Chapter Twenty-Three
The weekend came likea sigh.After the long week that took too many days to get through, I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and pretend the world didn’t exist.
Then Micah called.
“Come on,” he said through the phone, his voice bubbling with that unrelenting optimism that always found a crack in my armor.“We’re coming over.Me, the twins, and Margo.She got out of the hospital during the week and wanted to see you again.”He paused, finally losing some of his excitement.“If that’s fine with you.”
“Do I really have a choice?”I asked.
“Not really.See you soon.”He hung up.
Thirty minutes later, my front door swung open after a brief knocking, and Hazel appeared first.“Emergency delivery of friends and food!”
Lillian followed with two pizzas stacked in her arms, Micah with a karaoke microphone and Bluetooth speakers, acting like he was hosting a concert.Slowly, behind them, Margo slipped in quietly.Her auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she looked a lot better than when I had seen her in the hospital.
Margo blushed and waved awkwardly.“I, um, brought cookies.”
“Chocolate chips?”
“Is there another kind?”she asked.
I chuckled.“Nope.”
The house filled quickly with life.Hazel claimed the couch while Lillian got the food set out on a table I had sitting in front of the window.She laid out the pizza and bowls of other snacks, forming a buffet line.Micah took over the living room, syncing the karaoke machine to the TV.
I thought it was just going to be us, but then my front door opened and Toby and Justin came in.Toby looked all too proud of himself, and I didn’t miss the looks exchanged between them and Micah.
“I’ve brought gifts,” Toby said with bags of chips and drinks.
Justin was behind him with what looked like a takeout bag.
“Figured I’d make sure you ate something other than just sugar and grease,” he said, setting it on the table next to the pizza boxes.I gave him a grateful smile.While I loved pizza and candy, I had no doubt that by the end of the night, I’d end up sick.
“Good luck,” Toby said, already halfway through one of Margo’s cookies.He hummed in approval and swiped another cookie.
“Don’t test me,” Justin warned, snatching the cookie from Toby’s hand.
The night unfolded in waves of laughter and pure silliness.Lillian and Micah performed a Broadway musical song with theatrical intensity, making Hazel practically fall off the couch with how hard she was laughing.Toby and Justin followed, tackling a different song with enthusiasm.More accurately, Toby shouted every wrong lyric while Justin deadpanned his way through the right ones.
I hadn’t laughed that hard in weeks.
Then Seth showed up.
He leaned against the doorframe with his half-smile and his dark T-shirt readingBBQ Makes Everything Better.His eyes met mine, and the noise faded a little.
“You’re missing quite the show,” I said as he came over.
“Looks like it.”He nodded toward Toby, who was attempting to moonwalk with a broom.
I smiled.“It’s nice having everyone here.”
“You needed this,” he said.
