I could have done with them going on their honeymoon to Hawaii two months ago, when all this shit was going down, but with Kelly’s teaching and their house move they couldn’t get away till the tail end of the summer. But at least they’re here now.
“I see you’re twinning at life,” I say, pulling myself from Kelly’s grip to give Daniel a hug. His Hawaiian shirt, white vest, and linen shorts match the ones Kelly is wearing.
“Don’t.” Daniel shoots me acan-you-believe-herlook, forcing the corner of my mouth to rise while we make our way from Terminal B to my car in the carpark across the street.
“Watch out, Chris!” Kelly pulls the hood of my hoodie backwhen a car ignores the zebra crossing and drives straight through, almost clipping my leg. “What a douchebag!” She yells at the car, which is already long gone, swerving in and out of the almost gridlocked traffic lanes.
“You sure you don’t need a hand?” I ask.
Daniel’s face is red as he pushes the luggage trolley up the ramp into the parking lot. No doubt Kelly packed everything including the kitchen sink for their honeymoon.
“I’m good.” He waves off my help, just like he’s always done, and immediately wipes the sweat dripping from his brow.
Straight men and their pride.
My black Jeep wrangler looks almost brand-new and not like the lease is up for renewal, especially after the quick car wash pitstop I made at lunch. Inside, though, it’s still a mess, just like me. I quickly remove the empty bottles and remnants of my lunch strewn across the front car seat before moving my gym bag and work gear from the trunk into the back seat. I step aside to let Daniel load their bags.
“You need a hand, hun?” Kelly offers, her hand already on the passenger car door.
“You’re good, babe,” Daniel says, struggling under the weight of the suitcases.
It’s nice to see chivalry isn’t dead, but he’s probably ensuring Kelly doesn’t do anything to overexert herself now that she’s pregnant. Though from the look of her, you’d barely be able to tell she’s seventeen weeks along.
I grab the final suitcase from the trolley and lift it into the trunk with relative ease, surprising myself with at my own strength in the process. Clearly the gym has become more than just a distraction from Alexander and all my workouts are finally paying off.
“Someone’s gotten buff since I last saw him.” Daniel squeezes my bicep.
“And someone’s fallen off the gym wagon and eaten all thewheels.” I pat Daniel’s stomach. He’s no longer the owner of an enviable ripped physique, but has a dad bod instead.
“Moral support.” He thumbs back at Kelly.
“Fuck off,” Kelly shouts, holding the car door wide open. “You’ve been eating like you’re preparing for a Man vs. Food competition all honeymoon.” She shakes her head as she slams the door shut.
Daniel bites his lip—smart move—and returns the luggage trolley before we both enter the car. He’s probably wary of Kelly’s moods, which are no doubt fluctuating even more with the pregnancy hormones coursing through her body.
I catch the cutest little bump, barely visible to the naked eye, when I strap myself in and start the engine. Warmth rises inside my heart when I think about how there’s a little Foster family member growing inside of her, countered with a pang of envy in my stomach.
Becoming a father is all but an illusion for me right now.
“Have you had any cravings?” I ask as I pull out of the car park.
“Anything pickled. Pickled cucumbers. Pickled onions. Pickled monster munch.”
I catch Daniel’s eyeroll in the rearview mirror, making me snort. The sound causes Kelly to jump as she turns on the radio. No doubt he’s had to do several late-night runs to the supermarket or the fish and chip shop.
And next up, we have Alexander Morgan with the hit of the summer,Stolen Moments, which has racked up nine straight weeks at number one. Rumor has it that he’ll be opening MTV’s VMA Awards with this track andMy Anchor.
My grip tightens on the steering wheel and my foot hits the accelerator, speeding us through the amber light. Veins emerge on the backs of both hands.
Can I not catch a break from Alexander even when I’m with my sister?
I’ve tried listening to different radio stations: My FM, KOST FM, even the Sirius channels, but all of them have been playing Alexander’s tracks. Even the dance stations on Sirus have aStolen Momentsremix in heavy rotation.
“What’s going on with you and that Alexander guy?” Daniel pulls at the seatbelt strap as he leans forward. My spine instantly stiffens at the mention of the name.
“What did I tell you?” Kelly reaches round and whacks Daniel’s leg.
“It’s okay,” I say, trying to relax my shoulders. “To be honest, it’s good to be able to talk about it to someone. No one here has any idea about what happened. Which isn’t a bad thing when I’m trying to avoid thinking about it. But I’ve even had to speak in code to my therapist, and that makes it harder, not easier, because if I can’t be frank with her then what’s the point in even doing therapy?”
