Page 105 of All the way home

“I’m sorry I ever made you feel like too much to handle,” Ivy says, voice tremulous. In her hand, she clutches an open emerald-green box. “Will you stay?” She blinks away tears and laughs. “I mean—will you marry me?”

It feels like the whole airport holds its breath in the moment between the question and Vera’s answering nod, and then the burst of smattered applause makes Rena wince.

Only once Vera has the ring on her finger—sparkling in the low light of the terminal—does Lucas relax in his seat.

“That was so nice,” he says, and now he definitely sounds wistful.

Rena peers over her shoulder at the couple. Vera has Ivy in a bone-crushing hug. A hollow pang between Rena’s lungs expands with every heartbeat. She wonders what Lucas is thinking. When Oscar and Siobhan had gotten engaged, Lucas had spent the whole night seeming lost in thought, considering her with an intent that made her nervous.

At least Oscar had warned her beforehand, last year at the Christmas party, the night of—

Rena’s heart trips and squeezes hard, so tight it’s painful.

That night had been so lovely. Siobhan had decorated her apartment aggressively for the season, so the whole place was green and red and sparkly, crammed full with the six of them: Rena, Lucas, Ethan, Grant, Oscar, and Siobhan. Kieran had—Kieran had stayed home, claiming a headache. And what else was Rena supposed to think?

“You don’t even like Christmas that much,” Rena had pointed out to Oscar, where they stood next to the Christmas tree.

Oscar was in a truly heinous Christmas sweater, covered in tinsel and flashing lights. Absently, he shrugged, watching Siobhan dance—well, flail—with Grant under the streamers draped from the chandelier to “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” “I do now,” he said. “It’s hard not to love Christmas when you’re around Siobhan.”

“You were around her for years without liking Christmas,” Rena reminded him.

“That was different.”

Siobhan careened over, pointing at Oscar as Mariah’s whistle-tone YOU blared through the speaker.

Grinning, Oscar added, “I didn’t know her wholly back then.”

“Don’t make sex jokes.” Siobhan—already drunk off spiked eggnog—draped her arms around his neck.

“I wasn’t.” Oscar carded his fingers through her hair and smiled down at her. “But I’ll start now, if you want.”

Rena and Siobhan made identical faces of disgust.

“Behave.” With a press of her index finger to Oscar’s cheek, Siobhan spun away.

“I don’t love Christmas,” Oscar murmured to Rena, watching Siobhan twirl. “Just her.”

“You really do, don’t you?” Rena asked.

“I bought a ring,” he said, and caught her with a very un-Oscarlike smile, soft around the edges.

“To . . . propose with,” Rena clarified, just in case.

Oscar touched his knuckles to her shoulder as lightly as possible, as close to a hug as they ever got. “Yeah. That’s the plan. She’s already family, but . . . I’ll do anything to make sure she knows it.”

Rena pulls out her phone now, but she doesn’t even get past unlocking it, just stares at her lock screen.

Her lock screen is still a photo taken at grad. Rena stands between Lucas and Kieran, smile so wide she’s all teeth. Kieran’s fist shoots skyward as Lucas plants a kiss on her temple.

The image blurs.

That’s her family.

Isn’t it?

Chapter Thirty-Four

Zach