Chapter 29
Having my sisters here feels like my new life just expanded to make room for them.
My phone kept lighting up all day with pictures while I was at work—April posing dramatically outside random stores, June holding coffee near the harbor. Selfies from places I pass every day, but I have yet to visit myself.
They’ve turned my small town into an adventure.
I catch myself smiling every time my phone buzzes.
When I get home Tuesday evening, music is playing somewhere inside, the house smells like tomato sauce and garlic, and I find them both in the kitchen, surrounded by ingredients, Neptune glued to their side, as they laugh over something I clearly missed.
“You made lasagna?” I ask, dropping my keys on the counter.
“We’re domestic now,” April says proudly, waving a spatula.
June grins. “You’re welcome.”
“It smells delicious,” I say, pulling my phone out of my pants pocket. I text Aiden.
Me:
Are you home?
A few moments later, my phone buzzes.
Aiden:
Not yet. It will be soon.
I hesitate only a second before typing again.
Me:
Is it okay if I come over to drop something off for you?
Another quick response.
Aiden:
Yeah. Uncle Mike’s there with Andres.
Perfect.
I glance up at my sisters. “Okay. I need help with a small project.”
“What kind of project?” April asks slowly.
“You’ll see.”
A few minutes later, we’re walking across the lawn toward Aiden’s house.
“I made labels for Aiden’s bread and jam,” I whisper quickly. “We’re going to label everything he’s made before he gets home.”
Their eyes widen in identical realization.
“Oh,” April says, dragging out the word.
June smirks. “That’s… very sweet of you.”
“Stop,” I mutter, knocking before they can say anything else.
Andres opens the door, smiling when he sees me.
“Hey,” he says. “Come in.”
“We’re here to work on the farmers market stuff,” I explain, lifting the envelope slightly.
He nods and steps aside to let us in.
The second we walk inside, Skye trots over, tail wagging so hard her whole body moves with it.
I crouch to scratch behind her ears while my sisters immediately melt, both reaching down to pet her.
“Girls, this is Skye,” I say as she happily accepts the attention, wandering between us before settling in her bed.
Uncle Mike sits in his usual chair by the window, sunlight falling across his lap.
“Uncle Mike, these are my sisters. April and June.”
Both of them step forward and give him a quick hug without hesitation, and his face softens.
“Well, look at that,” he says warmly. “It’s nice to finally meet you, ladies.”
“Nice to meet you, Uncle Mike,” April says with a smile.
“We’re going to help Aiden get ready for the market,” I explain. “I brought some labels I want to surprise him with.”
He waves a hand toward the kitchen. “Take your time. Do whatever you need.”
Crates take over the kitchen, four loaded with different breads, one full of bagged bagels, and several stacked with blueberry and peach jam.
“Wow,” April says, looking around. “He made all of this?”
June runs a hand lightly along the edge of one crate, eyes wide. “This is… a lot.”
“I helped a little,” I admit, moving closer. “But most of it is Aiden. He does this twice a year for the senior home.”
Both of them glance around again, impressed, and a quiet pride settles in my chest knowing I get to be part of this too.
I step into the garage to check the fridge and notice several loaves still sitting proofed and ready but not baked.
I pull out my phone.
Me:
Are you baking the bread in the garage, or is that extra?
His response comes quickly.
Aiden:
I will be baking those tonight. I didn’t have time to finish.
I stare at the message for a second before walking back inside. Without overthinking it, I move to the oven, slide a Dutch oven onto the rack, and set the temperature to four-fifty.
April and June watch me like I’ve grown a second head.
“He didn’t get to finish baking,” I explain. “So we’re going to do it for him.”
April laughs. “When did you become a sourdough expert?”
“Shut up and help me.”
I pull the manila envelope open and spread the labels across the counter, separating them into piles.
“These right here are the Vampire Slayers,” I say, pointing toward one crate. “These are Plain Janes. Third crate is Lemon Blueberry, and the last one is Aiden’s secret red velvet recipe.”
June lifts a sheet of labels. “These are adorable.”
