Heart note //Reject numbness of heart
Base note //Jasmine
The next morning, high off my successful talk with my mother, I text Eric to tell him I’m in town and want to see him.
Eric:Did you know Mom and Dad are splitting up? Was that you too?
I stare at the phone, already having second thoughts because Eric remains Eric. I keep going because it’s the right thing to do, not because it will irritate him more if I’m being the better person. That’s a bonus.
Me:She told me last night. I want to talk.
Eric:Whatever. Fine. Kelsey is only letting me stay in the guest room for the sake of the kids, so you can’t make things any worse.
I’m a little nervous by the time I arrive, but when Kelsey opens the door, the smell of cookies drifts out. “The kids wanted to bake you something,” she says by way of greeting.
I hold out two gift bags. “These are for them.”
Kelsey’s expression becomes slightly less cold. “Thank you,” she says.
I follow her in and greet the kids. Not with hugs—I’m still me—but they seem content to look up from their devices long enough to wave hi, then rip into the bags.
“I love it,” says Sophie, holding up a hat from Ana’s side of the shop. Owen seems equally pleased with his wacky socks.
“Nothing for me?” Eric asks, coming down the hall.
I hand over a bag of his favorite childhood gummy worms, which he takes with surprise. “Oh. Thanks.” Then he grins despite himself. “I’ll have to hide these from the kids.”
Kelsey gets one of the Pulse Points earring sets, and she looks taken aback. “These are gorgeous,” she says, examining the small filigree silver cubes on threaders. Given our history, I felt it prudent to take out the scent disks.
The kids are already back to their screens. “Can we go somewhere to talk?” I ask.
The two of them seem to have put aside their animosity to unite against me, because they share a look before Kelsey leads the way to the kitchen. The buzzer goes as we step in. She pulls out a delicious-smelling tray of oatmeal cookies and swats Eric’s hands away. “You know they’re too hot,” she says.
Leaving the cookies on the range to cool, she pours coffee and waits until Eric goes to the fridge to get the milk. “Well, what do you want?” he asks as he comes back to the table and pours some in her cup.
“To talk about us. The family.”
“What’s the point, Lucy?” He looks tired. “We know you’re Mom’s favorite. Did you come to rub it in and remind me I’ll never be as good as you?”
“That’s for you and Mom to figure out,” I say. “There’s enough I can reasonably take blame for, and I’m not taking on extra.”
“She’s right,” Kelsey says. “This is Meilin’s fault.”
“She was in the wrong to keep you at a distance,” I say. “That’s for you to figure out as well.”
“Then why are you here?” Eric asks. “If everything is up to Mom to fix.”
I pull out a bottle of Aiai. “I made a perfume.”
The two of them eye it like a bomb. “Thanks, but no thanks,” says Kelsey. “I’m done being your guinea pig.”
“Hear me out, okay?”
Again, that exchange of glances, and I wonder if distrusting me is what will heal their marriage. Nice to know I’m bringing good into the world. Not all heroes wear capes. “Five minutes,” Kelsey says. “Don’t think of opening that thing up, though.”
“It’s new. It’s a moli scent,” I say. “Diluted, so it won’t cause the kind of havoc it did before. I’m truly sorry about that, Kelsey.”
“I probably shouldn’t have nagged you into it in the first place,” she says grudgingly, and I know that’s as good as it’s going to get. For the sake of family harmony, I’ll take it.
