“Sure.”
“You really think I’m hot?”
28
ADMISSION NUMBER THREE
Home by Phillip Phillips
Holden
“Someone’s in a good mood today,”Daisy mentions from the beige couch in my living room. My friends, all of them, decided to have brunch at my place without letting me know. Aspen was the mastermind behind it, and everyone else followed along.
“It’s almost like I knew you would be,” Aspen says, throwing a grape into his mouth. “Who knew all he needed was a girlfriend to cure his grumpiness?”
“I can be in a good mood and still murder you, Aspen.”
“I can be in a good mood and still murder you, Aspen,” he mocks, popping another grape into his mouth and draping his arm around Julia. “Julia, darling, do you think he’ll ever lighten up?”
Julia side-eyes him and snakes away from his hold. “Don’t touch me, West.”
“So maybe none of you are in a good mood, and I just seem to see the bright side of things.”
Julia grunts, the rest of my friends laugh, and I shake my head. Chili’s lying on Oliver’s lap while he pets her, and the kids are outside, causing a riot while Liam, Lucas, and his new girlfriend watch them. Baby Calla is in my arms, as calm as she can be.
“The baby suits you,” Daisy adds, smiling softly.
“Is she always this chill?”
“Except at ten at night, when she acts like the world is going to end if she’s not being held,” Daisy says.
Mateo shakes his head. “She’s not as chill in the middle of the night either.”
“What? She sleeps through the night,” Daisy tells her husband, concerned.
He shakes his head again. “She does not.Yousleep like the dead, so I take care of her. Other than that, though, she’s pretty chill.”
Daisy's face softens as she realizes her husband has been doing something so kind for her. It makes me happy to see these two idiots finally allowing themselves some happiness. It took them forever to realize they both felt the same way, and now that they’re together, it makes more sense.
Julia and Oliver are discussing a plan for Stella. She’s been getting help before she starts second grade in a couple of weeks, and then I remember Natalie mentioning something about Izzy.
“Hey Jules, do we have any support for teens who have lost a parent?”
All eyes are on me, as if I spoke something completely out of the realm of possibilities.
“One of your players?” she asks. Technically, she is; she’s also the daughter of the woman I’m slowly falling in love with, but I don’t want to say that.
“Yes.”
“We actually do. We have a group for kids between thirteen and sixteen. Her parent would need to tour the place and talk to intake, do paperwork, but she could start in the next session. I’m leading it, actually.”
“Can I come?” Aspen asks, and we all look at him. With his hands up, he gets up and starts to walk away. “I’m going outside with the people who actually like me.”
“Just have them call on Monday,” Julia adds, and I nod. Calla starts stirring and pouting, so I return her to her mom, who gladly takes her.
“Speaking about the center. Holden, I was looking at the seating chart for the gala to finalize it, and I noticed the seat next to you is empty.”
Well, shit. I thought I had more time before I had to write a name or something down. I haven’t had a chance to ask Natalie if she wants to come with me, and this would be the first time I’ve brought someone.
