“Mmhmm.” Mom took a sip of her iced tea, still watching me over the rim of her glass.
Erica chose that moment to lean over. “You know, Cam, your face is doing something very interesting right now.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, you’re all pink and flustered. It’s cute.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re definitely flustered,” Travis added. “And in fact, I can’t recall ever seeing you this flustered, even when you were a teenager.”
“Fuck off.”
“And now you’re thirty-eight and apparently terrible at hiding when you like someone.”
“I don’t...” I stopped, dragging a hand through my hair. “Can we not do this right now?”
“Do what?” Mom’s voice was pure innocence. “We’re just asking about the kind neighbor who’s helping with the girls.”
“Right. The neighbor.” Erica’s grin was downright evil. “Who’s a princess. Who makes cupcakes with butterflies. Who knows everything about baseball.”
“And who Cam definitely doesn’t have any feelings for whatsoever,” Travis finished.
“I hate you both.”
“No you don’t.” Erica patted my arm. “You love us. We’re delightful.”
Mom was still watching me with that soft, knowing expression. The one that said she was happy for me even though I hadn’t admitted anything. Even though there was nothing to admit.
“Well.” She set down her tea. “I look forward to meeting this Emily eventually. She sounds like someone I’d like.”
Alice climbed carefully into Mom’s lap despite the knee. “Everyone loves Emily.”
“You should bring her by some time.”
“Mom...”
“I’m just saying.” Her smile was gentle. “If she’s important to the girls, I’d like to know her. That’s all.”
Everyone loves Emily.
Yeah. They really did. She was very… likeable.
EMILY
Idipped the brush into the green face paint, mixing in a little brown to get that perfect murky swamp watercolor. “Okay, tilt your head back a little.”
Alice did as I asked, her eyes squeezed shut, practically vibrating with excitement. I’d already finished Audrey’s face, and she was currently admiring herself in the hand mirror, turning her head from side to side to catch all the angles of her swamp monster transformation.
“Can you make the warts really big?” Alice asked, her voice hopeful.
“The biggest.” I dabbed small circles of darker green across her forehead and cheeks, building them up with layers. “You’re going to be the wartiest swamp monster in all of North Carolina.”
“Yes!” She pumped her fist in the air, nearly knocking the paint palette out of my hand.
“Hey, careful, unless you want green paint all over the couch.”
“Sorry.” But she was grinning, that gap-toothed smile that made my chest feel warm.
