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Marnie grins, licking whipped cream from her mouth. “But that’s the foundation of Hope Falls, Brynn. Your family’s name is in the original town charter, blah, blah, blah.”

She knows the speeches well, having grown up so close with me. She’s gotten to hear my parents go on about how the Carters are a founding family and part of the life blood of Hope Falls, getting their hands dirty and being with the people in a way the Thorntons could never hope to understand from where they sit on their hill.

I wave away the threads of that conversation before it goes too much further. “Enough about that. How have you been? I can’t believe you’re a whole wife and mother now. I still remember when you were thirsting after Daniel Gilmore in high school, convinced he was your ticket to the good life.”

Marnie laughs. “On the one hand, he was very cute. On the other hand, he’s been divorced like three times since high school, so I think I dodged a bullet. But I’ve been good. Better than good, really. I’m really happy.”

“Yeah?” I can tell from her smile that she means it, but it’s nice to hear all the same.

“Yeah. Jackson’s great. He can’t keep up with me half the time, but that doesn’t bother him. He’s great with Isaac too. The last couple months of my pregnancy were kind of rough, but he was there all the time. Working from home so he could keep an eye on me, taking me to my doctor appointments. I always worried about that, you know? Ending up with someone who wouldn’t take care of me. Or someone who would try to take care of me too much and not let me be independent. I think I found one of the few men who know how to strike the right balance there.”

Before I can answer, Jackson comes back in, carrying a fussing Isaac. “Sorry to interrupt, ladies,” he says. “But the little beast is carrying on like he’s never had a meal in his life.”

Marnie puts her cup down immediately and reaches for her baby. “I’ll take care of it. Thanks, honey.”

Jackson kisses her forehead, smiles at me, and then walks back out of the room.

And Marnie doesn’t seem bothered to be interrupted at all. She pushes her shirt up and lets Isaac latch on to nurse, settling against the couch cushion in a more comfortable position.

“I will say it’s a little tedious being an on call soda fountain for a baby,” she admits with a rueful smile. “I can barely shower some days. But I wouldn’t trade it.”

She looks down at her son warmly, and I feel a pang of something in my chest.

“Anyway,” Marnie continues. “This has to sound super boring to someone like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Me going on about my domestic life. You know, husband, kid, breastfeeding.” She laughs again. “You’re out there being a star and making your music, and I’m just here in the same town we grew up in.”

That’s true that Marnie is here in the same town, living what could be considered a smaller life, but she looks happy. More than that, she’s content. She has a family now, one she built for herself, and I’m the furthest thing from bored to be hearing about it.

Instead I feel… almost envious of her. I want that feeling of family and belonging. I want to feel like I have a home somewhere, rather than just my place in Atlanta and my childhood home that doesn’t feel right to be in anymore. I want people around me who know me and understand me and try to make my life better.

I love music and I am very proud of the career that I’ve built, but part of me does feel like something is missing.

There was a time when I used to think that this was the kind of life I would have with Ares. That we would manage to stick it out and be together forever. Of course now, thinking about Ares makes me think about Tate and Callan too. They’re a package deal in my head these days. I have… something with the three of them, not that I think any of us can define what that something is. But I’ve been trying not to think too hard about it. I’m afraid to wonder if it could be anything real. If this thing we’re doing could turn into something more.

Thinking about it now isn’t a good idea, so I try to push it out of my mind, focusing on the story Marnie is telling me about her mother-in-law.

But thinking about Ares and the guys makes me miss them, so I pull out my phone when Marnie is resettling a fussing Isaac and send a text to our group chat.

ME: If you guys are going sightseeing this evening, make Ares take you to the good places. You don’t need to see all the things that suck about this town.

TATE: Well, we already know where to get a good suck if we want one ;-)

Leave it to Tate to turn something innocent into a way to flirt. But I can’t deny that my cheeks go a little pink at the implication.

ARES: You should come by later. Remind me of all the good sucking that can be done in this town.

ME: Oh my god. You know what I meant.

ARES: I know what you said.

CALLAN: I second the part about you coming over.

CALLAN: Not going to complain if there’s sucking.

ME: Nobody said anything about sucking.