“Okay…” He paused for a second, blinking a few times. “But why?”
“As a thank-you for agreeing to let Sebastian stay here. I also thought it might make it less awkward for the two of you if you could get to know each other a bit better before we leave.”
He glanced at me, then at her again. “Thanks. I appreciate the invitation.”
“Perfect. We’ll leave shortly before six. Now…”
Without further ado, she led me into the kitchen. The coffee machine was steaming, and a variety of homemade pastries waited for us on the table.
While Alex excused himself to finish some unspecified chores, Mom took the opportunity to pin me down and chat. She did most of the talking—complaining about work, about how Mila also didn’t show up as often as she should, despite living so much closer than I did, and how she wished my grandfather would take it a little slower. She didn’t pressure me to talk about myself, but she beamed when I showed her pictures of my life in Las Vegas.
The afternoon flew by, and when Dad came home from work, he greeted me just as warmly as she had. There were no accusations this time, only a pat on the shoulder and a “Glad to see you again.” I wondered if Mom had a heart-to-heart with him, but it didn’t matter. It was nice to be welcomed like this for once. He quickly excused himself to get ready for our dinner, and Mom and I went upstairs to change, too.
As I walked past Alex’s room, I noticed that the door was slightly open. I couldn’t resist peeking inside, but he wasn’t there. So I went into Mila’s room and changed into the button-up shirt I had brought for tonight.
I didn’t see Alex again until we all gathered in the foyer. He, too, had changed into a dark blue button-up shirt, tucked into black pants, and was even wearing dress shoes. His hair wascombed back, making his face look more open—almost as if this were the moment he was being introduced to his future in-laws and he was trying to dress the part. It was a stupid thought, because we weren’t even boyfriends; we were just two guys who liked each other enough to meet up again. Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“You look fancy,” Mom commented. Not that her black dress with a white floral print on the left shoulder stood out any less.
“Who do you mean? Me or Alex?” I asked.
“Well, both of you.” She stepped in front of me and adjusted my collar. “This is so nice. I can’t remember the last time we did this.”
The sound of footsteps on the staircase made all of us look up. Dad glanced at everyone as he walked to the front door. Like us, he had put on a dress shirt and suit jacket, but stuck to his usual blue jeans.
“Are we all ready?” he asked. “Let’s take your car, Laura.”
The four of us headed down to the driveway. It all felt strangely official, making me wonder if it would be the same if they knew the real reason I came here—not that I was going to tell them tonight.
We all got into Mom’s Ford Escape. Dad and Mom sat in the front, leaving Alex and me in the backseat. After buckling up, he and I shared a glance that made it clear how awkward this whole thing was. He rested his hand on the spot between us the entire drive, making me want nothing more than to grab his fingers, but Mom kept turning around to talk to us, leaving no chance to do it without risking getting caught.
Only five minutes later, we pulled into an almost empty parking lot.
The diner was on our side of the valley. The only difference between the mountain view from the diner and the view from our house was that you could see the old hotel a little better, butthat was it. The old, rustic sign I remembered had been replaced by a glowing neon one, giving the place an unexpectedly fresh look. A fresh flower bed surrounded the building, filled with blossoming daffodils in all colors of the rainbow.
The sun had already begun to set, painting long streaks of orange across the valley. Scattered patches of clouds dotted the sky.
We made our way past five other cars. I stayed a step behind Dad, with Mom hooked under my arm, while Alex followed another step behind us. Dad held the door open, letting the three of us walk in first.
A boisterous woman with a blonde updo rummaged through some menus at the host stand. A broad smile broke out on her face when she noticed us.
“Laura,” she cheered, stepping out to hug my mom. “So glad to see you again so soon.” She set her eyes on me, tipping her head back as if she needed space to take me in. “Well, look at you, Laura. You brought some fine company.” Her gaze shifted to Alex, then to Dad, who nodded at her. “Three men, each more handsome than the last. You’re a lucky lady.”
“Stop it, Sienna!” Mom chuckled as if she couldn’t believe how lucky she was indeed.
“I’ve already set up your table. Follow me!” Sienna turned around, grabbed four menus, and led us into the restaurant.
The last time I was here, the floors were covered in black-and-white tiles that always looked dirty, even if they were clean. Rusty silver tables and the typical booth seating gave off that small-town diner vibe that made me want to scream from the top of my lungs. But now, the place looked completely different.
The booths were still there, but they were covered with new, black leather. The metal tables had been replaced with modern white oak ones that matched the new wooden floor. Plants of allsizes framed the seating areas, providing privacy and giving the diner a lively, homey feel.
She guided us to a booth in the back corner, hidden behind two enormous monstera plants. It could easily fit a group twice our size, but since the restaurant wasn’t crowded, I understood why she gave it to us. From there, we could overlook the entire valley and enjoy the best postcard-worthy sunset view the town had to offer.
Mom scooted onto the bench on the left, followed by Dad. I sat opposite her. Alex slid in next to me, though not without leaving some safety distance.
Sienna handed each of us a menu. “Anything I can bring you right now? Water? Any other drinks?”
“Water would be great,” Dad said. “And I’ll have a beer.”
