Holy shit.Her breath came in quick bursts.
“Stop it, Aelin. I can hear you starting to hyperventilate.”
She held her breath. “We’ve passed the cancellation date.”
“I know, but we can find someone else to come,” Mariah said flippantly.
“Who else? We’ve already asked everyone we know.”
Mariah sighed. “Not everyone.”
“Okay, everyone welike.” She’d asked Megan and Tag, some of her friends from college, and even a friend of one of her roommates who she’d met once last spring who seemed fairly not annoying. “We couldn’t fill the last cabin, and now we have to fill three?”
“I know. But I’m going to work on this. I promise. Mom and Dad said?—”
Aelin groaned. The last thing she wanted was her parent’s friends to stay next to them and judge her obvious singlestatus. But she couldn’t afford this. There was no way in hell she could pay half that bill if they didn’t get someone in there. She ran a hand through her hair, the perfect summer lake week slipping through her fingers in exchange for a geriatric couple’s retreat.
“Don’t worry. We’ll have the boat and tubes and Leo even bought new kids’ skis. It’s going to be amazing. I’ll work on some friends here. We’ll fill them. Or at least the two that Blake was supposed to take.”
Aelin nodded. Could they make Blake pay his share if they couldn’t cover it? He had committed, but it wasn’t like they’d gotten it in writing. They’d gone to Flathead every summer for the past four years and never had a problem.
“I’m sorry to stress you out. I know Clark’s being an asshat about child support.”
Aelin scoffed. “Understatement of the year.” She drew a deep breath and exhaled. “How are the kids?”
"They’re good. A month into summer, and I don’t want to kill them yet." Something clattered, and Mariah cursed under her breath.
“I can’t believe they’ve already been out a month.”
“When you only have to learn about American history, it saves a lot of time.”
Aelin laughed, then saw Bailey running up the hill toward her. “I’ve got to run, almost time for fireworks.”
“Love you.”
“Love you most.” Aelin dropped the phone and walked back to her seat. "You going to call Amaya?" Aelin asked as Bailey reached for the backpack.
She nodded and pulled out the tablet. “I don’t know where she’s watching the show.”
Aelin sat in her chair just as Megan and Tag sat down next to her.
Megan sighed. “This is the perfect night. I haven’t even seen a mosquito.”
“Because they’re all attacking me.” Tag grunted and slapped at his leg.
Megan leaned in. “He eats more sugar. I’m pretty sure that’s why.”
Tag let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s not why. That doesn’t make any sense.”
Aelin reached out and smoothed Bailey’s hair as she clicked the button to join the call with Amaya. The call connected, and Amaya's face popped up on the screen, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Girl! Happy Canada Day!"
“Look at this sunset.” Bailey turned the screen around to show Amaya the pink clouds above the trees.
Aelin’s heart twinged. They sounded so grown up.
“I know, look at this.” Amaya turned her screen, and Aelin glanced over to see the sky over the Confluence stage where they’d been that morning.
“We were there earlier!” Bailey announced excitedly.
