“Okay, sure, but you have to promise not to laugh at it. I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’m a little out of my comfort zone.” Beth reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. A few taps later, she handed the device to Sarah, who took it gingerly.
The light turned green as Beth turned onto the familiar street leading to her house, and Sarah scrolled. It was fascinating to see Beth—Beth, whom she had known forever—boiled down to a handful of photos and one bullet point summary.
“So,” Beth said tentatively, “what do you think?”
Sarah took another moment to digest this version of Beth before smiling. “I think anyone would be crazy not to swipe right on you. But if you want my honest opinion, you should use that picture from the trip you and Jamie took to Napa a few years ago. The one of you at the vineyard. That’s probably the best photo that has ever been taken of you,” Sarah said softly as Beth pulled into the driveway, headlights flashing across the gray shingled front of her house before landing on Jamie’s old Subaru Outback—the one Lily had taken to driving—parked in the driveway.
“Well, she’s not supposed to be here,” Beth said, tilting her head towards Lily’s car.
“No. No, she’s not. Want to come in and see what’s going on?” Sarah offered, unbuckling her seatbelt. “I bet you ten bucks Wren’s here too.”
“Oh, she wouldn’t be that dumb, right?” Beth said, climbing out of the car.
Sarah grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Beth, she’s nineteen with her first girlfriend and a guaranteed empty house for the weekend. Don’t act shocked.”
“Oh… OH! You don’t think…” Beth trailed off, shock on her face as she read between the lines of Sarah’s words.
“Don’t get weird about our daughter being sexually active. That was awkward enough the first time… For all of us.”
“I’m not, it’s just, do we know for sure?” Beth said, following her up the front steps.
And sure enough, there was Wren’s bike leaning against the side of the house.
“You owe me ten dollars,” Sarah muttered, giving Beth a knowing look as she unlocked the front door. Then she sighed as they entered the dark house, already planning out her angle for the conversation she would be having with Lily and Wren.
She stepped inside and removed her shoes, Beth right behind her. They moved through the darkened space, listening to the familiar creak of the floors as they made their way down the hall towards the family room, Sarah’s hands reaching for the light.
She flicked the switch on, the warm glow of the lamp in the corner of the room illuminating the space. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but as they did, the scene unfolded before her.
On the couch, curled up together under a blanket, were Lily and Wren. Lily’s head on Wren’s chest, Wren’s arm protectively wrapped around her as their bodies moved with the steady rise and fall of breathing. But then Sarah’s eye caught the small glint of light against glass as she registered the bottle of bourbon on the coffee table, two glasses set beside it.
For a second, she looked between the bottle and the girls, then to Beth before reaching out and flicking the light off, shaking her head. This felt like a problem for tomorrow.
Beth quietly followed her back into the foyer. “That was a bottle of bourbon on the table, right?” she asked, fingers pressed to her temple.
“Mmhmm.”
“I mean, are we surprised?” Beth whispered.
“No, they’re just being kids, but I still think a talk is needed. I’ll take care of it tomorrow morning.” Sarah pulled the front door open for Beth.
“I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of your talks.” Beth smiled, reaching out and placing a hand on her forearm, squeezing gently. “Let me know how it goes, or if you need back up.”
“I will. Thanks for the ride. Let me know when you make it home.” She patted Beth’s hand before she was off.
The next morning, Sarah made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, not bothering to try to be quiet as she started pulling items from the fridge to make breakfast. A groan came from the couch as Lily’s head popped up, quickly pivoting to look at her.
“Morning, sweetie,” Sarah said, an air of exaggerated sweetness accompanying her words.
“M-mom,” Lily stuttered, panic filling her eyes as she quickly slipped the orthotic boot back on her foot before springing to her feet. “You’re not—why are you here?”
“It’s my house,” Sarah pointed out as she whisked eggs in a bowl. “Omelettes for breakfast?” she asked, enjoying the look of confusion on Lily’s face. “Wren? Omelettes sound good to you?”
A grumble came from the couch in the living room where Wren was sitting up, stretching her arms above her head. She gave a thumbs up in place of words for an answer as she rubbed at her eyes with her other hand.
“Obviously it’s your house, but aren’t you supposed to still be in Pennsylvania…you know…at Nell’s?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at Mama’s?” Sarah asked, serving Lily her own sass back. “Looks like I’m not the only one who isn’t where I’m supposed to be.” She pulled out a large skillet, placing it on the burner in front of her.
