Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Alex
Travel days always feel like a transition—leaving something behind, whether you're ready to or not.
And I'm definitely not ready to leave the way things were with Rose.
After finally waking up beside her, knowing we won't be doing that while we're staying with my parents feels like taking a step backward.
Texas is different from New Hampshire in every way imaginable. Nearly two thousand miles separate them, but it feels like even more than that. Different weather. Different pace. Different expectations.
The next morning, we leave for Texas, the memory of the night before still lingering between us in ways neither of us has tried to define.
By the time we make it through security, Rose stays close without thinking, her hand finding mine because it belongs there now.
Maybe it’s something we’ve both stopped questioning, so I don’t say anything. I just tighten my grip.
The airport is loud and crowded, people moving in every direction as if they’re the only ones with somewhere important to be, but none of it really registers. The announcements blur together, and the noise fades into the background. All I really notice is her.
“Gate’s this way,” I say, guiding us through the crowd.
She nods, staying close, but I can feel the tension in her, just under the surface. Everything she hasn’t said sits there between us, about coming home with me for the holiday, and what this means.
“You okay?” I ask.
She glances up at me, giving me a small smile. “Yeah.”
It doesn’t reach her eyes, but I let it go anyway.
We step through arrivals, and I don’t have to look long. They’re already here. My dad stands a few steps back, arms crossed, scanning the crowd with that same measured focus he always has, taking everything in at once. My mom, on the other hand, is already moving.
“Alexander,” she calls, her voice warm. It’s something I’ve missed more than I realized. Then she sees Rose. Everything about her softens.
“Rose.”
I feel it before I see it. Rose tenses beside me, her shoulders tightening just enough for me to notice, her fingers curling around mine before she lets go and braces herself, needing that second to pull herself together before stepping forward.
My mom doesn’t hesitate. She closes the space between them and pulls Rose into a hug as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, and has been waiting for this.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she murmurs, her voice thick with something that sounds a lot like relief. Rose goes rigid for a split second before she melts into it. Not giving in to it fully, but enough that I notice. And my heart swells as I watch her let herself be held.
My dad steps forward next, his expression softer than it usually is, though most people wouldn’t catch it. His eyes move over Rose in that assessing way of his. It is not obvious, but thorough, making sure she’s okay without saying it out loud.
“Good to see you,” he says, pulling her into a brief hug that’s firmer than it looks.
She smiles, and this time it reaches her eyes. “Hi.” Her words are simple, but it’s her entire demeanor that has softened.
I hang back for a second, watching it all unfold.
Something in me eases as I take in how naturally they bring her into this family, never a question of whether she belonged here.
They showed up for her when it mattered.
And now she’s here with us. With me. It doesn’t feel forced, it feels inevitable.
My mom steps back, just enough to look at her again.
Her hands linger on Rose’s arms as if she isn’t quite ready to let go yet.
Her attention turns to me, catching the way I watch her, the way I stay close without crowding her, ready if she needs me while still giving her space.
She doesn’t say anything, but I know she sees it.
My dad does, too. He just doesn’t make it obvious.
He grips my shoulder with firm hands and a leveling stare. “You made it.”
“You say that like there was a doubt,” I mutter. My parents exchange a look. I don’t have time to interpret it before Ezra’s voice cuts in behind me.
“Hey, what about me?”
I think he’s coming over to greet me, but he veers right past and goes straight for Rose, pulling her into a hug and lifting her clean off the ground.
She laughs, surprised. Something tightens in my chest before I even realize I've moved.
A low, instinctive growl rumbles in my chest as I step in, reaching for her.
“Hey,” I say, pulling her back to my side. “No need to grab her.”
She swats at my arms, laughing. “Relax.”
“I think you might be right about that growly thing,” she adds, glancing at Ezra.
That earns a snort from my dad, and my mom tries to hide a smile.
I catch her leaning toward him, whispering something that sounds a lot like only child syndrome, and I groan under my breath.
Ezra just grins. “Told you.”
The tension eases after that, the air loosening around us as we gather our bags and head toward the car, falling into the familiar rhythm of being back home. Still, I notice the way my mom keeps glancing at Rose. And every time she does, her expression softens just a little more.
We head out of the airport together, the air warmer the second we step outside.
Rose slows a little beside me, taking it all in, her eyes moving over everything.
I open the door behind her and rest my hand lightly against her back as she gets in.
It’s small, nothing obvious, but I find comfort in the fact that she leans into it just a little.
I get in beside her, our shoulders brushing.
Her hand finds mine again without hesitation.
I turn my hands, threading my fingers through hers like it’s the most normal thing.
The car pulls away, the airport fading behind us as we merge onto the highway.
Everything opens up after that. Long stretches of road replace the noise of the city, the landscape widening with every mile.
Conversation fills the car easily. Ezra talks, my mom asks questions, and my dad chimes in just enough to keep it going.
Rose answers when she's drawn into the conversation, but every so often her attention drifts to the window.
Mine always finds its way back to her. Her hand tightens around mine, and she leans closer without thinking.
I brush my thumb over her knuckles, and she lets out a soft sigh.
By the time we turn onto the road leading to the house, the light is starting to soften, the sky transitioning into that late afternoon glow. Rose sits up a little straighter, her attention increasing as our home comes into view. I watch her instead. The ways she takes it all in.
“Almost there,” I say.
She nods. But she doesn’t look away, and neither do I.
The tires roll smoothly over the pavement as we pull into the driveway.
