Her phone buzzed with a text message.
Miss you! How’s your grandma doing?It was from Sophie.
Jules had managed to sneak away from her grandmother’s bedside this afternoon to give Sophie a quick call, but they’d only gotten to talk for a few minutes, and right now…yeah, Jules missed her a lot. A funny ache rose in her chest.
Miss you too! If all goes well, she’ll be home tomorrow morning.
So glad! You must be exhausted, Sophie replied.
I am. My mom and I just got home. Eating dinner and then collapsing in bed.
“Who are you texting over there with that big smile on your face?” her mom asked in a teasing tone as she carried their empty plates to the sink.
“Just a friend,” Jules answered quickly as her heart gave a kick in her chest. She could blurt it out right now, tell her mom and be done with it. But after the last twenty-four hours, she was just too tired. And so was her mom. This wasn’t the right time.
“The same friend you’ve been sneaking off to call all week?” her mom asked playfully.
“Maybe,” Jules hedged, ducking her head.
A new text from Sophie gleamed on her screen.Sleep well! Merry Christmas!
Same to you! xx
“Tell me everything,” Paula said.
Jules stood and kissed her cheek. “Not tonight, Mami. It’s time for us to sleep.”
* * *
“Isyour grandma still coming home this morning?”
Jules snuggled deeper under the comforter on her bed. “Yeah. My mom is on her way to the hospital now. She should be discharged in about an hour.”
“I’m so glad,” Sophie said. “And how was your Christmas otherwise?”
“The usual chaos. Lots of people. Lots of food. We’ve never spent it in the hospital before, but we Vegas can be flexible when necessary.”
Sophie laughed. “That’s good.”
“And how was your Christmas?” Jules asked.
“Fewer people and no hospital visits, but also great,” Sophie said.
“I miss you,” Jules told her, pressing a hand against her chest. Her time with Sophie felt so far away that sometimes she felt like she was losing her grasp on it. The longer she kept Sophie a secret from her family, the more surreal the whole thing felt.
“Same. This week has been a bit crazy for me too.”
“How so?” Jules asked, because unless she was imagining things, Sophie sounded as distracted as Jules felt.
“Nothing compared to yours,” Sophie said, and Jules could practically see her waving a hand in front of her face, wishing she hadn’t said anything. “I’ll tell you about it when I see you.”
“Tell me now,” Jules said quietly. “Please.”
“It’s just…I had an interesting job offer while I was here,” Sophie said, and she definitely sounded guarded now.
“A job offer?” Jules traced the floral pattern on her sheets with a fingertip. “In Syracuse?”
“Yeah. I’d be managing the Young Actors program at the theater where I used to work in high school. It’s a great opportunity, but I’m not going to take it.” She seemed to rush at the end, and Jules’s finger stilled against the sheet.
