I am not most people.
I offered to take Maria back to her house to grab her things and she promptly had a panic attack. The thought of seeing him again sent her over the edge. So, fuck that. I just ordered her a bunch of new clothes, new sheets, new everything. With my dad’s credit card. A charge he may or may not question later. Whatever. A problem for later me. At first, Maria protested, but later I walked past her room and found her hugging a hideous fuzzy neon purple sweater to her chest like it was a lifeline. I promptly ordered a bunch more purple shit.
The first morning Maria joined us for breakfast, my parents were surprised but didn’t question it. The second, my dad simply grabbed another plate. By the third, my mom was gripping her coffee mug so hard I was afraid it would break, and my dad was watching us two with a knowing look in his eye. Ever the surgeon putting the pieces together. On the fifth night, when Maria was in the shower and Amazon had dropped off even more boxes, my dad asked what was up. I explained everything best I could, trying to walk the line between “not my story to tell” and “yeah, I may have used your credit card without permission but there’s a good reason.” I then fixed him with a look that dared himto challenge the new arrangements. He had simply nodded and walked out.
The next morning, I overheard him on the phone. I may or may not have eavesdropped long enough to realize he was getting Maria’s grandma in home care. That’s when I knew he was on our side. I told Maria, and she sobbed. Again. So much crying. I blame the hormones. She cried at dinner too, thanking him. My mom watched everything with a thin-lipped smile.
By this point, winter break was in full swing. I had hoped the cold would deter the bikes but I was not so lucky. Jackson and his merry band of idiots had stopped destroying my peace of mind but still drove by daily, albeit quietly. Not that it mattered much. Maria and I both were barely clinging to sanity. What a pair we made.
One day, I was in the kitchen with Maria while she made herself a cup of peppermint tea. It had taken a hot minute before she would do anything in the kitchen, like she was afraid the cabinets wouldn’t open for her, or the dishwasher might attack her. But either she was finally comfortable or the need for peppermint tea was strong enough that she overcame her fear of cutlery. Evidently it helped the morning sickness. She still doesn’t talk a lot which was why I was a bit shocked to hear her voice.
“You ever see snow before, hermana?”
“Snow?” I shook my head, and joined her at the window. Sure enough, thick white flurries are falling from the sky, layering over the world like it could cover up anything ugly if it tried hard enough. It never snowed back home. “Snow! Ohmigawd Maria, it’s snowing! Look! I thought it never snowed in Georgia?”
She smiled, her first in a long time, “Yeah, Christmas miracle, I guess. You got a snow jacket in that big closet of yours?”
As a matter of fact, I did. I had been dying to play in the snow since I was a kid. I needed to know what it felt like, andeven though I knew Georgia had, quite literally, a snowball’s chance in hell of a white Christmas…I had hoped we would get lucky. I grabbed Maria’s free hand and pulled her towards the stairs. After changing quickly, I found her in the hallway in a knee-length purple and silver parka. Mine was red and gold and flashy. Completely ridiculous. I loved it. Back downstairs, I found our front yard almost completely covered already. I turned to Maria, who hovered behind me. “This seems like a lot.”
She shrugged. “It is. I can’t really remember a storm like this.”
“This is awesome!”
She shrugged again, but was fighting a smile. “Sure. But it’s cold too.”
I cast her a sideways glance, “Can you even feel the cold through that jacket? Is it safe for the baby?”
Maria’s hand hovered over her belly, which was still flat. “I am fairly confident the baby will be fine. You know, I have an appointment in a couple of weeks.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah, but…I don’t want to go alone. I was wondering, would you want to go with me? You don’t have to.”
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, and I blinked them away before nodding furiously. “Yes, absolutely. Yes.”
She smiled at me, and then walked out into the curtain of white. I watched as she stood, face tilted towards the sky. She kicked a little at the snow by her feet, which easily covered her boots. Looking back at me, she winked before allowing herself to fall backwards. She landed with a soft whoop sound, and just lay there. I was beginning to worry until a sound filled the air. It was soft, hesitant, but hopeful. Beautiful. She was laughing. With a smile, I ran out to her and threw myself belly-down onto the ground beside her.
