Page 13 of This Feeling

“Yes, your favorite. Imagine if I’d known you were coming; I would have made your favorite dessert, as well.”

“Mom,” I said, as I reached for a chocolate-covered strawberry, “shouldn’t we be the ones cooking, since itisMother’s Day weekend?”

“That’s what I said,” my father added, reaching for a strawberry—and getting his hand slapped at the last minute by my mother.

“Those are for tomorrow!”

Dad looked confused. “But Declan just ate one.”

Her hands went to her hips. “Declan served our country for seventeen years. He can eat them all if he wants to.”

I fought to hold back my laugh. “What time is dinner, Mom?” I asked.

“I told your brother to be here around six-thirty. You’ve got plenty of time to settle in, and maybe even take a short ten-minute nap.”

“Nap? Mom, I haven’t napped since I was a toddler.”

She shrugged. “I think you’ve earned one. Did you drive here or fly in?”

I took another chocolate-covered strawberry and popped it into my mouth. My father gave me a death glare, so I grabbed another one and slipped it to him when my mother turned away.

“Drove. I sold pretty much everything in my apartment back in North Carolina and figured it would be silly to have my truck shipped when I could just drive it.”

“That makes sense. You go get yourself settled into your room. I’ll change the sheets on your bed. I wash them once a month, but it’s been about that long now.”

I shook my head. “Mom, the sheets are fine. Don’t worry about it. Do you need any help with dinner?”

She looked around. “I just need to make a salad, but I’ll do that right before the lasagna gets out of the oven.”

I walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll help cut up the veggies.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Oh, Declan, those days are over. I have a couple of Ceasar salad packs that I just have to open, dump the dressing on, and it’s ready.”

I laughed. “I like this new version of you, Mom.”

She winked, and then startled when her phone went off in her pocket. She took it out and rolled her eyes again. “It’s Sean. He confirmed he’s bringingher.”

“Maddie, don’t start with that,” my father warned.

“Why do you dislike Harper so much?” I asked.

Mom threw her hands in the air. “I don’t dislike her. I just thought that since they’d finally broken up, Sean could ask Crystal out.”

“Not this again,” my dad said, giving my mother a look. “Stay out of it, Maddie.”

Confused, I asked, “Crystal? Stevens? I thought they were best friends?”

“They are!” my mother agreed. “Viola and I havealwayswanted those two to get together, but Sean never asked her out. Then he started dating Harper, and it was serious for all those years. When they broke up, I thought maybe this was finally their chance to get together.”

I stared blankly at my mother. “Mom, Crystal is like a sister to Sean. He’snevergoing to ask her out.”

She shot me a dirty look and pointed her index finger in my direction. “You don’t know that.”

I did, in fact, know that. Sean told me all about how our mom and Viola had tried to push him and Crystal together on multiple occasions. He’d also told me he could never see himself with her. She and Sean were the best of friends but complete opposites.

Running a hand over my buzz cut, I drew in a breath. “I think I’ll go get unpacked.”

Dad looked my way. “Smart kid.”

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