Callie:Sidney's all right.Just give her a chance.And you're biased anyway.You're not going to think anyone's as good as I was.But I'm happy here, Mom.Work's going well.How are you guys?
She shook her head as she hit send.How could she stay mad at Ollie when she was just as bad?Here she was, telling her own parents that work here in California was going well.And she'd told them that she'd moved out here for a job when she hadn't.
They didn't understand about her pottery.They didn't believe that she could make a decent living from it, even though she'd proven that she could and did.Back home, there was a set of expectations, and for years, Callie had followed them.She'd taken the job at the bank as a teller, worked her way up to assistant manager, and it was only staring down the barrel of an empty future that had convinced her that she could turn her hobby of pottery into something more than that.
She'd worked her ass off, evenings and weekends, making and selling her creations.And as she'd told Alara, she'd saved up enough for a deposit on the cottage and made enough over the last couple of tax returns to prove that she was good for a small mortgage.Yeah, her home was small, but it was still hers.
But that hadn't been enough for her folks.Not that they would've stopped her, but they worried about her, and that was even worse.So, she'd told them that she'd come out here for a job.
And here she was, being all mad and sanctimonious that Ollie hadn't told her the truth about his family.
She stared at the screen when it lit up again.
Mom:Your dad just came in.I'm gonna have to make dinner now.I just wanted to check in with you.Love you, Callie.Be safe.More soon.
Callie:Love you, Mom.I'll call you when I can.
She set her phone down.Maybe tomorrow she'd call Ollie.It would be totally unreasonable of her to stay mad at him — she'd outright lied to her folks to stop them from worrying.Ollie had only kind of lied to her to make her feel more comfortable with him.He wasn't trying to pull one over on her.She frowned.At least she didn't think he was.
She set her phone down when she heard Zia calling, "Lady Sunshine, Lady Sunshine, where are you?"
She went to the door of the cabin and waved.
"There you are!"Zia shouted."Look, Mommy, told you she'd be in here and not the cottage."
Alara met Callie's gaze."Are we disturbing you?"
"Not at all.Do you want to come up to the cottage?I was thinking about stopping to eat anyway."
"We don't need to intrude."
"I've told you, you're not intruding.It's all okay, I promise.And would you stop feeling bad about this?About Ollie?"
"I can't help it," Alara said.
"What did he do wrong?"Zia asked.
"Nothing," Callie told her."He didn't do anything wrong at all."
"So why are you mad at him?"
"I'm not mad at him, I'm just..."She didn't know how to explain it.
Alara looked down at her daughter."He didn't do anything wrong, Zee, but he kept a secret."
Zia nodded sagely."Iknewhe was the secret king."
Callie pursed her lips.It seemed that, as usual, Zia had called it.
As they walked to the cottage, Zia ran ahead.
"Have you spoken to Reaves today?"Callie asked.
"No, they're flying today.Didn't Ollie—" She stopped short."Sorry, you haven't spoken to him, have you?"
"Nope."
"I feel so bad, Callie.This is all my fault."
