Page 9 of Plotting Summer

“Did you know that used to be my room?”

She nods her head, her eyes bright. “That’s why I picked it.”

Her excitement at wanting my old room heals a part of me that I didn’t know needed healing.

We’re up the porch steps when Tala opens the door with Lucas in arm. “You’re here!” Tala wraps me in a hug, sandwiching Lucas between us.

“I am! And hey, you,” I say to Lucas, nabbing him from my sister when she releases her hold on me. I nuzzle him, and he gives a little smile. “Oh! You have smiles!”

“Aren’t they adorable?” Tala’s attention remains on Lucas, a smitten look on her face, before she glances back to me. “Why didn’t you call when you got off the ferry? We were planning to give you a ride.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. Besides, it’s a quick walk.”

“It isn’t a bother at all. Even a quick walk feels a lot longer in this heat, especially with luggage.” Tala searches the porch behind me, then her focused eyes settle back on me. “Where’s your luggage?”

I shift my body to reveal my laptop bag, as though that will help my case.

She stares at me, her arms crossing in front of her chest. “That’s all you brought?”

Here it comes. The moment I fretted over for the whole two-hour trip. “I’m sorry. With prepping for the upcoming book release—” I silence mid-poor-excuse. The reasoning sounded a lot more convincing when I was alone, talking the situation through on my walk here. But now that I’m actually with Tala, I’m aware there’s no way she’s going to buy any of my bogus reasons for not staying.

You see, Tala is a hybrid sibling. Being ten years older, she sometimes gets confused about what role she’s supposed to occupy—cool big sister or second mom. Most of the time I don’t mind the pendulum back and forth, but in this moment, the utter disappointment on her face is excruciating to endure. I’m already feeling bad enough for taking the coward’s way out, but her added mom-guilt sits heavily on me.

“You aren’t staying?” She asks it in a way that makes me want to curl up with my shame right here on the front porch.

“What about the talent show?” Serenity glances from me to her mom. “You said Auntie Capri will be there.”

My icicle heart nearly shatters at the announcement. “There’s a talent show?”

“Tomorrow.” My sister pauses like she’s considering something. “I was going to tell you, but we wanted it to be a surprise.”

How can I possibly miss Serenity’s talent show performance? I can’t. Not when I’m already here. And not unless I want to tattoo “worst aunt ever” across my forehead to make it official. I glance at my sister, the wheels in my mind turning. Tala and I wear the same size of clothes, so I can definitely borrow a pair of pajamas and an outfit for tomorrow, and I’m confident she has an extra toothbrush I can have. It’s only one night. I’ll sneak into the back of wherever it’s being held to watch, and I can go home right after …

The way Tala is chewing her bottom lip gives me pause. “Where’s this talent show at?” I ask.

“Dad’s work,” Serenity says before her mom can stop her. “They’ve been doing lots of fun things this summer.”

My gaze locks with Tala’s guilt-ridden one. “The talent show is at the retirement center? Interesting.” My words are dripping with sarcasm. It’s a good thing I didn’t speak my pajama borrowing plan aloud. “I can’t think why you didn’t tell me about it.”

“Because I want you to come.” She tilts her head to the side in that motherly way of hers. “We all do.”

“Auntie Capri!” Jack comes sprinting out the door in perfect seven-year-old fashion and throws his arms around my waist. “Want to practice my magic tricks with me for the talent show? I have a wand I stuff with scarves⁠—”

“She’s not coming,” Serenity blurts, clearly not thrilled with me in the slightest.

“What?” Jack immediately morphs into a small puppy with large brown eyes that urge me to give him whatever he wants. “You have to come.”

No. What I have to do is resist the temptation to give into my darling, missing-front-tooth nephew. I hand Lucas back to Tala and squat down so I'm eye level with Jack. “I have to get back tonight, but I was thinking you and your family can come visit me soon. We’ll go to the pool and the beach by my house—the one with all of the shells. And we’ll go bowling …” He narrows his eyes like he’s contemplating my offer, so I know I’m close. “… and hit up the arcade.”

His eyes go wide with excitement. “When can we go?”

Nice. That was easier than I thought. Still bent over with hands propped on my knees, I turn my head to look at Serenity, who’s watching me with vague interest. “I was thinking that we can grab an ice cream at that shop I brought you to last time—you know, the one that had that monstrous sundae with all the whipped cream and sprinkles and the upside-down waffle cone coming out of the top. What was that thing called again?”

A smile spreads across her face. “The Unicorn Sprinkle Bomb.”

“That’s it. Want another Unicorn Sprinkle Bomb?”

She nods her head in an excited burst of motion.