Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Drea
Mother Dearest: Our flight just landed, darling. Are you on your way?
I groaned and tried not to roll my eyes as I looked down at my phone. I’d told my mother a dozen times what time I’d be at the airport. My mother and my sisters just flew in from Portland, and I was literally getting out of my car to pick them up when she texted me.
Me: I’m walking in from the car park as we speak.
Mother Dearest: Okay, dear. See you soon!
I didn’t bother with a reply. I told them I’d meet them at baggage claim to help with their luggage.
They were only staying for a few days, but I was anxious to see them. I loved my family and honestly had missed them, but they could also be a lot sometimes.
Between my mother complaining about my father and asking me a million questions about my love life, and my sisters gloating about their accomplishments, I always looked forward to racing them back to the airport by the end of their visit.
While my sisters and I all went to college, I majored in business. Not as prestigious as psychology or creative as art. But I knew I wanted to own my own business. I wanted to be my own boss.
Owning a bookstore definitely wasn’t in my top list of career choices.
I thought I wanted to work at some big corporate Fortune 500 company and go to fancy parties and catch red-eye flights to close business deals.
But when I stumbled into the bookstore for sale and talked with the owner, I knew it was where I was meant to end up.
It just had a little charm about it that I knew I needed in my life.
I bought the bookstore right then and never looked back.
It took a lot of arguments and conversations with my parents, who seemed to think owning a small bookstore was beneath the Voss family name, but eventually they gave up, and I don’t regret my decision for even a second, even if it did strain my relationship with my parents a little.
On my way to baggage claim, as I took in all the people walking to and from their gates holding hands or walking with their children, I couldn’t help but think about Blair and wonder if we would ever take a trip together.
Would we be like the thousands of people who littered an airport every day, racing to check our bags and get through security?
Would we grab a drink at the bar and share our thoughts on what we were looking forward to the most on our trip?
I wondered where we would go. Would we go to Paris or Italy?
Texas or Florida? Would we take a cruise to the Bahamas or Turks and Caicos?
Would we sunbathe on the beaches of Hawaii and talk about the future?
I smiled as my thoughts ran wild with all the possibilities.
The fact that I was thinking about any of this at all was enough to glue my feet to the floor of the SEA-Tac Airport. We weren’t even dating, not officially, and I’d never had thoughts of taking a vacation with someone before, so why now? Why her?
What was it about Blair freaking Sterling that had me making imaginary plans for a future vacation? More importantly, why was it making me smile so brightly? The whole airport had to have thought I was very drunk with the way I was walking around the place, smiling to myself.
I tried to think of something else besides a future with Blair, because that was the last thing I needed to be thinking about, but for some reason, now that she was there, my brain wouldn’t conjure up any thoughts besides those of her.
I laughed to myself when I remembered the look on Blair’s face when she thought I was proposing. She looked so adorable and terrified. I should’ve been grateful for that kind of reaction. It wasn’t like I wanted to get married or anything, but it almost had me wondering, if only for a second, if I—
“Drea!” The sound of my three sisters and their banshee screams shook me out of my thoughts of marriage and Blair.
I almost considered pretending I didn’t know them. They were so loud that every single person in the building glanced their way.
A security guard ran over to see where the screams were coming from, and when he noticed my obnoxious sisters, he rolled his eyes and shook his head in disapproval.
“Ladies, there is no screaming allowed in this airport. If I have to come back here, you will be asked to leave and not come back!”
The color drained from my sisters’ faces, and I had to stifle my laugh. “Apologies, Officer. My sisters are still learning their manners. We’ll just be on our way, sir.” I replied politely.
The officer grumbled and walked away, and embarrassment was written all over my face. Someone please save me…
“You lot aren’t even in town for two minutes, and you’re already giving me a migraine,” I grumbled as I tried desperately to hide my smile. For as annoying as my sisters were, I had missed them. Seeing them get into trouble was also a delight.
They suffocated me in a group hug until my mother came up and joined in. “Look at all my babies together! Makes a mother so happy.”
“Okay, okay, I can’t breathe!” We all let go, and my mother immediately started checking me for injuries.
“Oh, honey, I’ve missed you! Are you eating enough? You look paper thin.”