“The bagels are Danny Dough-vito’s Bagels,” I continue, handing another stack over, “and these are for the jams. Oregon Peaches… and Elena’s Blueberry Jam.”
April looks up “Who’s Elena?”
“Aiden’s mom,” I say.
She blinks. “You’re telling me Aiden’s mom’s name is our mom’s name, but in Spanish?”
I smile, handing her another sheet.
“Yup,” I say, clapping my hands once. “Let’s get to work.”
April rolls her shoulders dramatically. “Okay, team. We’re getting this man ready for market.”
June laughs, pulling a crate closer. “Let’s do it.”
Two hours later, I’m scoring the third loaf of bread when the garage door opens, the sound cutting through the soft chatter filling the kitchen, and I glance up just as Aiden steps inside.
He’s still half in uniform, fireman pants and heavy boots paired with a fitted blue station T-shirt that stretches across his shoulders, Fire Rescue printed across the back.
His hair is slightly messy from wearing his helmet all day, flattened in places and curling at the edges, but the second he sees the kitchen, his entire expression softens, his smile warm and easy, like coming home to a full house is the best surprise he could’ve found waiting for him.
April and June both stop what they’re doing.
They look at him, then immediately at each other, and June mouths hot while April nods dramatically across her, the two of them being so painfully obvious that I have to bite back a laugh and pretend I’m very focused on the bread in front of me.
“Hello,” Aiden greets, stepping farther inside, his gaze moving between everyone.
“Hi,” April answers brightly.
“Hey,” June adds, suddenly very interested in the labels in front of her.
I lift my hand in greeting while opening the oven, sliding one finished loaf onto the cooling rack before placing another inside, the heat rushing against my face as I close the door. When I turn back around, Aiden is already beside me, leaning slightly toward the fresh loaf I just set down.
“Excellent score,” he says with a grin.
“Thank you,” I answer, smiling up at him. “I’m a good apprentice.”
From the corner of my eye, I see my sisters watching like this is the most entertaining thing they’ve ever seen, and I feel warmth creep into my cheeks.
“Aiden,” I say quickly, trying to redirect the attention. “Meet my sisters. This is April.”
He offers his hand easily, polite and relaxed, and she takes it with a bright smile. “Nice to finally meet you,” she says, throwing me a wink that makes me want to hide.
“And this is June.”
June doesn’t bother with a handshake. She walks around the table and wraps him in a quick, tight hug.
“You made my sister blush,” she says dramatically, “and for that I will love you forever.”
I smack her lightly on the shoulder. “Get back to work, you goblin.”
She rolls her eyes but heads back around the table, grinning.
Aiden’s gaze shifts then, finally taking in what’s happening around the kitchen. He reaches for a loaf that’s already labeled, his fingers brushing the paper as he reads under his breath.
“Plain Jane,” he says, smiling to himself, before picking up another. “Vampire Slayer…”
He continues down the line, reading labels and glancing at the crates, until he reaches the jams. The moment his eyes land on the blueberry jars, he pauses, his expression softening.
He looks up at me, something warm and shiny in his eyes, and then he crosses the space between us and pulls me into a hug, his arms wrapping around me in a way that feels both grateful and grounding.
“This is so incredibly thoughtful,” he says softly. “Thank you.”
Behind us, my sisters let out a synchronized “Aww,” and both of us laugh, Aiden’s arms still around me as I relax into the warmth of him.
I don’t pull away right away, caught off guard by how good it feels to stand there like this, with his arms around me, knowing I got to do something that made him genuinely happy.
And for just a moment, I let myself stay there, tucked into his embrace, letting the feeling settle.
Friday afternoon sneaks up on me before I realize the week is almost over.
The last few days blur together in the best way, full and busy and louder than my life has felt in a while.
Wednesday disappears into meetings and prep at work, my phone lighting up constantly with pictures from my sisters at the farmers market.
April posing in front of every stand like she’s a food influencer, June holding up jars of jam with dramatic captions, both of them looking completely at home wandering through town without me.
When I get back that evening, the kitchen smells like sugar and fruit, overflowing with everything they bought, including what feels like half the jam supply from the market, most of which April insists she’s taking back to L.A.