My smile lingers.
Then she adds, “So… what about Finn?”
I sigh.
“Ah. We kind of kissed last night.”
There’s a beat of silence, then —
“What?” April says sharply. “What do you mean by ‘kind of kissed’?”
“It means we kissed,” I say, rubbing my forehead. “That’s it. I don’t really know how I feel about it yet.”
She hums, clearly filing that away for later interrogation.
“Okay,” she says finally. “We’re definitely talking about this later.”
“Sure,” I mumble, then change the subject before it gets any deeper. “The closest airport to me is Portland,” I say. “Let me know what you decide, so I can make arrangements to come pick you up.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know once she lands.”
“Drive safe.”
“I will. Talk soon.”
The line goes quiet.
I lower the phone slowly, staring at the screen for a moment before locking it again.
About thirty minutes later, my phone dings.
I glance down at the screen.
April:
June has landed. We’re going home. Max just picked up dinner.
I smile, relief settling through me. June is safe. She’s with April, and April has Max. Someone solid to lean on when things get heavy.
I think about how lucky she is to have found that. The way Max makes taking care of her feel natural, like it’s never a question.
My thoughts drift, uninvited, toward Aiden.
The quiet way he moves through things—the way he notices without being asked. The way today felt easy without either of us trying too hard.
I type back quickly.
Me:
Glad she’s with you. I’m going to bed early. I’m exhausted. Let me know what you both decide.
I hit send and set my phone down.
Neptune follows me into the kitchen as I fill his bowl, his tail thumping against the cabinets. Once he’s settled, I make my way upstairs, already imagining hot water and silence.
A warm bath, and then I get to crawl into bed after this long, beautiful day.
I wake up with a small jolt, feeling a bit disoriented.
