Page 22 of No Place Like You

When I told him about Janet and her cancer and her surgery, he called Janet himself. He and Nat talked to her about her treatment, and he was able to offer a less worried and somber ear. He didn’t shut down like I did, the conversations about her health too difficult to have. He didn’t become a ball of anxiety and frustration like Charles did, unable to keep his cool whenever she showed any sign of pain or weakness. Hayden justlistened. He and Nat gave my sister something that Charles and I haven’t mastered yet: calm reassurance.

We sit on the chairs around us when we realize we’re sort of just hovering in the waiting area. Charles walks away to pace the hallway, something he’s been doing every fifteen minutes, and it gives me and Hayden a moment to ourselves.

I lean forward and brace my elbows on my knees. “So, uh, how’s wedding planning going?”

He throws a dubious look in my direction. “You want to talk about the wedding? Right now?”

I sigh. “Maybe a little distraction might help,” I say, my voice tired and worn.

“You sure?”

I nod.

He takes a short pause, shifting the air into something lighter. “We booked everything for Hawaii,” he tells me in a low tone, obviously not wanting to shift too much of my attention away from the current situation on hand. “Reception, flowers, hotel. Nat handled it all with my aunt and my mom.”

“That was fast.”

He nods. “You know you’re going to be my best man, right?” he says softly after a long, pregnant pause.

“Yeah,” I croak. I clear my throat and force myself to meet his eyes. “Yeah, of course.” I smile at him even though I feel like crying right now. It’s funny how while being thrown in the pits of wait and worry, it’s the piece of good news that makes me want to cry.

He coughs into his fist. “And, uh,” he adds, “Nat’s just trying to get the guest list sorted. Making sure people get there when they’re supposed to. We really just want to make sure family’s there. Of course, you too.” He nudges my shoulder with his.

That draws a smile out of me. “Your mom’s going to be there, right?”

“Of course,” he answers. “And Nat’s parents and her sisters. Nat’s been a little worried about Lucy, so she’s looking forward to seeing her.”

My brow furrows. “Why?” I didn’t forget that Lucy’s here in the city. In fact, I’ve been tempted more than once—okay, closer to, like, ten times—to pick up the phone and call her. Maybe even show up unannounced at her apartment? See if that weird neighbor of hers is still poking his head around her personal space? But she made it pretty clear she doesn’t want to see me while she’s here. Maybe if I stage an “accidental” run-in and visit that wine and cheese store again…

He exhales a deep sigh. “She’s been out of work for a year,” he explains. “She had to take this job at a coffee house last year, and now she was talking about some internship.” He shakes his head at that last part. “Nat’s mom convinced her not to apply for it. You know, doing grunt work like getting coffee and being an errand gofer isn’t what she wants for Lucy. And it’s a temp position. Who knows if it would’ve even amounted to anything.”

I nod, listening while hoping I look as indifferent as possible.

“Anyway, I’m sure Nat’ll be fine once she sees Lucy. She just worries since she’s out in Seattle all alone. If she weren’t so far away, then Nat could at least help her out or make sure she’s making the right choices.”

“She’s an adult,” I remind him. “I’m sure she’s capable of making her own decisions.”

He shrugs, my words rolling right off of him. Maybe Lucy was right. The wavering faith her family has in her isn’t as rock solid as I thought. It’s even bled into Hayden’s mind, making him believe his future sister-in-law needs more support and guidance than he thinks. If only he and Nat knew what she’s made happen for herself in the past few weeks.

“Hey.” Hayden and I both look up to see Charles rush back from the hallway. “We can go see her now.”

Hayden and I both stand, and Hayden gently slaps a hand to my back. I guess the distraction actually helped.

13

Lucy

I always knewthe New York City heat was bad from my sisters complaining about it when July rolls around every year, but it’s really one of those things you have to experience yourself to really understand. It’s humid, like walking-around-with-a-steaming-damp-cloth-over-my-face type of humid. I’ve been here a little over a month now, and I desperately miss the gloomy Seattle clouds.

Today, when according to my phone’s weather app, the humidity level is at an all-time high of sixty percent, is the day Kyle decided to venture down the alleys of Brooklyn to shoot an outdoor shot. My hair, sticking to my clammy skin and growing poofier and poofier with each passing hour, is tied up using the elastic tie fastened at my wrist. And now, the hair lining my forehead has started curling, making me look a lot more frazzled than I actually am.

“I want to take a nap in an ice bath after this,” Elaine mutters, fanning herself with a stack of stapled papers. Her cheeks are flushed, and she lets outa deep breath.

Elaine has stuck close to my side since day one. We discovered a lot of similarities between us. We’re the same age and both dabbled in marketing before taking the plunge into photography. It’s her first time in New York City, and while I’ve visited before, it’s a whole different experience living here. She took this internship to home in on her photography skills like me, but also to get a better grasp on advertising and the marketing approach to an ad campaign. I’m here to learn more about photography and different approaches to camerawork within commercial and fashion photography. We’re both here to learn different things, but our goals run very parallel. And aside from our similar career goals, I’ve found that our personalities match well too. We’re both fairly outgoing, open to casual conversation about our personal lives while we work, and lunchtime disputes are rare when it comes to deciding what to eat, which definitely sweetens the ropes binding our newly formed friendship.

“Or go sit in the nearest bank branch,” I counter, tugging at the front of my shirt to keep it from sticking to my chest.

“You think they’d throw us out unless we’re there to withdraw money?”

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