I laugh as Mom and Lucas shake hands, too.
The barista is hovering outside, too, clearly wanting her cart back. She darts into the conference room and returns a few moments later with it.
Mom and I both grab a cup. Then Mom looks at Lucas. “Did you want one?”
“No, I don’t drink coffee.”
Mom gives him a horrified look. “Oh. Well, I’m sure you have other things going for you.”
Lucas laughs hard. “I hope so.”
Mom smiles and glances between us. Then she sighs.
“Your father and I caught up on some headlines on the way from the airport,” she says, her voice dropping about fifteen degrees. “Jake and I are going to have a very long conversation.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask, both worried for Jake and grateful that she cares enough to want to make this right.
“We’re not going to ground him,” Dad says.
“I make no promises.” Mom pulls out her phone and her eyes flash as she looks at the Find a Friend app. “Oh, funny. He’s in the hotel right now.” She gives us a sharp smile, but her eyes are tender when she puts a finger under my chin. “Scottie, why don’t you and Lucas go back to your room. Your father and I have a mess to clean up.”
It’s amazing how she can go from fierce to feeling in a blink of an eye. “Okay.” I let go of Lucas to hug Mom.
“Thank you for coming.”
“I’m sorry it took so long,” she says.
When I watch my parents stride toward the elevator, I lean back into Lucas’s hug. I feel raw from crying so hard, and when I try to smile, it almost hurts. Healing doesn’t come in an instant, but hope can. And I’m filled with so much hope for a future with my family that it’s leaking out of my eyes.
“Let’s go up,” Lucas says, kissing my temple.
“Should we take the stairs?” I ask as we grab my bags and start toward the hall.
Lucas whimpers, and I laugh. His hand finds the small of my back like it belongs there. The elevator doors slide open with a soft chime, and we step inside, over the line at the exact same moment.
Equal.
All in.
Together.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Scottie
My legs are slung across Lucas’s lap and my lips are on his when I get a text that I ignore.
His hand is in my hair when he gets a text that he ignores.
We’re very busy kissing ourselves into oblivion when we get an actual phone call on the actual room phone that makes us finally break apart.
“Hello?” I snap.
“Hey, sweetie,” my dad says, not sounding apologetic at all. “Turn the TV on to ESPN.”
We’re sitting on the couch in my room, so Lucas is close enough to hear. He grabs the remote and switches the TV on.
Jake is taking a seat in the Firebirds media room.
