Wiping at my tears, I stare at both of them in confusion. “I don’t have anywhere for you to stay…”
“Nonsense,” Mama says with a wave of her elegant hand. “We’ve got a hotel in Orlando. Mom wants to go to the theme parks.”
That stops me. “You want to go to a theme park? My anti-capitalist mom?”
Mom sniffs delicately. “I just figured while we’re here, we might as well.”
A noise behind me has me turning around to find Nolan standing awkwardly at the edge of the living room, my extra-large sweatshirt hanging off his thin frame. He looks so unsure, so off-footed, that I can’t help but cross the room to tug him against my side.
“Moms, this is Nolan.” I turn my head to look at Nolan with a tender smile that he tries very hard to match. “He’s my…” I pause and stare down at Nolan. There’s no word that really describes him. Nothing is enough, everything is too little. “He’s mine.”
My hopeless romantic mom sighs and steps forward to take Nolan in a tight hug. Nolan stands frozen, his arms hanging loose at his sides, until finally his brain kicks in and he tentatively returns the embrace. She whispers something in hisear that I can’t make out. I watch as Mom tugs Nolan into the living room, her fingers tightly holding on to his own. My heart does this weird drop and roll in my chest at the sight of them together.
“I think maybe they’re kindred souls,” Mama says quietly from beside me.
I tip my head to look over at her. “I think so too, Mama. I think the universe wanted me and him to meet very badly.”
“The universe is very magical in that way. It knows what we need more than what we want.”
“I agree.” I clear my throat softly as I turn to look at her fully. “I think I’m going to stay here. It’s good for him. When he needs to travel somewhere, I’ll go with him. But I spent so long looking for my place, needing to know where I belong, and I think all along I belonged with him. Is that crazy?”
Mama cups my cheek and presses a soft kiss to my temple. “No, love. He’s the other half of your soul, just like Mom is for me. When you find that missing piece, you grab on and never let go. Do you think he’ll lead you anywhere good?”
My throat dries and my heart races at her question. “I think he’ll lead me somewhere great.”
Her smile is simmering and kind, and her hug is like the sun. By the time they leave to go back to their hotel, I think Mama was right, and that Nolan and my mom were also made to find each other. Nolan and I stand on the balcony and watch their car peel away to Orlando, with promises of a dinner before they return home to Georgia in a week.
“That’s what it’s like?” Nolan asks quietly, voice small and frail.
“What?”
Nolan reaches out to grip the edge of my hoodie, the tops of his fingers trailing over the warm skin of my hips. “That’s what it’s like to have parents?”
“Yeah, angel. They’re yours now too.”
A tear slips down his cheek when his eyes shut tight, so I tug him close to hold him against my chest.
Nolan is off with Harper,so I do the only thing I know to do. I go for a run. February in Florida is either freezing cold or almost spring. Luckily, today the air is just cool enough to keep me comfortable as I jog along the back roads of Clay Springs. My feet pound the pavement and my heart races as I run, run, andrununtil all the thoughts in my head are silent. Just me and the road. I run for long enough that my muscles ache and I know it’s time to slow down. Instead of taking the turn back to the apartment, I turn down the gravel driveway that leads toward Beau and Trevor’s place.
Beau’s work truck sits outside, alerting me to the fact they’re both home. Laughter from the backyard has me walking slowly that way, huffing and puffing as I do my best to catch my breath. I must look a total sight because Trevor sits up from the hammock with a slightly frightened look.
“Jesus! Are you okay?” Trevor calls out.
“Oh.” I wince awkwardly. “I was just jogging.”
“Christ,” Trevor swears again and presses the heel of his palm to his forehead. “I thought maybe… God.” He turns toward Beau with a high-pitched laugh.
I watch awkwardly as Beau smiles softly and rubs at Trevor’s back. Oh. He probably thought…
“Sorry,” I apologize quickly, taking an awkward step closer. “Nolan’s fine.”
“Right,” Trevor says quickly. He stands from the hammock, pats Beau’s stomach, then heads inside without a backward glance.
“I fucked up.”
Beau grunts and lies back down in the hammock, his big body swaying it dangerously. “Nah, he’s just had a busy day. What brought you over?”
“Oh, I was just jogging and turned this way instead of going home…”
