“You would.” Serena bats her lashes, and it feels as if we’ve bypassed all that weirdness and landed back in that sister zone where webelong.
“Thank you, Lex, for the offer. I just don’t think I can impose on you and Axel thatway.”
“It’s no imposition.” Her features soften, and she manages to look mildly offended for the first time since I’ve known her. “Promise me you’ll give it serious consideration. Misty and Nolan are about to have a baby of their own, and you can’t live with Rush. We both know it wouldn’t besanitary.”
It’s true. Rush has been known to be a hygienic hazard a time or two, but I’ve seen him clean up his dirty ways in more ways than one ever since Trixie stepped into hislife.
Serena leans in, her mouth dropping to meet with her straw a moment as she pins me with a stare. “So, what about the basketball-shaped elephant in the room? Are you ready to touch that, or is he still persona non-grata?”
I swallow hard at the thought of Seth. My Seth. The only boy I’ve ever loved, and I’m pretty sure I ever will. My heart still breaks thinking about everything that’stranspired.
“Um, yeah, I guess that’s still up in the air. I mean, I do want to talk to him, but there are a few other people I’d like to straighten things out with first.” I look to Lex. “Would you mind giving me a ride to Rush’s place? There’s someone just outside of The Row that I sort of need to mend fenceswith.”
Lex nods solemnly. “How about I give Nolan a quick call and you meet them both at the Black Bear? That way you can at least score dinner out of the deal. I’ll walk you across thestreet.”
“Sounds like aplan.”
“I’ll meet you outside.” Lex pulls out her phone and heads on out, leaving Serena and me to ourselves amoment.
“I’m sorry.” Her lips quiver as she says it. “I wish I could take back what I said that day. I never meant to hurt you, and I never meant to alter the course of yourlife.”
I shrug it off. “You know what? I’m not that sorry. We can’t go back in time, and I’m not going to play the erase your child game. Little Fish is here, and you’ll always have a special place in his or herlife.”
She belts out a short-lived laugh. “I practically willed that child intobeing.”
“That youdid.”
“I’m going to be the best crazy aunt ever. I promise youthat.”
“And Shep is going to be an uncle,” I muse. Serena and Shep have had a longstanding love-hate relationship with the pendulum swinging toward aggressive dislike on Serena’send.
“Would you stop? He’s not even related to this baby. And if he were, he’d be the bullish know-it-all uncle Little Fish would grow to hate. I’ll have to keep an eye on the baby around him. He’s liable to turn your sweet angel into a preppy attorney before he or she can graduate preschool. If he tries to preach the anthems of law school to me one more time, I might just jam my stiletto down his throat. Honestly, the less I see of him, thebetter.”
“Mmm. So, what do you have planned now that school isover?”
“Summer session.” She wrinkles her nose. “I’m taking some quasi-real world course that does double duty by gifting me the units I’ll need toward my degree and counts as a bona fide internship in the process. I’m sort of looking forward to it. Who knows? I might meet someone exciting and make it allworthwhile.”
“I’m positive you will. Besides, you’re the one who makes things exciting and don’t you forgetit.”
We hug it out, and I head out to meet with Lex. It’s time to make things right with the ones I love, one family member at atime.
Seth bounces through my mind, and my heart wrenches. Heck, maybe I’ll meet up with him, too. My heart races a little faster. With Seth is the only place I want tobe.
* * *
On the wayto the Black Bear, Lex walks by my side chatting away about life with Axel, my new life just up around the bend with the baby, and everything under the sun. I can’t help but bask in the light of her love for me. Lex truly is as close to a mother to me as you canget.
I lean in and wrap my arm around her waist. “I know I don’t say it nearly enough, but I loveyou.”
“I know.” She brushes a kiss over my forehead. “I’ll always be here for you, Sunday. And so will Serena. I never want you to isolate yourself from us again. I’m going to help you with the baby, too. Whatever you need, I’m going to make sure it’s done. You’re not alone, Sunday, and you never willbe.”
I look up at my beautiful cousin, and my body trembles as I struggle to keep it together. “Thank you. And thank you for keeping this family together even after the world blew itapart.”
She wraps her arm around me tight as we head into the BlackBear.
“There they are.” Lex nods to the rear of the bar where Trixie and Rush are alreadyseated.
“Perfect. I wanted to speak to them firstanyway.”
