Theo clears his throat and sputters as he tries to refocus on his conversation with Dave.
For some reason, seeing a little agony creep into Theo’s expression gives me a hint of pleasure. The tension between my brows releases slightly. “Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?” I ask Millie.
“Can I trust you not to burn anything?”
“Maybe give me an easy job?”
***
As it turns out, I have a gift for struggling with easy kitchen jobs. I’ve been given the task of making a salad, which sounded pretty straightforward. But somehow, Tessa has already told me that the lettuce pieces are too big, and Fable informed me that I added more cucumber than I should’ve.
“Fabes, I love your dress. You sure got fancy for dinner,” Tessa says from the stove, stirring green beans. Her brown hair is in a neat French braid that I wish I could replicate for Avery.
“You’ve seen this dress a hundred times.” Fable presses the masher into the potatoes with a tight jaw.
“Sorry. I thought it was a compliment.” Tessa smirks over her shoulder, a hidden meaning dancing through her eyes. “You look nice is all I’m saying.”
“Are you going out later?” Millie asks, her tone attempting innocence as she cuts the garlic bread into perfectly symmetrical slices next to me.
Fable drops the potato masher on the counter with aclang. “No. I wanted to look nice for ourmother’s birthday.” She slams her hands down on her hips, daring anyone to contradict her.
“Mm. Okay.” Millie meets Tessa’s eyes, and they share a knowing look.
Tessa wipes her hands on a kitchen towel. “Theo sure looks good. He’s all rugged and charming tonight, and I like it.” She moves to the sink and starts washing a bowl.
“Well, you’ve always had a thing for unkempt lumberjacks.” Fable glares at her sister’s back.
Tessa doesn’t let the insult touch her as she laughs heartily. “Yeah, I kind of dig it on Theo.”
With a low growl, Fable places the bowl of mashed potatoes on the counter beside my salad and stomps out of the kitchen.
“You poked the bear, Tess,” Millie says, sneaking the heel of the bread to a patient Pepper between us.
“That’s the job of the oldest sister.” Tessa shrugs.
“True,” I chime in. “My older sister knew exactly where to poke to make me the angriest.” I drop the last bit of tomato into the salad and open the croutons.
“How much older was she?” Tessa asks. The way she phrases her question lets me know Millie has already told her about Clara, and the relief of that relaxes my shoulders.
“Four years. Luckily, we were never in high school together, or she would’ve made my life a living hell.”
Millie’s eyes flick to Tessa’s. “Been there. Tessa wasn’t too bad, but she had her moments.”
“Usually after you borrowed my clothes and didn’t return them,” Tessa grumbles.
“One time, when I was in middle school,” I say, “Clara told me I needed to practice how to talk to girls in the bathroom mirror. She said that’s how all the boys in high school learned. I believedher and stayed up late having an entire conversation with myself.” I shake my head, my cheeks heating. “Turned out she was recording the whole thing from the shower and played it for my friends the next day.”
Their bright laughter rings through the kitchen as I clean up my salad-making mess. Memories of Clara seem so cloudy in my mind sometimes, like I can’t concentrate on them, because if I do, the pain of missing her will sharpen. But watching Millie with her sisters makes me want to clear the haze and pull them into focus. Iwantto remember what I had with Clara, because every time I do, my chest feels a little lighter.
Chapter 27
Millie
There might not be anything hotter than two tall, handsome men hunched over the sink together, hand-washing the dinner dishes. I shamelessly watch them from the doorway as Finn hands Theo a pan to dry.
Finn seems to have recovered from whatever put him in a terrible mood when Theo arrived. Now he’s answering questions about the logistics of the planetarium like they’ve been friends forever.
Walking toward the sink, I loop my hand into the crook of Finn’s arm. “I have a little surprise to show you after the girls go to bed.” I catch Theo’s eyes behind Finn’s back, and he winks at me. “My mom said she would listen for the girls in case they wake up.”
