Who am I right now?
Every ounce of her vulnerability draws out my own. It's terrifying, but I've never felt more awake. Her grasp, her straightforward acquiescence, calms and energizes me at the same time.
Under the shade of a bright blue canopy sit my sister and my friends, not attempting to hide their shock as we approach.
Penn is the first to wave a hand. I return the gesture, greeting my lifelong best friend. Daisy, his wife and Vivi's best friend, smiles happily from her perch beside Penn. My sister, however, narrows her hawk eyes at our clasped hands.
Mallory releases me, and I fight the urge to hold on tighter. At this point, I'm not certain I recognize myself.
"This is Mallory," I say, pulling up to the group. They sit in folding chairs, Vivi beside Daisy, and Penn with hislong legs extended. "Mallory is the true crime podcaster I've told you about."
I guess it's accurate that married people start to look like one another, because Penn and Daisy wear identical expressions of shock.
"I thought you were..." Penn trails off, glancing from me to Mallory.
"Ignoring me?" Mallory supplies, amusement in her tone.
Penn purses his lips, head dropping in a single decisive nod. "Exactly."
"Turns out it's more difficult to ignore someone when they show up in your favorite sandwich shop." I look at Mallory, biting back a smile.
She lays an open palm on her chest. "In my defense, I was already there when you walked in."
We look at each other, trading memories of the moment we met.
Me askingWhat brings you to Olive Township?
Her smirking.You can do better than that.
Penn and Daisy are the first to jump into action. Penn stands up to shake Mallory's hand, and Daisy, sweet as usual, pulls Mallory in for a hug.
Leaning around Penn's back, I give Vivi a hard-eyed stare that saysGet your ass up and introduce yourself.She narrows her eyes at me, but stands up.
"This is my sister," I say, annoyance rising in me at Vivi's blank face.
Mallory nods. "Vivienne."
"I guess you did your research," Vivi says flatly.
Vivi doesn't know about Mallory's little sister yet, doesn't understand why Mallory's really here. Vivi was busy at the restaurant on Sunday and couldn't make it out to Summerhill when Mallory came to meet my mom. Vivi might be in the dark, but she should know that if I have Mallory with me, it means something. I wouldn't be bringing her around people if the situation hadn't evolved.
Daisy's foot glides across the grass, delivering a sly kick to Vivi's shin. Vivi's expression does not change. I'm not sure if she felt her best friend's physicaltsk.
The air under this canopy is thick, and my annoyance only grows. "Vivi, knock it off. I've had a chance to get to know Mallory. It's not what you think." Vivi's attitude toward Mallory is largely my fault, so I gentle my voice and add, "It's not whatIthought."
Vivi's gaze shifts to me. Her arms are crossed, her eyes steely, but I know my sister. She's trying to understand why we are no longer on the same team when it comes to Mallory.
To her, Mallory is still a true crime podcaster looking to rustle up unpleasant memories.
To me, Mallory has becomeMallory. A person with a backstory. A life. Pain and regret that propels her through every day. In the span of a week, she has gone from one dimensional, to multifaceted.
And I'm not loving the way my sister is treating her. Vivi can have a pass because she doesn't know Mallory's true reason for being here, but once she knows, an attitude like this won't work for me.
"Well," Penn says, cutting through the silence. "This is fucking awkward."
A grin tugs up one corner of Daisy's mouth, and she leans into her husband's arm. "You're awfully good at stating the obvious, Sailor."
He winks at her, eyes radiating unadulterated love. "Just continuing my service to our country, Sunshine."
