Chapter 12
Astrid
“Did the train run over your mood?” Kelly asked as I clicked my seatbelt into place. “I expected at least a dramatic gasp, you know— Oh God, Kel, it’s exactly like five years ago!”
“Is my face that bad?” Without moving a muscle, I flipped down the sun visor and took a quick peek at my reflection. Yikes. Had I seriously been standing outside the station by the lamppost with this resting bitch face the whole time?
Great! A man whose name I didn’t even know was already giving me permanent scowl lines.
“Without a doubt.” Kelly reversed the car and eased onto the road leading into town. “So, who’s the culprit this time? Crying baby, snoring old man, or some kid loudly munching snacks without sharing?”
“I wish I had someone else to blame,” I muttered, squeezing the seatbelt like a stress ball ready to pop. “By any chance, did you accidentally manifest some ridiculous wish to see Iceberg again?”
“Who’s Iceberg?” Her expression was genuinely clueless.
Right. She had no idea. Then again, I didn’t know his actual name either. Only that his personality had all the warmth of a refrigerated popsicle. So Iceberg seemed fitting enough. “Our hitchhiker’s bend savior.”
Her eyes widened. “You ran into No-Talk Timmy?”
Okay, this was weird.
Even Kelly had a nickname for him.
And somehow, that name cracked me up. “Where did you dig that up from?”
“There was this boy named Thomas in my class, the quietest kid, so everyone started calling him No-Talk Timmy. The name stuck, and now it’s my go-to nickname for anyone who barely talks.”
“Please, Kel. No-Talk Timmy sounds innocent. Don’t compare him with that guy. D.e.v.i.o.u.s.” I spelled it out slowly. “Devious suits him better.”
The car slowed as we approached the town square, caught in light traffic.
“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even realize he comes off that way.
” Kelly grinned. “Anyway, where did you see him?” Before I could even open my mouth, she cut me off.
“I told you! I knew he looked familiar. And now I know why. He must be from around here. My memory is terrifyingly good, and you’re going to admit it. ”
“Born and raised here, in a town where everyone knows everyone, and you still don’t remember him?” I shook my head. “I stand by my words.”
“Alright, genius, I admit it, I have a terrible memory. Now, are you actually going to tell me where you saw him, or do I have to start making up stories?”
“On the train. He was in the guard’s compartment.
” Taking pictures. I kept that part to myself.
Kelly would instantly romanticize it, swooning over how effortlessly cool he must have looked taking photos of the sunset.
I bet those pictures were probably weird angles, half-shadows, and too much glare.
“Did you two finally make up?”
“Make up?”
Make up for what?
For calling him an asshole? A dick? Because if I was keeping score, he'd called me a talking frog, so I was pretty sure we were—
The thought slipped away as my eyes fixed on the road ahead. Kelly needed to take a left here. This was the turn to my new house. Left turn, three houses down.
“You both got off on the wrong foot,” she said.
She drove right past the street.
Why was I so helpless with directions? I could memorize a seating chart for two hundred guests, plan an entire wedding down to the last flower petal, and recall precisely which fork belonged where. But streets? Hell no.
Kelly took the next left.
I scanned the street for something familiar and spotted it: a teal door standing out among the muted buildings. That was it—my little landmark beacon until my brain memorized the way home.
“You were saying something?” I asked, the echo of her words finally catching up to me. Something about a bad start...
“Oh, so you were listening. Could’ve fooled me,” Kelly said. “Yeah, I was saying you and No-Talk Timmy got off to a bad start.”
“Forget a bad note,” I grumbled.
Kelly’s eyes sparkled like she was thoroughly enjoying my misery. “Worse?”
“He made me apologize while I was barely hanging onto the train footboard.”
The car screeched to a sudden stop, jerking me forward until the seatbelt snapped me right back. “Ow. Kel, I’d like to make it to dinner alive.”
“What the hell do you mean, hanging onto the footboard?”
“That’s a long story,” I sighed. “Let’s get inside first.”
“Nope. Spill it now, ASTRID.” Kelly crossed her arms, a stubborn gleam in her eyes.
I sighed again, fully aware I had no chance of dodging this one. So I told her everything—from running into him in the guard’s compartment to the moment he’d saved me. Her expression morphed from shock to anger, finally settling somewhere near relief.
“Thank God he pulled you up, because if he hadn’t, I would’ve burned this whole town to the ground.”
My brain stalled completely. “Kel, normal people cry, maybe panic a little. Your first instinct is world destruction?”
She gave me a dead-serious look. “I was scared for you.” We climbed out of the car and headed toward the house as she continued. “I thought Orange Falls was all sunshine and sweet peaches. Turns out, we’ve got a rotten apple.”
“Wouldn’t it be more like a rotten orange?”
Kelly gave me an approving high five. Rotten apple, rotten orange, Iceberg, No-Talk Timmy. His list of nicknames just kept growing.
Her phone rang, and she stepped aside, gesturing for me to go inside. Privacy? That wasn’t like her. Kelly never kept things from me. Still, I unlocked the door resisting the urge to eavesdrop I'd grill her about it later.
