“You know, you could have your own big, broody man if you wanted.” Halle wiggles her brows at her.
“Nope.” Tessa holds up her glass, taking a long sip. “We’re not going there tonight. I’m off limits.” Her eyes swing to me, sly and sparkling. “You, however, are not. Spill. Tell us everything.”
I glance at Sarah beside me. Her smile is soft, welcoming,her eyes moving between the three of us like she’s taking everything in.
“Is this weird for you?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
Her answering laugh calms my nerves instantly. “Weird? No. I’m a single mom. The most exciting part of my day is negotiating snacks and counting down to bedtime. This”—she waves a hand around the table—“is not weird, this is fantastic.”
Tessa bursts out laughing, and Halle’s mouth quirks into a grin.
I bite my lip, nerves crawling over me. “So, you and Hunter…” The words stumble out. “You never…”
“Oh my god, no!” she splutters, her eyes going wide.
Something in my chest loosens, all the tight what-ifs I’d worked up inside my head unravel at once. I sink lower into my chair, tip my head back, and take a deep breath.
“I’m so sorry,” I blurt, turning back to her. “I thought, when I saw you this morning, with him, with your son… the way he was with you both—I didn’t know what to think. He’s been gone for so long and I just…” My lungs tighten, forcing me to breathe. “I thought the worst. Not that it would have been the worst, just that?—”
“Hey, hey.” Sarah reaches over, curling her hand around mine. Her eyes soften, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she waits for me to calm down.
“He’s done nothing but talk about you, about how badly he messed up.” Her gaze falls to Halle, then back to me. “Hunter’s got a lot to answer for. He and I… We were there for each other growing up; we both come from shitty backgrounds. When he came back, he found me in a different shitty situation, only this time, I had Remi with me. Why he left and didn’t contact anyone is his story to tell. I’ve already kicked his ass once, and will continue to until he makes things right.” She squeezes my hand. “But please know we are strictly platonic. Best friends, Uncle Hunt kind of way.”
I really thought the worst here. I hate that I did that. The shame of it stings, because Sarah has been nothing but kind, nothing but welcoming. I didn’t need to build a wall against her the second I saw her. My throat feels too tight for words, so I just nod, hoping the look in my eyes is enough to convey how much that means to me.
“Uncle Hunt? That’s something I thought I’d never hear,” Tessa snickers. “Wait, does that mean we get to be aunties? Oh my god.Aunty Tess-Tess.”
“Wow, how much have you had to drink?” Halle asks.
“It’s her first glass,” I say.
“Remi doesn’t have any aunts or uncles. He’s only ever had me. I think he’d love to have some, though,” Sarah says quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
I get the sense she’s been doing it on her own for too long. My heart aches for her. Across the table, Halle and Tessa give me a quick, silent nod, agreeing with the thought running through my head. She doesn’t have to do this alone anymore. We’ll be her family now.
“How old is Remi? What’s his favorite snack? Favorite color?” The words rush out of me.
Sarah blinks at my sudden questions. When she realizes I’m asking because I want to—not because I have to—the guarded lines around her eyes ease, her mouth curving into a wide smile displaying two deep dimples.
“He’s three, loves crackers, and his favorite color is green.” Her whole face lights up when she says it.
“I still can’t believe you’re here and with a three-year-old. I feel like I’ve missed out on so much,” Halle says, her voice laced with guilt.
“You’re telling me. Your boyfriend is Hunter’s best friend?” Sarah smirks at her playfully.
Halle takes a long sip of her wine, her eyes fixed on the swirling red instead of Sarah and the topic of Asher. Her shoulders dip in a way I recognize. Nine months ago, she would have excused herself, disappeared into the background. Now, she stays, even with her fingers tapping against her leg. Asher changed something in her. She sees herself now, believes she belongs at this table, in this town, in this family. Still, now and then, the anxiety will creep back in. I catch it in the way her chin dips, how she fidgets with something near—a napkin, her glass, the corner of the table. I hate that she’s still fighting it, but that’s what makes her the strongest person I know.
“So, who wants to hear what I did this afternoon?” I say, trying to drag the attention away from Halle.
She gives me a grateful smile, and I send one back, hoping it’s enough. “I’m gonna need more wine for this. Maybe a shovel to dig myself a hole to crawl into, too.” I grimace.
“Oh, come on, it can’t be that bad,” Tessa says, leaning forward with a smirk.
I ignore her—because yes, itisthat bad—and reach for the wine, topping my glass up before taking a sip to settle my nerves. The warmth spreads through me, slowing my racing thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I start from the beginning. I tell them about my awkward run-in with Hunter this morning, the spiral Connor pulled me out of at the bar, and how he stepped in to cover for me when Hunter walked in. The girls gasp, laugh, and curse Hunter under their breath, and I feel some of the tension sliding off my shoulders with each word. It feels good. To finally get it all out in the open, to have them validate the way I’ve beenfeeling all day. Even Sarah agrees with Halle and Tessa. She’s a girl’s girl. The support she’s giving me makes me want to do everything in my power to make sure she never feels alone again.
“That’s not all that happened today,” I admit, as I bury my face in my hands.
My cheeks burn with the memory of bumping into Xavier, how he looked me over like I was something worth chasing, how he actually ran after me. I hop up before the girls drop questions, crossing to the kitchen counter where I discarded the folded paper earlier. I grab another bottle of wine, the one on the table already finished. By the time I return to my seat, I’ve cooled my face into something resembling calm, though my heart still beats fast. Setting the wine down, I toss the paper into the center of the table.
