Chapter 26
twenty-six
. . .
Wick
The soft chime of the bell above the door announced my arrival at The Sunnyside Nook. I scanned the cozy interior, taking in the charming vintage decor and the tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries. My gaze landed on a familiar shock of dark hair tucked into a corner booth.
Olivia.
She looked up, her eyes lighting as she waved me over. I wove carefully through the maze of tables. This kind of cutesy place always made me feel like a giant stomping through a dollhouse.
“Hey, Livvy.” I slid into the seat across from her. “Where’s Mom?”
“Running late, as usual. Something about a crisis with the garden club.”
I snorted, shaking my head. Our mother’s dedication to her social obligations bordered on the absurd. But I suppose we all had our coping mechanisms.
Olivia was glowing with her usual sunny disposition, but I couldn’t help but notice her subtle wince as she shifted in her seat. My brow furrowed, and I gently reached across the table to touch her arm. “Liv?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “Are you okay?”
She gave me a reassuring smile. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a little clumsy, that’s all. You know me and my two left feet.”
I studied her, unconvinced. Olivia had never been clumsy, even as a child. But the look in her eyes told me she didn’t want to discuss it further. I nodded and sipped my coffee, unease churning in my gut. Something about the way Olivia had brushed off my concern nagged at me.
As if sensing my discomfort, Olivia reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “Really, Wick, I’m fine. You worry too much.”
I searched her face, wishing I could believe her. Olivia had always been the peacekeeper, the one who tried to smooth over the cracks in our family. It rarely occurred to her that she was allowed to have problems too.
“Alright, alright,” I conceded. “I’m just looking out for you, that’s all.” I let the subject drop and turned my attention to the menu. As I scanned the options, my mind drifted to the other pressing matters weighing on me—namely, the fact that my best friend, the man I considered a brother, still wouldn’t speak to me.
“So…” Olivia leaned forward, her elbows braced on the table. “How are you holding up? With everything that’s been going on?”
My fingers tightened around the laminated menu. I should have known she’d cut right to the chase. Olivia had never been one for small talk. “I’m fine,” I said. “Just trying to figure some things out.”
“Like how you’re suddenly in a relationship with your best friend’s sister and her fuck buddy?”
“Jesus, Liv. Could you keep your voice down? ”
She shrugged, unapologetic. “I’m just saying, Wick. It’s a lot to process. And you’re not exactly the poster boy for emotional vulnerability.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then snapped it closed. She was right. I’d spent so long burying my feelings, convincing myself that I was better off alone. That love was a weakness I couldn’t afford. But then Marco had gone and torn down every wall I’d ever built. And Meghan…well, in the end, there was nothing I could do except surrender to what I felt for her.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admitted. “I’ve never felt like this before, Liv. About anyone. And now there’s two of them, and I just don’t know how to handle it.”
Olivia took my hand again. “You can’t control who you love. Trust me, I know.”
I glanced down at the gold band on her finger, a reminder of the whirlwind romance that had swept her off her feet and into Ethan’s arms. She’d been so sure, so confident in her choice. Even when our parents had expressed their fears that she was moving too fast. But Olivia had never wavered. She’d known that Ethan was the one. I envied her faith in the power of love.
The bell above the door chimed again, and our mother bustled in. Her perfectly coiffed hair and immaculate dress were a stark contrast to the laid-back vibe of the cafe. She spotted us immediately, and her face broke into a wide smile as she hurried over. “My darlings!” She enveloped us both in a cloud of floral perfume, her embrace tight and fleeting. “I’m so sorry I’m late. You know how Mildred can be when she gets on a tangent about her prize-winning roses.”
I exchanged a knowing look with Olivia. Our mother’s ability to turn even the most mundane of social interactions into a matter of life and death never ceased to amaze me.
“It’s fine, Mom,” Olivia said, scooting over to make room for her in the booth. “We were just catching up.”
The waitress appeared at our table, her pen poised over her notepad. “What can I get for y’all today?”
We placed our orders—a veggie omelet for Olivia, a stack of blueberry pancakes for me, and a fruit cup with a side of dry toast for Mom.
I could feel my mother’s gaze on me, the unspoken questions hanging in the air. She’d heard the rumors, seen the tabloid headlines splashed across every newsstand in town.
Olivia was chattering animatedly about her latest home renovation project, describing the vision she and Ethan had for their new kitchen. My mother nodded along, sipping delicately at her Earl Grey. I tried to engage with the conversation, but my mind kept drifting, the events of the past few weeks playing on a relentless loop.
“Wick? Darling, is everything alright?” My mom’s voice broke through the haze, her brow creased with concern. “You seem preoccupied.”
“Sorry. I was miles away.”
Mom reached across the table and patted my hand. “I want you to know that I support you, no matter what. Those tabloids, with their salacious headlines and wild speculation, they have no idea about the real you.”
I raised my eyebrows, caught off guard by the fierce protectiveness in her tone. “Mom, I?—”
“Let me finish, dear. I know I haven’t always been the most...open-minded when it comes to matters of the heart. But seeing those awful stories, the way they portrayed you and Meghan and Marco, it made me realize how judgmental I’ve been.”
Olivia rested her hand on Mom’s shoulder, a silent show of support. I swallowed hard.
“I won’t pretend to understand the intricacies of your relationship,” Mom continued, her voice wavering slightly. “But I do know that love is love. And if Meghan and Marco make you happy, then that’s all that matters to me.”
I couldn’t remember the last time my mother had spoken to me with such unguarded honesty, such unconditional acceptance. “Thank you, Mom,” I managed, my voice rough.
Before I could say anything else, I looked up to see a familiar face staring back.
“Hey, Wick. Elle, Liv. It’s good to see you all.” Beth smiled down at me with the same grin I had loved for almost a decade. It was the first time I had seen her in years and I felt…absolutely nothing.
“Beth. How are you?”
She launched into a detailed recap of the vacation she’d just returned from. Mom, Liv, and I simply looked up at her with varying degrees of indifference written across our faces.
“Anyway, how are you? We should get together sometime and catch up.”
“I’d really rather not,” I said.
Beth’s smile faltered. “Right. Okay, well, um, enjoy your brunch.” She offered another tight smile, and then she was gone.
“You okay?” Liv’s voice was tentative, as if she was waiting for me to snap.
“I’m good.”
And for the first time in a long, long while, I really was.