Dad stands up after he’s done, holds out his hand, and leads Mum to the grass. He pulls her into his arms, and they start to dance.
“Don’t they need music?” Mack asks.
Asher, Cordelia, and I answer at the exact same time. “They don’t need music; they have the rhythm of their hearts.”
We sigh, and I reach for Pops’ hand.
“We’re really thrilled to have you back, Sofia.”
Suddenly, the weight of my secrets is too heavy, and I want to tell my pops. I want him to tell me how I can get out of it. How can I make all the trouble go away without anyone getting hurt or losing face with my family?
I want to tell him how hard it’s been. How much I missed them. How badly I wanted to come home.
“Sofa?” Pops whispers.
I blink back tears. “I’m okay. I'm just so glad to be home.”
He squeezes my fingers but then pulls away to referee Cordie and Sebastian, who have started to squabble again. The moment has passed, and I’m stuck, with the words frozen inside me, unable to find their way free.
“I want what they have,” Mack says to me. “A love that lasts decades, still dancing and in love after all these years. A partnership.”
“Me, too,” I murmur.
“I would love to keep you, but Elijah has a surprise for you.”
“For me?”
Elijah stands up and holds out his hand. “I promised to steal you away for our night date.”
I look around.
“Go, we’ll clean up!” Imogen says.
“I’m going to take Gramps and Gran back,” Sebastian says, almost in defiance. I think he’s doing it to get away from everyone.
“You rascal, how many times have I told you not to call us that!” Grandma snaps.
“I need to hear it at least once more.”
She scowls at him, but Grandma has always had a soft spot for Sebastian.
“Do I need anything?”
“No, Mack and Devon are going to watch Danger. They’re going to snuggle up and watch a movie so he will be perfectly safe.”
I chew my lip, nervous to be alone with him, which is ridiculous, but my awareness of Elijah is different from how I knew Mack and Devon. No, I want to go and have fun.
He holds out his hand, and I put mine in his without hesitation.
“Night, everyone,” Elijah says.
“Bye!” they all call back and then go back to what they were doing.
“How does it feel being back with everyone?”
“It feels weird, like I’m watching it from a distance, but it feels the same, too. I wonder if I’ve changed too much for Sunshine Cove.”
Elijah almost trips.
