Page 29 of Rookie Season
Harlow beams, showing off the gap where she lost her two front teeth. She pops a fist onto her hip. “Best facial he’s ever had.”
I sigh. “It’s not a competition, girls. You both did great.” Laini and Harlow are what they call Irish twins, born one year apart to the day, and the two have a love-hate relationship—bickering and competing with each other one minute, and best friends the next. It makes me glad Andie is fourteen years older than me, and we never dealt with that.
I can’t remember a time when I ever fought with my sister. By the time I was old enough to bicker with her, she was in college.
“Can we do your hair next?” Harlow asks, already holding a pink brush in her hand.
I turn and glance out the window and see Mitch still busy flipping burger patties on the grill. I shrug. “Sure, why not?”
I sit up and rest my back against the couch as both girls brush and tug at my hair. Relaxing, I let them do their thing. It’s not like I’m going to see anyone I know tonight.
I glance around my sister’s home. Her and Mitch’s historical row house here in San Francisco is smaller than their grandiose home back in Virginia was, but it’s reallycool. The living room opens up to the dining room, and there’s a wall separating the kitchen and a long staircase that leads to two other stories where the bedrooms are.
Andie complains about the stairs often. But the one thing that stands out to me is the framed photo of our parents hung at the top of the staircase. That photo has been a constant anchor, and I feel grounded when I look at it. It’s been eleven years since we lost them, but it still feels raw sometimes. Like the accident just happened. What would it be like if they were still here? I bet they’d love having grandkids. I smile to myself at the idea, even though there’s an underlying feeling of sadness that filters through the happy thought.
A few minutes into my hair appointment, the back door swings open and Mitch walks through with a platter full of burgers.
He stops in his tracks, staring at me. “Wow.”
“That bad?” I mock whisper.
“Hey!” Laini says, offended. “We worked hard on this!”
“Uncle Noah, you look beautiful,” Harlow adds, looking at me adoringly.
Before I can get up and go in search of a mirror, we hear the front door open. “Honey, I’m home!” my older sister calls out.
Paige runs into the room but freezes when she sees me, similar to how her father just reacted. She grimaces.
Andie strides into the room next, when her gaze lands on me she bursts into laughter. “Well, aren’t you pretty?” She smiles, looking like the grownup version of Laini and Harlow. “I didn’t know you’d be here for dinner tonight, Noah! I brought a guest.”
The blood drains from my face. Ally is right behind her, still in a pink leotard with light gray shorts and a matching zipup hoodie thrown over the top. Her hair’s pulled up in a bun, but a few tendrils have come loose, framing her face. She looks just as surprised to see me, but when she clocks my current appearance, a devious grin slides across her pretty face, her pink lips turn up at the corners, and her eyes turn mocking.
“Noah, this is Allegra, the girls’ dance instructor.” Andie nudges her forward.
“Yeah, I know,” I say, standing abruptly and causing several products and hair clips to scatter onto the wood floor.
“Oh, of course,” Andie brings a palm to her forehead. “Totally forgot you picked Paige up a couple weeks back.”
“Yeah, and…Ally’s one of my loft mates.”
“You’re kidding!” Andie says, her eyes bright as she looks between the two of us. I can see her wheels turning, and that’s never a good thing. My sister doesn’t know the meaning ofmind your own business. It’s not in her vocabulary.
“I went to college with Archibald Fisher,” Ally offers by way of explanation.
Mitch strides forward, kissing my sister quickly before turning toward Ally. “Nice to meet you, Allegra. Sorry you have to put up with Noah’s grumpy ass.”
“You’re one to talk,” I mutter under my breath.
Mitch continues walking until he reaches the dining room table where he sets the tray of burgers down. “Dinner’s ready.”
“What can I get you to drink, Allegra?” Andie asks, sliding her purse off her shoulder and putting it down on the couch. “We have water, Coke Zero, and this brand of probiotic soda that Noah loves.”
Ally glances briefly at me, amusement still fluttering in her honeyed brown eyes. “Water is fine, thank you.”
“I’ll take a probiotic soda,” I say, standing and crossing the room until I’m towering over my sister.
She pats my shoulder in a patronizing way. “Great, you know where it’s at. You can get one yourself and grab Allegra a water while you’re in the kitchen.” Andie turns toward the table, then stops and looks over her shoulder at me. She smirks. “Oh, and you might want to clean up while you’re at it.”