Rose leans forward slightly beside me, her hand still in mine, but her attention is fixed on the house, staring at the porch she stood on months ago.
It seems forever since we were last standing here, making our proclamations to one another.
It’s different now. We both can feel as much.
My mom is out of the car before the engine even fully cuts out, already moving toward the front door as Ezra follows.
He stretches after being cramped the whole time, and considering he was sitting behind my dad, that’s probably true.
He’s complaining about it under his breath, but we sit there a second longer than necessary.
“You okay?” I ask.
She nods, but it’s slower this time. “Yeah…it just feels different being here now…with you.”
I glance at her. “In a bad way?”
A small smile plays at her lips. “No. Just…real.”
I squeeze her hand once before letting go, stepping out, and extending my hand as she moves toward me and steps out. We walk up together. The front door is already open, warm light spilling out onto the porch, my mom’s voice carrying from inside.
“Don’t just stand there, come in!”
Rose lets out a small laugh beside me.
“Too late to run, baby,” I murmur in her ear.
She bumps her shoulder lightly into mine before meeting my eyes. “No more running, little Alex.” She bites her bottom lip in a playful way, which almost brings me to my knees.
I groan. “I think we’ve already established there’s nothing little about me.
” She laughs as I let go of her hand, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and placing a light kiss on her temple.
I hold the door open as she slips beneath and we step into the house.
The house smells the same—clean, warm, and inviting.
“We’re home,” my mom says to all of us as she gathers both Rose and me into the fold of her arms. My dad follows behind us, bags in tow.
Rose just lingers beside me, her hand brushing mine for the briefest second before slipping away again.
She’s taking it in, feeling the space and deciding how she's going to fit here for the next few weeks.
“You remember where everything is?” my mom asks gently.
Rose nods, her voice subdued when she answers. “Yeah. I think so.”
“You haven’t forgotten anything?” my dad asks from behind us, his tone calm, as he places our bags down. “If you have, sweetie, please let us know, and Dani or I will get it for you.”
She smiles at that, and it’s different. Less guarded.
“Alright,” my mom says, clapping her hands softly, breaking up any tension. “Let’s get everyone settled.”
I already know where this is going. I can feel it before she even says it, already rolling my eyes.
“You’ve got the guest room ready,” I say, my voice neutral even as something tightens in my chest, not wanting to part with sleeping with her.
So many thoughts go through my mind. What if she needs me? If she has a nightmare? “For Rose.”
Rose moves beside me, subtle but unmistakable, as if she doesn’t want to give up sleeping beside me either. Before she can say anything, Ezra drops his bag by the stairs with a grin that’s already going to make me want to punch him.
“Do you want me to take the couch again, Alex?” He laughs, in a challenge. My eyes narrow as his smile widens, showing all his straight, pearly whites.
“Try again." My mom steps in before it turns into something else, her tone light but firm as she redirects him, knowing he was trying to get a rise out of me. My dad stares at Rose, then me, as his lip forms a thin line.
“Ezra, you’ll take the upstairs room, next to ours.”
He groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Uncle Vic snores,” he says in protest, but my dad doesn’t even look up when he answers.
“You’ll survive.” That ends it.
My mom turns back to Rose. “Come on, sweetheart. I’ll show you your room."
Rose hesitates for a second, her eyes lifting to mine, checking something she hasn’t said out loud.
I know, baby. I don’t want you to go either.
I give her a small nod anyway. She turns and follows my mom down the hall.
I stay where I am, watching her go, already missing her more than I should.
The space she leaves behind feels bigger than it is. I don’t like it.
Later, after I’ve been upstairs and put my things away, I find myself passing the guest room more than once. I don’t really have a reason to, but I do anyway. The door’s cracked open, voices spilling softly into the hallway. I should keep walking, but I don’t.
“You can put your things anywhere, honey. There’s no rush,” my mom says, her voice warm and patient in a way that makes people feel safe without even trying. Rose moves more slowly, setting her bag down, figuring out where she fits in all of this.
She clasps her hands together. “Thank you for letting me stay here. That was really kind of you.”
There’s a pause. Then my mom steps closer to her. “Oh, Rose,” she says, softer now. “You were always welcome here.” Her hand comes up, resting gently on Rose’s shoulder.
Rose hesitates, shifting her balance, unsure whether she should say more, but she does anyway.
“There were so many times I thought about reaching out,” she admits, her voice faltering, and I struggle to catch the rest. “But you have your own family, and I didn’t want to bother you, especially after everything you’ve already done for me.
” She exhales, glancing down. “I didn’t want to—”
“Be a burden,” my mom finishes gently.
Rose doesn’t answer. My mom takes her hands, holding them with a kind of certainty Rose doesn’t have for herself yet.
“You listen to me,” she says, her voice steely now. “You are not a burden. Not here, and never to us.”
Rose goes still, and even from where I stand, I can feel the impact. “You’ve been carrying too much by yourself for too long,” my mom continues. “You don’t have to do that anymore.”
Rose gives a small nod. You’d miss it otherwise if you weren’t watching for it.
“And whatever is going on,” my mom adds, “we’ll handle that, too. Together.”
I don’t know how much my mom knows, but I’d bet Ezra said something. Whether it was worry for Rose or just him being him, it doesn’t matter. It came from the right place.
“I don’t want to cause any problems,” Rose whispers.
“You didn’t,” my mom says immediately. “Someone else did.”
Rose’s shoulder drops. She’s been holding this for too long. I step away before I hear anything else, because I already know what matters. She’s not alone here.