“Well.” She put her hands on her wide hips. “Now I want to add strings.”
“I don’t do parties.”
“Two hundred people are coming to this party. All ages. Lots of them aren’t social. My cousin Drew has hardly ever said two sentences in a row, but he’s coming.”
“No, thank you.”
“I’m buying balloons for your truck.”
“Don’t buy balloons.” He hadn’t attended a single Valentine’s Day party since the ones in elementary school. He set his teeth, wishing she’d leave so he could eat her pot roast.
“I’m buying balloons and that’s final.” She gave him a sly look. “Finley Sutherland is coming to the party and bringing a date.”
Outwardly, he didn’t so much as blink. Inwardly, a tiger leapt from sleeping onto all four feet.
“I went by Furry Tails the other day to help Ben with an experiment he’d set up for the kids,” she continued. “I met Finley there and invited her. She said yes.”
Finley had kissed him but was taking another man to a Valentine’s party? How come she was now open to dating? Had she turned her attention to someone else because he’d indicated he wasn’t interested?
CeCe stopped and looked over her shoulder at him on her way out the door. “So. Are you going to come to my Valentine’s Day party?”
“No.”
“See you there!”
Two weeks ago, Ben had asked Akira to come with him to his mom’s Valentine’s Day party as friends. In a weak moment, she’d said that she would. Which was probably the veryworstdecision she’d ever made because she was having the verybesttime and the party wasn’t even set to begin for another hour.
They’d arrived early to assist Ben’s mom with party prep. Akira hadn’t anticipated how disastrously adorable Ben would be whilehelping his mother. He responded to her with patience. He showed his father respect and his siblings affection.
Akira’s family was strong, but strong in a completely different way than Ben’s family. Her two older sisters and parents were all tremendously driven. Quiet, focused, ambitious.
Growing up, they’d shared family dinners. Her dad discussed his job in strategic tourism and city planning. Her mom, a paralegal for the town’s foremost attorney, discussed her cases. Her sisters discussed their impressive classes, extracurriculars, and upcoming tests. Akira hadn’t been motivated by the things that motivated them, so she’d spoken about the things she cared about—kids, animals, and community service. They’d listened, but she’d understood that they found her odd. And perhaps a bit underwhelming.
After dinner, the rest of her family members had gone off to work intently toward their next goal. Akira had gone off to watchGleeorGossip Girlor spend time with friends.
Where her extended family had been small, the Coleman family was large. Where her family had been subdued, the Coleman family was loud.
No fewer than twelve people had shown up simply topreparefor tonight’s party: the owners of this home, Caroline and Judson; CeCe and her husband, Hersh; CeCe’s other three kids and their spouses; and Akira and Ben.
Like a military general, CeCe barked out orders. Even so, amid the chaos, she’d made time to single Akira out.
Ben mixed punch ingredients in the enormous bowl on the dining room table while Akira helped CeCe move food from containers onto platters.
CeCe wore a white apron that saidWarning: Complaints to the cook will be hazardous to your healthover a sparkly purple pantsuit. She’d combed her graying hair tightly off her face and curled it into a low bun. Her long nails glittered with silver polish as she lifted deviled eggs onto a serving dish specifically made for deviled eggs. Who owned a serving dish specifically made for deviled eggs?
“Are you romantically interested in my son?” CeCe asked Akira, point-blank.
Akira continued positioning cookies on a heart-shaped wooden cutting board. She’d just met this woman minutes ago but could already tell CeCe appreciated candor. “I adore him,” she confided. “But I’m very gun-shy.”
“Because?”
“I almost died last year and—”
“Excuse me?” CeCe stilled, except for her eyebrows, which shot upward. “How did you almost die?”
Akira explained how her case of flu had deteriorated into life-threatening sepsis, which had resulted in ten days at the hospital.
CeCe sucked air through her teeth and returned her attention to her deviled eggs. “Praise the Lord you’re okay. That must’ve been terrifying.”
