“Did you now? I hope she didn’t scare you.”
“I think it may have been the other way around.” I sense Mom slipping me an amused look, but I’m still focused on the back house.
“Is that so?”
The skid of a glass sliding across the marble counter finally draws my focus back to the kitchen. I pick up my tea and take a sip.
“My mom might have told Kimmie it’s a full moon tonight. And then invited her to dance underneath it.”
Rebecca pulls her own glass away from her lips mid-sip. “Oh, hun, tell me you recorded that.”
“Sorry,” I say sincerely. “My phone isn’t that smart.”
“Well, now, there’s an easy fix. I just got a new phone, and you’re more than welcome to have my old one. I can help you set it up later.” Rebecca beams at me, then immediately stiffens when her eyes slide to Mom’s. A light flush works its way from the skin at the base of her throat all the way to her dark brown hairline. “I mean, if you’re all right with that? Not that there’s anything wrong with her current phone, or your phone for that matter, or ... well, I just meant maybe, if she wanted—”
Mom sets her tea on the bar, the crispthunkslicing through the air. “You know what? A new phone might be good for you.”
My brows knit as I watch her. “Really?”
“Sure.” She shrugs. “Why not?”
Shelooksfine. Shesoundsfine. So why isn’t she making eye contact with me or Rebecca?
“Hey,” she says suddenly, taking both my hands in hers. “I just had an idea. You can still see the stars from here, can’t you?”
“Uh ... yeah?” I don’t know why it comes out like a question. Probably because I’m really confused by the change of topic.
“Perfect.” She turns to Rebecca, her lips lifting in a small but genuine smile. “It really was wonderful meeting you. I hope you don’t mind if I steal Blue for myself some more?”
“Not at all.” Rebecca waves a hand through the air, and I’m pretty sure it’s relief I see flash across her features. “You two enjoy.”
Mom tugs me through the living room and up the stairs as if she knows this house better than I do. “This time of year still gets pretty chilly at night here, right?”
“Usually.” I throw her a sideways look, unable to bite my tongue this time. “You never told me you’re from here.”
“Didn’t I?” She yanks the comforter off my bed.
“No.”
“Hmm. Will you get the pillows?”
When I realize what she’s doing, a flicker of warmth swells inside my chest like a small candle being lit. I pluck the two fluffiest pillows from my bed.
“Come on,” she whispers, leading me back into the hall. I’ve missed the way she talks to me. Like we’re in on some big secret even though it’s always just the two of us. Or, at least, it used to be.
We tiptoe down the steps. Well, I tiptoe. Mom’s just doing her natural fluid stroll. Until she’s not, and I smack right into her back at the sudden halt.
“What is it?” I start to move around her, but my feet freeze at the sight of my dad.
He’s standing by the front door, Rebecca’s hand on his shoulder. She quickly closes her mouth, and I know we’ve interrupted. She was probably trying to give him a heads-up, but the way he’s staring at Mom—like he’s just been smacked in the face by a ton of bricks and can’t get the stars out of his eyes—makes me think Rebecca never got the chance to finish.
Something’s changed. I can feel it in the atmosphere. The weight of the air on my skin. Waves of silence swirl in my ears, desperate to be broken.
My gaze travels back to Mom, whose lips are parted, eyes wide. Her slender fingers grip the side railing like she might collapse without its support. Her chest rises and falls in quick movements, and she clutches the comforter to her as if that will calm it.
My dad opens his mouth. “Susie ...”
Never in my life have I seen my mom so rattled. It’s like her heart’s caught in her throat, stealing her ability to speak.
