I tell him about Alicia’s change of plans, how she decided, at the last minute, to have a small party at home. He listens, asking thoughtful questions that let me know he’s really paying attention.
He was only in New York for a few days, and sadly, we never managed to see each other again after that afternoon at the bakery. This past week, while he was in Beijing, we barely spoke, just a few texts here and there, lost between time zones. And yet now, even through the phone, he feels so close again.
Neither of us speaks for a beat, but it’s not uncomfortable. I can hear his breathing, and it’s like mine falls in sync.
Then he’s telling me about some cultural mishap he nearly caused at a restaurant during his trip, telling it in a way that only he could make sound both charming and self-deprecating, and I’m laughing when something in the reflection of the window catches my eye.
Colin.
He’s standing just behind me, his eyes fixed on me. And beside him, Mark, grinning like the devil himself.
On the phone, Alexander’s voice dips in that deep cadence that belongs only to him. “I should let you go before I make you late for the party preparations,” he says.
“Thank you for calling,” I reply, without turning from the window. “We’ll talk later, when things calm down.”
“Yes,” he murmurs, a smile audible in his voice. “I’ll call again once I’m back in Italy... you’ll tell me all about how it went. Ciao, bella.”
“I’ll be waiting,” I whisper, smiling. “Talk soon.”
When the call ends, I turn first to Mark, narrowing my eyes at him. Then my eyes find Colin. He’s standing rigid, jaw clenched.
“Colin.”
“Cecily.”
Mark clears his throat, cutting through the tension. “So... was thatourfriend on the phone?” His tone drips with feigned innocence. “You two talked for quite a while. I figured you’d already hung up.”
Before I can stop him, Colin cuts in. “Someone I know?”
Mark tilts his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t think so, Old Man. He’s a nice guy, you two don’t exactly move in the same circles. Or the same league.”
He claps his hands together, his grin widening. “Anyway, are you here to chat, or to work? We’ve got a PG-13 bar to get ready.”
He gives Colin a hard pat on the shoulder, which I can tell hurts judging by the way Colin flinches.
For a few seconds, Colin just stares at me, like he’s fighting with himself over whether to say something or not. Then he finally grabs a box and follows Mark out to the backyard.
I shake my head. I love Mark like a brother, but sometimes he’s like the devil armed with perfect timing.
I open the door for Felicity and Hazel. The girl barely finishes a quick “hi” before trying to walk past me, but Felicity catches one of her boxer braids with a playful tug.
“Not so fast,jovencita[XII],” Felicity says, catching her daughter by the braid. “You should give your aunt a proper hello. She probably hasn’t seen you since before you started wearing a training bra earlier this year.”
“Mom!” Hazel groans, cheeks pink as she steps into my arms.
I laugh and press a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re more beautiful every time I see you,” I say, smiling into her warm brown eyes. “And I swear, you’re about to outgrow me.”
She laughs, already half turned toward the hallway. “Go on, sweetheart. Alicia’s in the backyard with the others.”
Once Hazel disappears, Felicity and I hug, and I close the door behind her.
It’s just the two of them today. Nicolás and Aurora went with Oliver to see an outdoor play at a park near their house, something they’d been so excited about. They’re younger, so they wouldn’t have enjoyed a party made up mostly of Alicia’s friends.
She follows me to the kitchen, where I’m arranging the last of the appetizers on a tray. She grabs two before I can protest, popping them into her mouth one after the other.
“I never know what you put in these spreads, but they’re divine,” she says with a little hum of approval.
Colin walks in just as she finishes speaking.
