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Ava: You started it. 🤣

Closing the chat, I laugh despite myself, just as Ember appears in the doorway. She’s effortlessly striking in a little black dress cinched with a gold bat belt, monochrome striped tights and chunky black boots. A bottle of beer dangles from one hand, a glass of wine from the other.

“Come in." I wave. "And please tell me that’s for me.”

“Thought you might need it before dinner.” She smiles, handing me the glass, before settling on the sofa. “How are you doing?”

I flop down beside her, taking a generous sip of wine. “Embarrassed,” I admit. “I overshared. That’s not exactly unusual for me, but... That was a lot. I don’t normally tell strangers personal stuff like that.” I glance suspiciously at the glass in my hand before setting it on the table. “I’m blaming the wine. And the heat.”

She chuckles into her beer. “So did I. Actually, so did everyone. It’s not half as bad as your brain’s telling you. Honestly, I think everyone here is neurospicy... Even if some of them don’t know it yet.”

“Everyone?” I say, raising one eyebrow.

“For real,” she says, counting them off on her fingers. “I’m autistic. Saint said earlier he's AuDHD. Luna gives me massive ADHD vibes. Lennie’s probably autistic but hasn’t realised yet, he reminds me of my dad who’s autistic. And Jax...” She pauses. “Jury’s still out, but I’ve got my suspicions.”

Laughing, I retrieve my wine. “What are the chances?”

“Higher than you’d think. We tend to find each other, especially at things like comic conventions. Geeks attract geeks.” She winks. “Most of the people this weekend will probably be some flavour of neurospicy. So relax. It’s basically one big divergent gathering.”

The knot in my stomach eases.

“So...” Ember turns to face me, tucking one leg beneath her. “How on earth did you not recognise Jackson Shaw?”

Heat creeps into my cheeks. “You all heard that?”

“You two weren’t exactly subtle. Whispering very loudly is still talking.”

I groan and mirror her posture, absentmindedly twisting a strand of hair around my finger. “Perfect. That’s twice…”

“No one’s counting.”

I sigh. “I don’t really watch TV. If I’m not writing, I’m reading.”

“Makes sense.” She takes another sip of beer. “So, what happened before everyone arrived? To make you both mortal enemies?”

“Oh, nothing major.” I snort. “I mistook him for the caretaker. He got offended but never actually corrected me, so I got annoyed because I thought he was being rude for no reason.” I shrug. “Then I called him an asshole and slammed the door in his face.”

“You did not.”

“Actually... I might’ve called him Captain Asshole.”

She doubles over and within seconds I’m hysterical too. The last of the tension that’s been clinging to me all afternoon finally slips away with it.

I’m glad I met Ember. She already feels a little like the sister I never had.

Chapter 10

Luna

Lennie is already ready, which means he’s reached that stage of waiting where he pretends not to be waiting at all.

At fifty-five, he is still as handsome as they day we met. His broad shoulders filling out a pale blue shirt, sleeves rolled casually to his forearms showing off his tattoos. His hair and beard are a soft salt and pepper, which makes his brown skin look darker. Rather than aging him it just makes him more attractive.

I catch him watching me in the mirror as I drag a rose tint across my lips. “You’ve been ‘nearly ready’ for twenty minutes,” he says.

“I was nearly ready twenty minutes ago.” I chuckle playfully. “Now I’m becoming art.”

That earns the low laugh I love so much, the one that always sounds like it lives deep in his chest. I smile at our reflection, suddenly caught by the strange, overwhelming tenderness of the moment. Thirty-three years together. Thirty of those married, by next spring anyway.