“Just a scoop?”
“And an assortment of fancy cheese,” I say. “How does that sound? A block of aged gouda is waiting just for you under a cardboard box?—”
“Ooh, I’ve been reminiscing about the wine and cheese tour—” Her eyes immediately snap to mine, narrowing into slits. “Did you just say cardboard box?”
“Doesn’t that sound delicious?”
“Like amousetrap?” she says slowly, her finger emphasizing each syllable with flourishes. “And just like that, you owe me three scoops of pistachio ice cream.”
“And how many blocks of cheese?” Her nose scrunches as I grin. “Should we go all out and make a charcuterie board while at it?”
“How about…” She inches closer, pressing her palm flat against my chest, a coy smile gracing her lips. “We stick with three scoops of pistachio ice cream, and you come with me to my sister’s wedding next month instead?” Her expression turns serious. “I would like you there if you want to come. I know this is new, but it would mean so much?—”
“Barbie, I’ll go with you to your sister’s wedding.”
“This time, you’ll fly here, right?” Relief and happiness shine brightly in her eyes. “I mean, as sweet as it was that you drove—what was it—twenty hours to come see me, a flight here is a whopping fraction of that. Three hours at most.”
“You just want me here earlier.”
“Of course I do. I want all the time I can get with you.”
I don’t fight my grin. It would have been an automatic losing battle. “I want all the time I can get with you, too.”
“Does this mean you’re flying back to LA next week?” she tries. “I’m kidding.”
“I can’t do next week, but after your sister’s wedding, there’s a slew of holidays coming up.”
“You don’t want to celebrate them with your mom and sister?”
“I might not be able to get out of Christmas,” I say. “Mom’s obsessed with having Lara and me there for Mass, but New Year’s? I’ll hop on the first flight out to LA.”
Barbie breaks into laughter. “You want to fly out to one of the busiest airports on a popular holiday?” Her smile broadens as she loops her arm around my neck. “Fly out to the one near my hometown. There’s this diner nearby you have to try.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet,” I say. “I haven’t even bought any tickets yet. How about we finish our hike and circle back to plans for the New Year later?”
She stares at me, unamused. “I’ll pencil us in for a thirty-minute call on Monday to discuss this further.” Then her expression shifts, her eyes soft and dreamy. “I really can’t believe you’re here.”
“And I’ll be back before you know it.”
21
BARBIE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH
“Are you telling me,”Ethan begins, “that there’smoretomorrow?”
A snort escapes me before I say goodbye to Auntie Van, who nods in approval when she spots his jacket draped around my shoulders. Subtlety doesn’t exist on either side of my family. “We don’t have to stay for the whole thing.”
“It seems rude to leave your sister’s wedding early.” He pauses. “Even if it’s day one.”
“She doesn’t mind. She already told me I can leave the moment I feel overwhelmed.”
“And?” His face appears in my periphery. There’s a line of stubble dotting his jaw. Maybe it’s the glass of champagne I had earlier to take the edge off, or perhaps I’m utterly attracted to my boyfriend, but the unshaven look is doing something for me tonight. More than his arms are, which is quite a feat to achieve. “Do you feel overwhelmed?”
“No,” I answer truthfully. In fact, most of the people I knew here left me alone. Some concerned relatives did check in on me in the women’s restroom, but they respected my boundaries this time.
And Ethan would whisk me away and lead me outside the venue if he thought I needed a breather, which I genuinely appreciated. To distract me, he’d identify the helicopters we’d see in the distance every time we headed into the gardens.
