Tears shine in her eyes. “It’s so sweet of you to want to do that, but I can’t accept it.”
I give her a pointed look. “It’s a gift. There will still be money left over from the bonus, and I’ll do something for myself, too.”
“Jules.” Her tone is scolding. “That’s your money. I can’t put into words how much it means that you take care of us and are putting me through nursing school. I’d be lost without you, and worried about feeding my kids. But I do have my pride, and I can’t take something so extravagant.”
“You’re assuming I’m not getting anything out of it,” I say softly.
She knits her brows together. “You said you can’t go.”
“I can’t. But you, me, and the boys, we’re a package deal. I don’t work like I do just so I can have half a million followers and buy expensive clothes. It’s for our home, and our savings, and so we don’t have to eat beans out of a can for dinner.”
A sad smile flickers across her face. “Hey, the beans were better than uncooked spaghetti noodles. Remember that?”
I wish I didn’t, but I do. “You and I never even dreamed of going to Disney World. Our childhood dreams were much simpler, and the only one that ever came true was getting the hell away from her.” I take a deep breath, fighting the swell of emotion in my throat. “The boys will never know what that feels like. They deserve a fun week with you. No studying, no classes, just fun. It means everything to me that I can make thathappen.” When I blink, tears spill onto my cheeks. “Don’t say no.”
My sister is also crying when she throws her arms around me again. “Okay. The boys are going to lose their shit when we tell them.”
I pull back and smile at her. “Let’s do it tonight. I have to go over to Carter Stanton’s house to get content of him and his pet pig, but I’ll have plenty of time to book it before dinner.”
She swipes her fingers over her cheeks to dry the tears. “I love you.”
“I love you back. Now go study vomit.”
Her response is half laugh, half groan.
Carter’s wife,Suki, greets me like an old friend when I ring their doorbell an hour later.
“Jules! I’m so excited to finally meet you. Come in!”
I step inside their luxurious but comfortable home in a ritzy Cleveland suburb, and she hugs me.
“I promise not to make it weird, but my friend Mara follows you on IG, and she got me to follow you, and now we’re both obsessed.”
I laugh, distracted by the massive pig approaching us in the open two-story foyer. “Thank you. You don’t look like you need any style advice, though.”
Suki is effortlessly beautiful, her caramel hair up in a loose bun. She’s wearing jeans, a lightweight cream sweater, and tall tan boots.
“Pretty much all the makeup I own I got from your recommendations,” she says.
The pig is wearing a custom-made Crush jersey, and he snuffles at my feet, his snout working its way up my lower legs to my waist.
“Darling, stop,” Suki scolds.
I bend down to pet him, already charmed by their massive pet. “He’s adorable. I love his name.”
“Our youngest daughter, Hallie, named him. And before I forget, our oldest asked if you can stay until she gets home from school because she’s dying to get a selfie with you.”
I rub the top of Darling’s head and his snuffling sound intensifies. “Me?”
“She and her friends are skin care obsessed, and they follow you.”
“Hey, Jules.” Carter approaches us, holding a baby in one arm.
“Oh my gosh.” I stand up to look at the baby and Darling squeals.
“You’re not the only one who gets attention around here,” Suki says, patting his back.
“This is Rachel,” Carter says, passing the baby off to his wife.
