All these different scents wrapped around me, the warmth of these steady arms holding me, is so soothing. I've felt soalone,so shaky, like I've been drifting untethered in the open ocean, trying to find something to hold on to.
Finally, I'm standing on my own two feet. I feel secure nestled in the embrace of these people who welcomed me into their group without a second thought.
I feel safe.
"Thank you," I murmur through a sniffle, tears trailing down my cheeks. "Thank you for being... kind. And welcoming."
"Of course," Bailey says, pure sunshine as she smiles andsqueezes me a little tighter.
"You're ours now," Callum murmurs, his voice a soft promise.
"One of us, one of us, we accept her, one of us, gooble gobble..."
"Shut it, Parker," Tonya snorts, playfully thumping the back of his head.
That breaks the group into laughter, and slowly, we let go of each other, but the warmth remains. I soak it all in like a sponge.
Atticus takes out his cellphone and hisses when he sees the time, "Damn, I have to go pick up Leo from my mom's."
"Oh, wait," Jane says, reaching into her large black purse on the ground near her chair, taking out what I see is a stuffed butter-yellow Triceratops. She holds it out to Atticus, who looks stunned. "One of my colleagues had to stop by the Natural History Museum. I asked him to pick this up for Leo."
Atticus blinks in surprise before he reaches and accepts the toy with reverent hands, like he's touching something precious.
"Jane..." he breathes, his voice quiet and raspy. "You didn't have to do that."
"He said the other one I got was too rough," she murmurs, twisting her fingers together in front of her and not quite able to meet his eyes. "I should've known the texture would be too much for him. This one's softer."
Atticus looks struck dumb and can't take his eyes off Jane.
The moment feels so intimate, I feel as though I'm intruding. When I glance sideways to where Callum stands, I see he's watching the pair with a soft smile playing on his lips. There's somethingknowingin his expression.
"Leo?" I ask Callum in a whisper, not wanting to disturb their moment.
Callum leans in a little, his shoulder brushing mine. "Atticus' son," he replies just as softly. "Kid's obsessed with dinosaurs."
Atticus gently runs his thick fingers over the plush toy's softhide. "It's perfect," he murmurs, his voice so tender as he looks up at the shy girl. "He'll love this. Thank you, sweetheart."
Jane's pale cheeks flush at the endearment, and she nods, meeting Atticus' awed gaze for a moment before she drops her gaze once more. "You're welcome, Atticus."
"I'll walk you to your car," Atticus says and glances to the room, seeing all of our attention on the duo. He doesn't look awkward or embarrassed. In fact, he looks downright pleased. "See you guys next week."
"Goodbye," Jane gives a small wave to the group before meeting my eyes. The first time she has this evening, and I give a small smile in response. "It was very nice to meet you, Sophie. Your ex is a total moron."
The kind bluntness of it all makes me laugh outright.
"It was nice meeting you guys," I say as they make their way through the beaded curtain.
Parker is already jingling his keys, catching April's attention. "Need a ride?"
She nods through a massive yawn, gathering the mess of yarn in her lap and shoving it in her tote bag. "Yeah, thanks."
Both of them give me a quick wave—April's half-hearted due to sleepiness, Parker's accompanied by a wink.
"Hope to see you next week, Sophie! We can continue our murder plotting!" Parker jokes over his shoulder as they trail after Atticus and Jane. Callum rolls his eyes and follows to let them out the front.
"What's your number?" Tonya says, black acrylic nails clicking away on her cellphone at the speed of light. I recite my number for her, and within seconds, my phone buzzes with a new notification.
Added to Group Chat: Ever After Always
