August’s dark eyebrow arches, and a wicked smirk pulls at his lips. He places his hands on his hips. “Did you warn mom?”
Ellie sucks some air through her teeth, the awkward smile still playing along her lips.
August’s shoulders bounce as he laughs. “Oh, this will be fun.”
He looks past Ellie and sees me with a suitcase. “Rowan.” August nods, still smiling at me. “I’m assuming you’re here to soften the blow?”
I shrug. “You know how much your mom loves me.”
Ellie turns to look at me with a deadpan expression.
I laugh, throwing my free hand out in questioning. “What?”
She turns and looks at August. Her brother looks at us, smiling, and turns around to walk back into the house.
“Ooh, Mom! Dad! I have a surprise for you!” August shouts gleefully.
Ellie looks over her shoulder to me again, her head falling back. I place a hand on her lower back, gently guiding her in as she groans.
ten
ROWAN
“Surprise,”she says with a shrug, stretching the word out nervously. She shifts from foot to foot, waiting for their reaction.
I stay close behind her and lower the suitcase to the oak floor. Ellie’s parents sit at the white marble kitchen island, drinking their coffee.
Ellie’s mom, Helen, goes from calm to pure shock and surprise. She sets her mug down with a soft click against the counter and rises from her chair. Her light brown hair that falls just past her shoulders sways when she moves toward us. Her smooth, glowing skin makes her look younger than she is.
“Honey, what are you doing here?” she asks as her brow furrows. “Is everything alright?” Ellie’s mom grabs her arms and scans her eyes up and down.
A small tug pulls at her corner lip. “I’m fine, mom.”
“What brings you all the way home? Did you fly here?” her dad asks.
If her parents knew she was coming home and found out she planned on driving from New York to the West Coast, they would have bought a plane ticket.
“No, I drove here.” She tilts her chin up.
“You drove?”Ellie’s mom shouts.
“Sweetie,” Ellie’s dad says, “let me hug our daughter first, and then you can interrogate her.”
Jake smiles down at his daughter and brings her into a bear hug. His body towers over her, and Ellie smiles brightly. His arms tug her into his strong and sturdy build.
“Hello, my sweet girl. I’m so happy to see you,” her dad says softly before giving her a kiss on the top of her head.
Growing up, watching the bond Ellie and August shared with their dad always tore at my heart. Jake was the kind of father who would do anything for his kids—a kind of love I would’ve given anything to have with my own father.
The last memory I have of my dad is him kneeling in front of me, telling me that he and Mom were splitting up and that maybe he’d see me around–maybe.
I remember running after him, begging him to take me with him, but he didn’t look back. He just kept walking, and when he got into his car, I yelled and cried, hoping he’d change his mind. I sat on the front porch, sobbing, convinced he’d come back for me.
He never did.
I’m pulled back to the present when Ellie says, “Hi, Dad.”
Jake pulls away, and her mom cuts in, “So, is this just a surprise visit?” Helen pulls Ellie in for a hug and rocks her back and forth. She pulls away, looks down at the suitcase, and then looks at me. “Hello, Rowan.” She smiles and opens her arms to greet me with a hug. “How are you?” She pats my back softly.
