“Don’t tell,” Theo said. “But I did it.”
Ava pointed. “Ha. I knew it was you! I had thought perhaps Hope, but you’re more devious.”
Theo flushed. “Aw, thanks.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell. Keeps him on his toes not to have guessed the culprit yet.” She turned to Zoe. “Landon even blamed me for a while. As if I would stoop so low…and get caught,” she tacked on with a wink.
“So the prank wars are still going on? How long do they last?” Zoe asked, not sure she wanted to be drawn into such a thing, even by distant association.
“Well…” Theo scratched his jaw. “After they gave me a mohawk and dyed my hair orange a couple months ago, I got back at them. Each of them. I saved Gavin for last weekend, when I sicced our cousin on him. Colin is seven. Great kid, but he’s a kid. And I made it so Gavin had to take care of him.”
“Ah. I heard about that.” Zoe smiled. “Apparently Colin is not good with sugary cereals.”
Theo’s evil laugh stirred hers again, Ava’s too. “Yeah. It was classic. Anyway, I think Landon messed with Gavin and the toilet—don’t ask—and for a while Hope had pink hair. Oh, and I think someone messed with Mom’s toothpaste, but she won’t confirm that.
“Now Gavin is getting back at everyone. I’m freaked he’s going to mess with me at work. And then yesterday I woke up by smacking myself in the face with a handful of shaving cream. It’s lame, but it’s still annoying. Plus he took pictures,” he added glumly.
“Well, I haven’t seen them yet. Don’t worry.” Ava patted his shoulder.
“Yeah, well, it’s the ones who wait to get even who are the worst. At least Gavin’s getting me back right away.” He noted the girl behind the cashier waving at him. “Oh, gotta go. Great meeting you, Zoe. Hope you come over and hang before wising up and dumping my brother.” He left before she could respond.
“Scary, huh?” Ava teased. “It’s all immature, yes, but the guys seem to enjoy it. Linda sure did. And I’m sorry to say I might have pulled a prank of my own.” Ava chuckled. “You haven’t met their parents yet, have you?”
“Um, no.” Zoe swallowed. “But Gavin mentioned having dinner with them this weekend.”
“Ah. Best of luck.”
“Wait. That’s it? No tips or tricks to surviving the dinner?”
“No. They’re actually wonderful people. Your problem isn’t Van and Linda. It’s dealing with Gavin.”
“Nice segue.”
Ava grinned. “Thanks. Yes, I always circle back to a point until it’s been covered. And you still never quite answered about your fears of Gavin breaking your heart. But considering your state of mind when you met, that seems normal. Plus anyone entering a new relationship will wonder how to recover when and if it breaks up.” She shrugged. “I still wonder about that with Landon, and we’re engaged.”
“Really? You two seem so in love.”
“We are.” Ava played with her ring, a stunning square-cut emerald set between two sparkling diamonds. “But there’s never a guarantee of a happily ever after in your future. And considering I deal with marriage counseling a lot in my practice, I can’t help but think about it.”
“I’ll bet.” Zoe toyed with her cup. “So can I ask you something, in your professional opinion as a therapist?”
“And as a friend,” Ava added.
“And as a friend.” Zoe liked this woman.
“Please do.”
“Do you think it’s normal to still cry when I think of my sister? I do feel good now. It’s not all doom and gloom for me the way it was when it first happened. Mostly I think I’m over the grief tugging me down. Then I’ll see something that reminds me of her, and it makes me sad. Or I’ll hear a song she hated and want to make fun of it with her. But she’s not there.”
“Totally normal.” Ava leaned forward. “Processing through grief takes time. I’d be more worried if you weren’t dealing with it. In my opinion, tears are therapy. Talking is therapy. Pretending the bad never interferes with the good? That’s not healthy.”
Zoe nodded. “Thanks. I kind of thought that too.” She paused. “Gavin doesn’t talk about his time in the service much. I don’t push him or anything. But that’s part of what drew us together, I think. We both know what it’s like to grieve.”
“He has some issues he’s dealing with,” Ava said carefully.
“I know. He told me about the booze and the women. Of course, anyone hanging out at the gym knows the women part already.”
Ava bit her lip. “Ah, yeah. Gossip does tend to circulate there. But word on the street is he’s got himself a girlfriend.” She winked. “Michelle doesn’t seem to like you very much.”
