Sumer stands, heading out to the set since we’re behind schedule. “For the record,” she says, turning in the doorframe and lowering her voice as if she’s telling a secret, “I’ve met so many couples doing this show, and you and Owen may be newlyweds, but it’s obvious there’s something special there. It… well, it gives me hope. I’m rooting for you.”
I don’t think she’s just talking about the show.
She offers me a small smile and disappears around the Tink as I head upstairs for our last offer.
Owen waits for me on the roof where a makeshift booth has been constructed since I’ve been gone. He shoots me a quick wink as I climb up the ladder and the director is already calling, “Quieton set” and “Take your marks.” Owen grabs hold of my hand, leading me to our seats just as Todd gives the sign that he’s filming.
“Today, I have something extraordinary for our Suite Hearts,” Sumer begins. She really and truly looks flawless now. “Each of our finalists will be given their own offer but will be unaware of the other couple’s offers. You may have noticed an addition to your roofs, contestants.”
We all nod, because, yeah, that weird, upended, phone booth-sized box on the roof is definitely new.
“You will wait in our soundproof boxes while the other contestants receive their offers. This also means that if one of you should choose to accept our deal, you will not be saying goodbyes to the others.”
“What if all of us accept it?” Clyde wisely asks.
“If by some chance you all accept, there will be a three-way bonus where you all will compete for the Grand Prize. You may not discuss this with the other contestants, and the challenge starts now. As always, we will go in Tink order. But first… we have a surprise.”
A video comes on the main screen. First, it’s a group at a large party on a farm. A group of children yellhelloto their grandparents and it becomes clear it’s Clyde and Gloria’s family. Individual interviews with various family members pop on the screen. Their eldest son, Donald, is the spitting image of Clyde. He’s warm and has kind eyes, telling his parents how proud he is of them. How he can’t wait to see them when they’re home. Then, the local coffee shop owners are on, telling them not to come home without a win. An ultimatum that gets us all laughing. They’re both wiping away tears by the time the montage ends.
Ocean and Haven are next. As suspected, their supermodel children are lined up like a beautiful Baby Gap ad, but all ofthe grandparents on the screen are prim and proper. Both sets of parents offer Ocean and Haven the best as their children one by one grow more and more feral on the screen. The youngest loses his clothes all together. Other members of their community cheer them on. The famous juice bar, and local patrons, make an appearance, and the last shot is of their small cottage in the woods in Northern California. It’s a charming picture of their full life together.
When Owen’s parents pop onto the screen, his eyes light up with tears. He’s so clearly blissed out at the sight of them, then Jack, Dinah, and Lola, that he’s laughing like we were, only days ago, while dancing in the rain.
Shelly’s the first to speak. “Owen… Brookey…” she says, looking directly into the camera, “we love you both so much. We don’t care if you win or lose, we just can’t wait for you to be home with us again.”
His dad and Jack give similar sentiments before Gram appears in her cozy home, leaning into the camera from her favorite plaid chair. “Oh, I knew all along they’d be the best team,” she says. “It took them long enough to get their acts together, but those two fools… they’re gonna make it.”
I can’t help but laugh along with everyone else, wishing I could tell her right now how right she was. Next are the Badgers, who are predictably rowdy, talking over one another and vying for the spotlight.
Breezy announces, “I plan on getting married before the next season. So watch out, Sumer Morrison. I’m comin’ for ya, girl.” Drew gives an eye roll at his antics, but then Titan grows teary when he mentions how long he’s admired Owen’s ethics in everything. School, sports, and now marriage. Owen pinches the bridge of his nose, then wraps an arm around my shoulders, tucking me into his side.
Owen’s coaches talk about his dedication and that his injury served as something of a blessing in disguise, forcing him into the break he’s needed for some time. Another shot appears in Tots, Collaborate & Listen with quick interviews from the Banner brothers, Roman and Chloe Rivers—an obvious PR choice from production—Mr. and Mrs. Cotten, who discuss what they suspect our romance entails, and then… a woman I’ve never seen before but recognize as soon as I hear her voice.
Erin Cruz has long, silky-smooth, black hair framing her tan skin with curtain bangs that make her look as mysterious and sultry as she sounds. “I think it’s no secret that Owen is an incredible talent, but I can’t help but note how surprised I was by this marriage and subsequent competition. I knew nothing about either,” she says, her plump lips dark red and impossible to look away from. Owen’s grasp around me goes noticeably tense, and my heart sinks. Who is she and how does she know Owen? It’s convenient that I forgot all about Erin Cruz with the sexy voice while I’ve been in my love bubble here, hidden from the world. But all of that is clearly about to end. “I was under the impression that Owen was single,” she continues. “But I look forward to discussing the future when Owen returns to the real world.”
“Brooke,” he whispers, and I think I must be crying. I shake my head. There are cameras everywhere. Pointed at us and taking in every single reaction from multiple angles.
Then, my mom appears on the screen. She’s standing in front of her station at Bless Your Hair, a black apron covering her casual work clothes, her hair in a perfect bouffant, and makeup more heavy-handed than usual. It’s evident she knew she’d be on camera that day, but I can tell she’s nervous, biting the inside of her cheek like she does when she isn’t sure what to say. Her hands lean on the counter behind her, knocking a few of her diecast miniatures off the desk. The miniatures my dad gave her.That she’s kept in every important room of her life, just waiting for him to come home and see the small shrine she’s kept in his honor.
My hands clench into fists until I feel my nails biting into my palms.
“Well, I’ve always been a fan of Owen, of course. So when I heard they were getting married and doing this show, I couldn’t have been happier.” She picks up a collectible and holds it in her hands. Something to fiddle with. “Of course, I want them to make it to the finale. I mean, a million dollars is a lot of money, and Brooke and I… Well, we’ve always had a hard time. I just hope she has better luck than me.”
My eyes narrow in on that car and the fact that for this interview, filmed sometime in the last fifty days, my mom is not wearing a wedding ring. Her voice starts to shake. To anyone else, it probably looks like a mother missing her daughter. I wish they’d turn it off. I wish I didn’t now notice the dark circles under her eyes or the fact that her nails are chewed down to the bits and unpolished. Or that she looks thinner than the last time I saw her.
Owen’s thumb makes circles on my shoulder. I just know he’s itching to talk me down.
My mom’s interview ends with a simple but slightly cynical, “Good luck.” And the jumbotron turns off completely.
“Contestants from Tink Three and Four,” Sumer says as soon as production gives her the nod. “Please enter your booths. The offers begin now.”
I’m eternally grateful neither Owen nor myself are claustrophobic, as our soundproof booth is just shy of the size of our bathroom. There’s no room for anything but standing, suffocating on the weight of what we just watched and all of the implications.
Owen rests his hands on my waist, with nowhere else to put them, and I suspect, to keep me as close as possible. “Brookey,” he squeezes my waist, kissing my forehead. This box is so small, my chin all but rests on his throat with little room to look up or down. “Talk to me.”
“I’m fine.”
“We both know that you aren’t. Let’s talk, Babe.”
