"That—that's commitment."
"Okay, I know we've only known each other for a short time, but I feel a genuine connection with him," Kira said as she picked up the fern and held it to her chest. Anyone would think Aiden just proposed to her with the way she started swaying with it. "He's my soulmate."
Aiden and Kira had been dating for two months. It all began when he slipped her his number while working at a bodega. His crush on her began when he saw her working in the garden center several blocks away. Kira found this endearing and had been smitten with him ever since.
He was confident, outspoken, and passionate about his music, beliefs, flannel shirts, and the importance of organic produce. If Kira was a boho farmer, he was a hipster lumberjack. Just without the muscle or ability to swing an ax.
While I wanted to tell Kira things might be moving a little too quickly with Aiden, I couldn't help but feel happy for her. Her dating history could have been better. She invested too much, and they invested too little. Which led her to many broken hearts, going through many tubs of ice cream and binge-watching The Bachelor as she sobbed into a pillow while I provided the shoulder to cry on.
Aiden Miller was the first to appreciate her.
Kira sighed with contentment and brought the plant to a space on the TV cabinet. She eyed the laptop and notepad on the floor beneath the window. “How did the job search go?”
“Good, I think.” I walked around the kitchen counter and climbed onto one of the bar stools. Swiveling around to face her. “Most were either admin or waitressing.”
“With a work ethic like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if they all got back to you,” she smiled reassuringly, adjusting the position of the fern.
Ah, yes, the work ethic I developed based on my need to please people.
I painted a small smile on my face. “Thanks, Kira.”
Happy with the placement of the fern, she spun on the spot and clapped her hands together. “You should come out with Aiden and me tonight.”
“I’d love to, but I can’t. Family dinner, remember?” The thought alone made my stomach churn.
“That’s at eight, right? You could meet us after.” She skipped over and grabbed my hands. “Come on. It’ll be fun. We haven’t gone dancing in ages. I could even call you midway through the dinner with an emergency if things get too intense with your parents.”
I huffed a laugh. “When are they not intense?”
“Okay, true.” She pouted. “Please come out with us tonight. It’ll be fun. Aiden won’t mind.”
“Wouldn’t I be crashing your date night?”
“Lily, you wouldn’t be crashing the date if I invited you. Plus, you've been cooped up inside all Saturday and might need a drink or two after dinner with your parents." She raised her eyebrows, waiting for my answer, before she decided dancing while holding my hands might convince me more. “You know you want to.”
I rolled my head back with a sigh when she started shimmying her shoulders. “Okay, fine.”
I left for dinner in a jade green sundress and white vans and arrived outside the restaurant with two minutes to spare. I took a breath before I went in. I could see them at a table by the front windows, with my 16-year-old sister, Jane, on the receiving end of what looked like a Whitmore parent-style interrogation. My arrival at the table didn’t only stop it but started one for me too.
"When you said you'd organized a ride, I thought you meant with a family friend," Mom subtly criticized as she pulled me into a hug. "You should've called your father to come get you."
"Yes, Mom," I said as I took a seat, giving Jane a small wave from across the table. Her auburn hair was in a sleek bun, which didn’t fit her usual casual style. There was no doubt Mom forced her to wear her hair up for a place like this. Which also would explain why she was wearing a dress instead of jeans.
"What did you get up to today, Lily?" Dad asked. His blue eyes gave me the once over as he buttered a fresh roll.
I braced myself, subtly eyeing my mother for any signs of her mood changing as I said carefully, "I filled out job applications."
"Why?" Mom’s brown eyes narrowed as she tucked a strand of loose hair back to the neatness of her light brown bob.
"Here we go," Jane mumbled before taking a sip of water.
It escaped me why I thought it was a good idea to bring the topic up, but I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth. “Because I was thinking it'd be good to broaden my career choices. Some of the jobs interested me. Like one at a gallery—"
"Honey, we've discussed this.” She reached across the table and petted my hand in assurance. “You have a stable job working for me."
"I know that, but I thought it'd be good. At least for the summer anyway." I slumped back. This conversation was a mistake.
"That's understandable," Mom said considerately but added, "Just don't get your hopes up. Many students apply for those summer jobs, so you might not hear back from any." She smiled sympathetically to soften the blow.