I switched on the light, spotting a few unopened boxes stacked in a corner.
Other than that, the place was empty. Just four walls, the bare essentials included with the rental, and a lot of empty space.
I'd definitely have to pick up some basics soon—kitchen utensils, a bit of furniture, and some workspace supplies.
I slumped onto the floor, leaning back against one of the boxes. My stomach let out a loud growl, reminding me exactly where my priorities should be.
“Oh, my dear, this place is far too empty for my liking.”
I looked up to see Eleanor standing in the doorway, a picnic basket in one hand and a stack of blankets in the other. “A new home without a housewarming? Not acceptable.”
Behind her, Kelly appeared, clutching a laundry basket that looked way too heavy. With a pillow balanced on top, her eyes barely peeked over the edge.
So this was what Kelly had been secretly plotting on the phone.
“You know I hate surprises.” I moved over to Kelly and took the pillow from her.
Eleanor shot me an apologetic grin as she set the basket down on the kitchen counter. “Hate to break it to you Astrid, but we’re not done surprising you yet.”
I barely had time to process her words before surprise number two strolled right in. Steve appeared in the doorway, hauling a heavy wooden board that looked suspiciously like a bed's headboard. Outside, his truck was packed tight with even more furniture.
“Quick, Astrid! Where am I putting this bed?”
The bed.
I couldn’t accept this. It was too much, too generous.
I would never take things from people. Sure, Kelly and I were best friends, and her family was close to me, but this felt different.
Accepting something this big felt like stepping across an invisible line I wasn't sure I was ready to cross yet.
“Please, I can’t accept this—” I started.
“Nonsense,” Eleanor interrupted, her voice firm enough to close the topic completely. “I won’t have you sleeping on the floor.”
“I was planning to buy a bed tomorrow.” The words came out sharper than I'd intended. “Really, please, just take it back.”
“You two can argue about this later,” Steve grunted, adjusting the heavy board balanced on his shoulder. “Just tell me where to put this thing before it crushes my back.”
“Put it in the right corner, toward the window, Dad,” Kelly said. “It gets plenty of sunlight.”
I shot Kelly a sharp look, silently demanding if this was her idea.
“I swear it was Mom’s plan. Though maybe I encouraged it. Just a tiny bit.”
“Astrid.” Eleanor’s voice softened as she reached for my arm. “I know you don’t want to stay with us, and I won’t push. But please, at least let us do this for you. You’re family, whether you see it yet or not.”
My throat tightened, and I struggled to swallow. Family. It was a word I hadn’t let myself think about in so long. I didn’t have anyone anymore. But here they were, calling me family, offering something I hadn’t asked for, yet something I suddenly realized how desperately I'd needed.
“I promise we didn’t buy anything just for you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Eleanor added. “The bed was sitting in the guest room, and the rest of the furniture was in storage.”
“The laundry basket’s new. It still has the label,” I pointed out, hoping to lighten the mood. Steve had already gone back and forth twice, bringing in the remaining parts of the bed.
“Damn, Azzie,” Kelly grinned wickedly. “If I'd known you preferred a basket with a history of my sweaty socks, I would’ve happily brought mine.”
I laughed.
Eleanor put us all to work, taking over the kitchen and organizing utensils onto shelves. Steve paused mid-assembly, groaning when he couldn’t find the tool he needed. Eleanor, never one to miss an opportunity, teased him about his memory, pulling Kelly into the joke along with her.
She shared stories about Kelly’s childhood, calling her spoiled by Steve, herself, and especially by Kelly’s grandparents.
Eleanor’s voice caught slightly when she mentioned losing three pregnancies before Kelly.
Even the fourth pregnancy had been difficult, full of complications and close calls, but Kelly had made it through.
She was a fighter. I'd always known it.
Two hours later, the place actually felt like a home—bed assembled, kitchen stocked, plus a small dining table, a couch, and a recliner all in place.
By then, everyone was starving. When we opened the food basket, all the exhaustion from unpacking felt completely worth it. She’d packed more than enough food—crispy golden fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fresh, crunchy coleslaw, and sweet cornbread.
“Just so you know, Astrid,” Steve said, picking up a piece of chicken, “that chair has the perfect butt groove. Used to be my favorite nap spot. Try it. You won’t last five minutes without dozing off.”
“Oh, I definitely needed to know that,” I smiled. “And honestly, Steve, I'm surprised you stuck around this long to help with the furniture.”
“You can thank Eleanor for that,” Steve offered, suppressing a smile.
Eleanor’s expression soured. I met Kelly’s eyes, silently asking what I'd missed.
“Dad said he wouldn’t help unless Mabel signed off on the project, so Mom baked her an apple pie.” Kelly whispered. “Apparently, that pie sealed the deal. She signed right away.”
Contract approval in exchange for apple pie? Now that was negotiation. “You know, I really need to meet her someday.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Kelly said. “You'll be seeing her a lot. She and Mom end up together at basically every town event.”
After dinner, Kelly’s family left, and I collapsed onto the bed. The day had been a rollercoaster but somehow, moving in didn’t feel so bad after all. Sleep pulled me under before I could think anymore.