head, and pulls the dress right over her head.
“What happened? Did your mom find out about your major?”
She rips the clip out of her hair and reaches down for the shoes. “I saw you talking to Dad.”
“Yeah. He’s… well, honestly, I didn’t love the way he was talking about you. Or your brother, he was rude.”
She snorts. “Fantastic.”
“I tried to shut it down, but they seemed pretty determined to ignore me.”
She yanks a t-shirt over her head, then pulls up a pair of cutoff jean shorts. “Don’t worry about it. It’s… it’s the way they are.”
I grimace, but I know I shouldn’t get into it. Not now, and not here. If I had my way, she’d never have to talk to any of them ever again. “I totally get if you need a minute to—”
“Sebastian?” she interrupts sharply. “I’m good. I’m fine. Give me five seconds alone.”
