44
LOVESTRUCK
Heath
The week has finally caughtup to me, between my mother-in-law and Cricket’s brother-in-law and the extra work I’ve taken on to get ready for this wedding in a couple weeks, and I’m so exhausted before Lav’s bedtime that I feel like I’m twice my age.
Three times my age, even.
Cricket and Lav snuggle up to me on the couch while my mom turns on an old cartoon movie that I used to love as a kid and my dad takes a seat in my recliner with a book, just like he used to when I was a kid.
My parents are leaving in the morning, but they’re still here tonight.
I should take advantage of the time with them.
Instead, I watch the movie with my ears instead of my eyes, until I realize it’s dark, Lav’s no longer with me, and my head is in Cricket’s lap on the couch.
“Lav—” I start.
“We tucked her in two hours ago,” Cricket says softly as she runs her fingers through my hair.
The glow of her phone goes dark.
I relax my head on her thigh again. “My parents?”
“They went downstairs to head to bed a little bit ago too.”
I loop an arm around her leg and kiss her thigh.
“You okay?” she murmurs softly.
“Been a week.”
“Really has.”
“Areyouokay?”
She wiggles her phone in the dark. “I’ve been watching this reality show calledCricket’s relatives erupt in war over her viral moment. It’sfascinating. Can you believe my mom’s actually on my side in this? I guess one of her old boyfriends from college posted naked pictures of her all over campus when they broke up, so half of her frustration with me going viral for nudity is that it brought up a lot of old memories she purposefully repressed.”
“The original virality,” I murmur. “Campus pictures.”
“Right? Anyway, I told her to go to therapy. Aurora says I ruined her life. Belle says Romeo’s a dick but she’s not interested in discussing the nuances of the legality and ethicality of his actions. My father is angry at all of us for not just behaving like adults who don’t post naked videos to the internet.”
“Are you okay?” I ask again.
“I am,” she says.
I twist to look up at her, making out her shape in the semidarkness. “You sure?”
She runs her fingers through my hair again, and I can tell she’s smiling. “I’m home with the most amazing man I’ve ever known, his absolutely perfect daughter and kind parents, sisters of my heart within shouting distance, and a purpose I believe in more every day. How could I not be okay?”
When she puts it like that—I suppose I’m okay too.
“You were fucking brilliant today,” I tell her. “This whole week.”
“Phew. I met my quota for the year.”
“Cricket.”
