Page 34 of Fortunate Miracles
“I’ll be right back,” he says, jogging over to her. We keep our distance, quietly watching. Beth looks rough. Her weight loss is clear, and she appears to have slept in her rumpled clothes. It seems like Seb is trying to get her to come with him, but she keeps backing up instead. He eventually pulls out his wallet, handing her a wad of cash. She scurries unsteadily away from him as he stands there, watching her go, his posture slumping. We walk over to him when she’s gone. “She doesn’t want help,” Seb whispers.
“How much money have you given her?” I ask.
“A lot,” Seb admits. “But I don’t know what else to do. She’s my mom.”
E puts an arm around him and steers him towards the vehicles. We eat dinner at the condo that evening, before Alex and Bay leaveto get ready for the dance. Gabby does my hair and makeup for me before Seb and E drive me home to get dressed. I picked out a floral ankle-length dress with off the shoulder straps and a scoop neckline. It’s a soft cream color with white and yellow flowers, and it makes me feel pretty. Seb and E are waiting in the living room when I emerge, in tan linen pants and white shirts. Seb has the sleeves rolled up and his hair slicked back. Is it hot in here? “You’re a vision, Sunshine,” he beams at me before picking me up into a twirl.
E is waiting for his hug when Seb sets me on my feet. “Beautiful Summer,” he smiles as I adjust his sand-colored tie. “You both are very handsome, E.” I’m a lucky, lucky girl to have such gorgeous dates tonight.
After Zander takes some pictures, Seb drives us to the dance. When we arrive, Alex and Reesa are already standing beside a blue-covered table with silver candles dancing in the light. Streamers cascade down the walls, fairy lights twinkle, and balloons in our school colors create a vibrant atmosphere. This dance is the only one hosted by our school. We take a seat at Alex's table. “You look pretty, Reesa, as always,” I smile.
“Thank you,” she responds. Despite the engagement fiasco, I won’t be rude to her. Alex knew who she was and went along with their relationship, anyway. Now he's paying the price, and I feel bad for him. As his friend, I want him happy, but the situation is as much his fault as hers.
Bay and Penny join us shortly after we arrive. Penny looks pretty in a knee-length soft blue dress, closely matching the school color. Bay has a white shirt and light blue tie on with black dress pants, and he’s gorgeous. His blond hair has gotten longer and curls around his nape, and my heart lurches in my chest at the sight of him. I really hope this gets easier soon. Taking a deep breath, I put on a bright smile. “Hi guys.” Fake it until you make it, as the saying goes. For me, it’s fake it till you feel it.
“Hi everyone,” Penny smiles, taking a seat at the table across from us.
Seb and E each grab a hand of mine under the table in support. These two are so understanding of my feelings. I don’t know if I can ever express how grateful I am to them. Despite never imagining loving anyone but Jake, their warm embrace, the comfort of their skin, and their friendship have shown me acceptance. My complicated heart, once a tight knot of grief, now feels a tender expansion as their love enfolds me. I’m falling for them, and it feels incredible, like a perfect beach day. My love for Jake remains a familiar warmth, yet my heart, surprisingly, has space for others, a boundless love blossoming beside it.
Seb asks me to dance, which prompts Penny to pull Bay onto the dance floor, too. Wrapping my arms around Seb’s neck, I play with his hair as we sway to the slow song together, my head leaning on his warm chest. “Doing okay, Sunshine?”
“Yeah. Still adjusting. How are you?”
“Messed up about Beth. I got my hopes up about our relationship. We were getting along so well that I was even thinking about calling her mom.”
“I’m so sorry, Hurry.” I drop one arm to wrap around his waist, hugging him as close as I can. What else can I say? His heart is breaking, and there’s nothing we can do about it.
The music picks up as E joins us on the dance floor. The three of us dance around one another as Holly and Jaxon arrive and join us. “You look amazing,” I yell to her over the music. She smiles and reciprocates. The five of us dance to several songs before taking a break. Bay moved over to dance with Penny’s friends after the slow song.
E and Jaxon leave to grab us drinks while we take seats to rest. Alex and Reesa aren’t at the table anymore, but looking around, I find them talking to an older gentleman by therefreshment table.
After guzzling water, we chat about the carnival. I tell Holly about the dragon and cat the guys won me, and she shows me a picture of a teddy bear Jaxon got for her.
It’s a nice, low-key evening with no drama. The guys drop me off at home afterwards with hugs and kisses.
Chapter 19
Summer
When I talked to Zander about flying to Virginia for Sue and Mal’s birthdays, he was happy to accompany me. I decided to skip school on Friday so I could spend three days with everyone. My grades have been good, so Zander didn’t have any issues with it. He booked flights for us while I texted Sue and Mal about the plan.
Thursday after school, Seb and Nick drive me home to run and train. I’m enjoying Krav Maga so far. After training, dinner, and a shower, the guys hang out in my room as I pack for my trip to Virginia. I got Mal a paranormal book and some local snacks. While getting Mal’s book at a local bookstore, there was an author signing her new book about South Carolina plants, so I picked up a copy for Sue and bought her an azalea.
Nick insists on driving us to the airport on Friday morning, and he waits until we're through security before leaving. We don’t run into any issues and are soon in our rental SUV heading to town. This place, my home, once overflowing with happiness, feels strangely muted. One catastrophic crash, and the beautiful tapestry of years is reduced to a frayed edge. Unconscious stress pulls at me when we arrive, but I focus on the celebrations to come. After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, Zander drives us tovisit Sue. She comes outside for hugs before ushering us into the house. “I’m so happy you’ve come to visit, sweetheart,” Sue smiles.
“Me too. I’ve missed you.” Looking around the kitchen and dining area, I see it’s mostly the same except for a new tablecloth on the table. “The house looks wonderful. What are you going to renovate this year?”
“I was thinking of the living room this year,” Sue says, walking that way. “The room needs a fresh coat of paint and a new rug. Perhaps I can update the fireplace too and hang the tv above it. What do you think?” She asks both of us.
Zander walks over to inspect. “Are you thinking of covering up the brick or painting it?”
“I don’t mind the brick, but I was thinking of covering it above the new floating mantle I want. I’d like to get rid of the brass, too.”
“That would be really nice, Sue.” We discuss colors and furniture choices, and Zander suggests a new window. We wind up at the hardware store that afternoon looking at paint colors and figuring out the best way to cover the brick. After the hardware store, we drive to the next town to look at furniture. It’s an unexpected but fun afternoon. We drop Sue off back at home to rest and get ready for dinner. Zander made a reservation at a fancy restaurant for the four of us tonight.
Once we have freshened up at the hotel, we stop at a florist for the two bouquets Zander ordered, then go see Mal and Jake. I have a quick visit with Jake before we go grab Sue. It’s a half-hour drive to the restaurant, so Mal catches us up on the local gossip.
The restaurant is quite fancy, but lovely. We share appetizers before our dinner is served. The pasta dish I ordered is a riot of vine-ripened tomatoes, capers, olive oil, and fresh basil over handmade pasta. E would like this place, I think.
