“Yeah!” He nods hard, eyes wide. “But not a normal one. He had a shell made out of blue cotton balls, and he wore a tiara! And he said, ‘Laddie, you can’t come to my birthday party unless you bring snacks.’”
“Oh, really?” I say, smiling. “What kind of snacks?”
He scrunches up his nose, thinking hard. “Goldfish crackers. But, like, therealones. Not the knockoff ones Aunt Talia has.”
Talia laughs from behind me. “Hey! My Goldfish are fine.”
“They taste like cardboard,” Laddie says solemnly, then bursts out laughing at his own joke.
His giggle is pure sunshine, high and contagious, and I can’t help but laugh too. I ruffle his sandy-blond hair.
“You’re lucky you’re cute, mister. Finish your breakfast before the turtle shows up and steals it.”
He gasps dramatically, grabs his spoon, and starts shoveling cereal into his mouth like it’s a race.
Talia watches me, concern etched all over her face. She looks like me with the same bone structure, the same curls, but hers catch more red in the light, and her freckles stand out across her nose and cheeks.
She’s the sun; I’m the shadow.
“He got beaten up,” I say finally. The words taste heavy. “I didn’t recognize him at first, but it was him, Tal. I… stayed late so I could make sure he was okay. I’m sorry.”
She bites her upper lip, a habit she’s had since we were kids, which means she’s trying to be careful about what she’ll say next. Her nostrils flare as she takes a deep breath and lets it back out.
“Did you know he was in the city?”
For a second, I stare at her, thrown by the question. Then it clicks, she’s not just surprised, she’s suspicious. She’s wondering if I knew. Suppose I’d seen him before if I’d been keeping something from her.
“No!” I say quickly. “No. I had no idea.”
Talia’s expression doesn’t soften. “What’s he doing here?” she asks, her voice clipped. A muscle in her jaw twitches.
“He plays for the Reapers,” I say quietly. “He seemed surprised I didn’t know.”
She nods. “Well, didn’t you tell me his dad moved here after the divorce?”
I frown, trying to remember. “Yeah… I guess I’d forgotten about that.”
Talia’s eyebrow reaches far up into her forehead dubiously. “I doubt you’ve forgotten a single detail about that boy. Be honest.”
I exhale, my shoulders sagging. “I’ve tried to move on,” I say, and it’s the truth. “I don’t think about him that much anymore.”
Talia presses her lips together in a thin line, arms crossing over her chest. “So how do you feel about seeing him?”
Under different circumstances, I might try to play it off as if it were no big deal. But since I fell into her arms and wept, I doubt I can get away with that. So, I tell her the truth.
“It was...confusing. I was worried about him as soon as I realized who he was. I still felt...protective of him.”
Talia tilts her head. “Did you talk to him?”
I nod. “A little. I kept it professional, but… he wants to talk, Tal. And what am I supposed to say to him?”
“Youdon’thave to say anything,” she fires back. “You walked away once. You can walk away again.”
“I told him I’d come back, though,” I admit. I feel my cheeks burn. I’m so weak.
Talia groans. “Why, Emma? Why would you tell him that?”
“It’s been six years,” I say, staring down at my hands. “I mean, we could...maybe I owe him a?—”
