Sierra shook her head, her eyes hard—but beneath the anger, I recognized something else.Something that felt a lot like … disappointment.But also love.And acceptance.
“You’s leaving, Auntie MyMy?”I looked down, my heart twisting as Carter stared up at me with wide, trusting eyes.“Where’s you going?Can I come too?”
“You were going to leave Carter?”Sierra gasped as though I’d reached inside her and ripped out her soul.“Cute little tiny Carter?How could you, Maya?How could you?”
“She’s right, you know.”Andie stepped up next to Carter, ruffling his hair while glaring at me, her eyes wet with unshed tears.“You can’t just disappear on us.How would I explain that to him?‘Oh, Auntie MyMy left and might not come back, but don’t worry about it.’?” She exhaled a shuddering breath.“Don’t you think he’s had enough of that in his life?Does he really deserve to have yetanotherperson leave him without a word?That’s not how you treat the people who love you.That’s not how you treatfamily.”
The wordfamilysat heavily between us.But she was right.
“You’re right.You’re all right.Nana’s right.Sierra’s right.Liam’s right.Andie’s right—”
“Don’t forget us!”Kai called out from the far end of the counter.I whipped around to see Greg and Mr.Fluffy settling in next to Kai, who was watching me as if this were the latest episode ofReal Housewives.“We think slinking out in the dead of night like a common criminal and deserting the people who love you without so much as ahow do you dois a supremely selfish thing to do.”
I looked around.
Everyone was here.Dottie and Dave.The Pattersons.Every member of the book club.The Hurleys.The entireGet Fit and Die Tryingcrew.The only person missing was Nana, but that was because she’d already read me the riot act.
These people showed up at the ass-crack of dawn to tell me how much I mattered.To tell me they loved me.
I blinked rapidly at the stinging in my eyes as my feelings threatened to drown me.“What the hell, you guys?Is this an intervention?”With a chuckle, I added, “Do you all have letters you’ll read to me next?”
“I wanted to,” Kai said, “but Andie said that would be too much.”
Sierra snapped her head toward him.“That’snotwhat she said, Kai.Stop lying.She said that after last night’s trauma, dumping a pile of heartfelt letters on Maya all at once would be overwhelming.”She scoffed.“Why must you always be such a drama queen?”
“I’ma drama queen?You literally said the same thing I did, but you turned it into some sort of dramatic soliloquy.It’ssolike you to love the sound of your own voice.”
Sierra’s eye twitched.“Do you always have to be right?You’re such a son of a bit—”
“Okay!”Andie clapped her hands, interrupting their brewing argument.“How about the two of you revisit that later?In private.”She turned her attention back to me.“Maya?You’re staying, right?”
I hesitated.“Oh, I…” I wanted to stay, but should I?After everything I’d put everyone through, it would be better for me to leave.Everyone would be better off if I found somewhere else to live.
Liam, who’d been silent until now, took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.It was like he could tell where my mind had gone and jumped in to derail my train of thought.“I hope you’ll stay,” he murmured softly for only me to hear.“I just found you, and I can’t stand the thought of losing you already.And besides,” he continued, “Nana’s right.There’s no way in hell I can take over that book club.Have you seen the Pattersons’ annotations?”His whole body shuddered.“Some things can’t be unseen.”
I snort-laughed.“So you’re admitting you’re a prude?”
He smiled.“If it means I never have to look at Mr.Patterson’s instructional diagrams or read Mrs.Patterson’s margin noteseveragain, then yes.I am a prude, and I don’t care who knows it.”He squeezed my hand again.“We can have shirts made.I will let my prude flag fly.”
Greg stepped forward to hand me an oversized manila envelope.“Nana wanted me to give this to you.You’re supposed to open this here.She said once you see what’s inside, you’d know how serious she is about you staying.”
I glanced at Liam for a hint of what was in the envelope, but he just shook his head.“No idea.The deed to the building, maybe?Or a copy of her will?”
I cracked open the envelope and pulled out the first paper, a tattered, coffee-stained sheet of loose-leaf.My eyes widened, and I gasped.“She’s giving me her shortbread recipe?”
“Theshortbread recipe?”Liam asked, craning his neck for a better look at the recipe.“She’s never let anyone see that.And she’s giving it to you?”
Hugging the paper, emotion swelled in my chest.It was the most amazing gift anyone had ever given me.I needed to lock it in the safe.No, laminate it, andthenlock it up.For now, though, I folded it and tucked it into my pocket for safekeeping.
Reaching back into the still-full envelope, my fingers brushed against a slick paper.Huh.That’s weird.Not what I imagined a will would feel like.Unless … My heart skipped with sudden excitement.Instead of carefully pulling out the remaining papers, like I had the recipe, I ripped the envelope open.Photos rained down around us in a cyclone; fragments of teenage angst and awkwardness flashed as they spun circles in the air.
Dozens and dozensof photos.
“Oh.My.God,” Sierra whispered, half laughing, half in shock, her hand clamped over her mouth.“You had a perm?”
Andie cackled, waving a photo.“Look!He’s wearing a powder-blue tux with a ruffled shirt in this one.”
“I’ve got a Canadian tuxedo here,” Kai announced, tapping the image in front of him.“All denimeverything.”