Maria introduced me to the ancient art of a snowball fight. Turns out, I was quite good at it. Which was how we both found ourselves panting and wet and happy an hour later. My dad pulled up in his beloved Buick, but another guy got out of the passenger side. I didn’t recognize him, though something about his hulking form and dark eyes was familiar. Maria definitely did and immediately froze. “Oh, boy,” she muttered as she stood up next to me. Almost unconsciously, she reached for my hand. I let her. And frowned at the newcomer that was making my friend nervous as they approached.
“Hi, Mr. Mills.” Maria offered up a soft, hesitant smile at the big man who immediately engulfed her in hug. She all but disappeared but managed to send me a wide-eyed look from under his arms.
My dad stopped between us and reached for me. I dodged his reach but stepped closer as he made the introductions. “Bug, honey. This is August Mills. He runs the motorcycle club down the road. And he sits on the hospital board. You might know his sons? Dalton and Maverick? Dalton is in your grade; Maverick graduated a couple years ahead of you.”
August Mills released Maria, who stepped closer to me, looking a bit frazzled. “You must be Holly. Your father has told me a lot about you.” His Southern accent was thick, but somehow warm? I frowned at him again, trying to decide if he was trustworthy or not.
Dad was staring at me expectantly so I forced up a thin lipped smile. He didn’t seem like a bad dude, I guess. But I am not kidding when I say the guy was huge. He made my dad look like a toddler. His bright blue eyes, which were a replica of his son’s, were open and friendly. But still. Trust issues and all that. I didn’t say a word until I looked over at my dad again and found him with a vein pulsing in his neck. Sighing, I bared my teeth in what I was hoping was a friendly smile and said, “Hi.”
Mr. Mills didn’t seem the least bit fazed by me and turned to Maria who had been watching the whole exchange. “I hear you’ve been staying with the McCarthys?” Maria looked between me, my dad, and back to Mr. Mills. She suddenly became very interested in the roughed-up snow at her feet and nodded mutely. “Well, you know if you need anything to let me and Hannah know. Anything at all, darling. That good-for-nothing boyfriend of yours…” His blue eyes darkened in a way that made him look about hundred times scarier. “I never did like him.”
Well. If I was Jesse, I would be moving to the next county. Or country. New planet? The leader of the Steel Saints was definitely not the kind of guy you wanted to piss off. There was a bit of an awkward silence as we all stared at him. Then my dad cleared his throat and said, “Are you sure I can’t get you to stay for dinner, August?”
The big man shook his head. “Thanks but Hannah is making fried chicken and I’ll be damned if I miss that. But”—he turned his attention back to Maria and I—“the Saints are hosting a sort of winter gathering in a couple weeks, right before school starts. Snowball fights if the weather cooperates, hot cocoa, bonfire. Y’all should come!”
My dad nodded eagerly, his head bobbing so hard I was afraid it would fall off. Mr. Mills must be a big deal. “Absolutely, we will be there! Are you sure I can’t give you a ride to the clubhouse?”
We will?! Aw, fuck me. I knew exactly who else would be there. I wondered if Mr. Mills knew just how much of a pain in the ass his son and his friends were. Mr. Mills was reassuring my dad that it was just a short walk, and he would be fine. Maria excused herself, then grabbed me by the hand again, all but yanking me back towards the house. Once inside, she stripped out of her winter gear quickly and turned to me with a huff.
“Ohmigawd. I’ve never been to the club house. Like, never. But the Mills? They are like everything to this town. Everything. Jesse never let me go over there. Ever. And now? I’m freaking rotund and pregnant and I look like a lumpy pillow! Hi, everyone. I’m Maria, the town hoe. The pregnant teen. The oddity. Nice to meet ya!”