Rolling my eyes, I tried to contain my grin. “Yes, Mother, I’m eating plenty. Why don’t we get your bags and head out, yeah? Are you guys hungry?”
After lugging everyone’s bags in the car, because for some reason their arms were broken, I fell into the driver’s seat and headed out of the airport.
We rode to the restaurant in a comfortable silence. My sisters were busy on their phones, and I kept glancing over at my mother in the passenger seat, where she was beaming at me.
“Yes, mother? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m just happy to have all my girls together. It’s been too long and we miss you, Drea.” My mother’s voice was quiet when she spoke.
I reached over and placed my hand on hers. “I’ve missed you, too, Mother.”
“Where are we going, Dre? I’m starving.” Eliza, the youngest, popped her head in between Mother and me.
I turned to look at her and elbowed her head to get her to scoot back. “We are going to lunch. Relax, runt.”
My mother scowled at me and I grinned with a shrug. Sighing when she didn’t find me hilarious, I added, “We are going to Social Kitchen. Is that okay?”
Eliza flicked my arm where Mother couldn’t see, and I wanted to backhand the bitch. “Sounds perfect, Sister Dearest.” When I scowled at her, she smirked and returned to her seat.
“Honey, are you sure you don’t want us to stay in a hotel? I’m sure you and Skylar wouldn’t want us imposing. Alone time is very important in a relationship, you know.”
My eyes widened with surprise at the mention of Skylar. I had told my father about our breakup, but I never got around to telling my mother. It was easier to talk about things like that with him. He didn’t care about personal details, so I never had to explain anything further.
I only told him things so he would know what’s going on in my life, and I wouldn’t have to worry about him bringing up something that I didn’t want to talk about, because he didn’t know about it. He was very cut and dry, and I admired that about him. My mother, on the other hand… very different.
“You aren’t imposing, Mother. I want you there. I have plenty of space.” I put on a genuine smile. Thankfully, we arrived at the restaurant before she could press the issue any further.
We settled into a table, and I desperately needed a drink, but that would have to wait until later.
“Vosses do not drink in public, dear. It is positively ghastly,” my mother would say. I didn’t think it was “ghastly” at all, but what did I know?
“What’s new with you three? How’s school going?”
“School is…” Eliza began.
“Ugh! We haven’t seen each other in so long and you want to talk about school?” Poppy groaned, rudely interrupting Eliza. “Did I tell you about the red Mustang Dad bought for me? It was an early graduation present.”
“No one wants to hear about your stupid car! Seriously! You brag about it to every person you meet!” Sophie interrupted.
“I, for one, will be moving to Italy after graduation to pursue a career in art restoration. Did I tell you about the salary? I could never see myself working in something as ridiculous as psychology—”
“Well, at least I will actually help people, instead of fixing someone else’s work!” Poppy said as she stuck out her tongue toward Sophie.
“Girls! Stop fighting. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all!” my mother intervened.
Eliza shyly spoke up. “As I was saying, school is going great. I am planning on going to Costa Rica after graduation to explore the effects of the environment on wildlife. I may even go to Antarctica to research the polar ice caps after.”
“That all sounds amazing. I’m really proud of all of you.” There, their one compliment for the year.
“What’s new with you, Dre?” I could hear the sincerity in Eliza’s tone, and I couldn’t hide my smile. Even though the triplets were the same age, Eliza seemed to have a maturity about her that I got along with better than the others.
“Well, the bookstore is still doing well. I have an author coming in for a signing in a few months. It’s been going pretty well, actually. Oh, and Fallon is getting married.”
“Oh, isn’t that nice, dear? Soon, both of your friends will be married ladies. I do hope you’ll follow in their footsteps, hmm?”
Groaning, I took a long sip of my tea, choosing my words carefully. “The store keeps me rather busy at the moment, Mother.”
When would she learn to stop meddling in my love life? She should’ve known by now that I didn’t want to get married, not when I knew how it could break apart a family.
“Well, Skylar isn’t going to wait around forever, darling. Speaking of, where is that lovely woman, tonight? Is she meeting us later?” My mother smiled sweetly while drinking her tea, and I tried not to choke on mine.