Page 68 of Summer Breakdown
“I just hope you know that I did want to take you home,” Frankie says. Jasmine wants to kiss her. “The moment I saw you. I would have wanted to take you home no matter what.” Jasmine blinks, her eyes wide. “If I had seen you in the middle of a zombie apocalypse,” she says, and Jasmine laughs. “If I were on the way to my own wedding, I would have wanted you. And yeah, it’s because you’re out-of-this-world stunning, but it was so much more than that, so quickly.”
Jasmine holds on to her hand. “I want to be your friend. I want you to like me. I want to struggle through my thoughts just to have a three-minute conversation with you.”
“I want that too,” Jasmine replies, moving back slightly. “I’m a little nervous about it, because you come with a lot of people I want to keep, but you are at the top of that list.”
More laughter comes from the kitchen. Jasmine tugs Frankie out of the shed.
“The very top?” Frankie asks.
“Mm-hmm.”
“I’m telling Ezra.”
Jasmine laughs, pushing Frankie away as they walk back into the kitchen.
“Frankie,” her dad says. He’s precisely two apples tall. Apart from that, he looks like Ezra and Frankie. Adorable. Then his eyes land on her, and Jasmine smiles.
“Jasmine!” Oh. She’s been introduced already.
“Hi,” she replies. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“We’ve heard so much about you,” he says, pulling her into a hug. “Daraki, in case my rude children didn’t tell you. And this is Imani.” Imani is taller, with darker skin. It’s sort of ridiculous that the entire family could be models. She’s in a bright yellow headscarf and is coming for Cam in the amount of jewellery she has on.
Jasmine waves. “These are my womb mates, Kehlani and Marcel.” Jasmine thinks they already met, because Lani is slyly moving closer to Daraki, like maybe he has something in his pocket.
“Womb mates?” Daraki repeats, then laughs loudly. Jasmine finds where Ezra gets it from.
“Oh, I love it,” Imani replies. She comes around and hugs Jasmine too. Her hands rest against Jasmine’s jaw. “Such a beautiful face.”
Jasmine blushes, but Imani isn’t looking at her anymore. Her hands remain, however. “Now I know why Frankie won’t stop talking about you.”
Frankie groans.
“Moan all you like, Francesca; it doesn’t make it untrue.”
“If you wanted me to have a longer name, you should have called me something else,” Frankie says. “You can’t just make it up now.”
Imani humphs. Her hands drop from Jasmine’s face but then move to her hands. “Did Ezra offer you a drink?”
“I’m doing it, Ma,” Frankie says, as she pours glasses. Lemonade, and she puts cherry syrup in one. Jasmine smiles.
Imani hums. “So, Jasmine, are you married?”
“Oh my God,” Frankie replies, her forehead on the counter. Lani rubs her neck.
“I’m not,” Jasmine replies. Though, with the smile Imani gives her, she thinks she knew that anyway.
“Girlfriend?” Imani asks, and she’s sure Frankie is going to slip to the floor.
“Nope.”
Imani gasps. “Well, would you look at that? My wonderful daughter doesn’t have a girlfriend either.”
“Ma!”
Jasmine laughs. “She doesn’t?”
“Jasmine!”
