Page 85 of Love in the Lab
She drops her hand to my knee, squeezing it before she stands up. She leans in, quickly kissing my lips, then disappears inside the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Chapter thirty-one
Molly
As the shock from our news wears off, my parents and sisters seem to calm down. We have a relatively normal dinner before watching a Hallmark Christmas movie and going our separate ways for bed. Nicole bunks with Olivia, while my parents assign Adam to Nicole’s childhood bedroom.
My dad seems to be back in good spirits after his disappointment earlier about missing my wedding. I would have loved to have my family there, but I also love how simple and intimate our ceremony was. It was all about me and Jonathan—no stress and no one to impress. I would choose an elopement in Vegas all over again.
“Well, we did have the couch reserved for you, sir,” my dad tells Jonathan. “But given the, uh, circumstances, I’m guessing you’ll be more comfortable with Molly.” He looks distinctly uncomfortable with this situation but pretends to be laid back about the whole thing.
Jonathan and I get ready for bed in the attached bathroom, falling into the already-familiar patterns we’ve established in just a few days of marriage.
I climb into the double bed next to my husband, and he playfully rolls toward me.
“We’re not going todo anythingin my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house with my sisters in the next room,” I hiss.
“But we’re newlyweds,” he pouts, as if we haven’t spent the last four days holed up in our Las Vegas hotel room together.
I heave an exasperated sigh. “It’s been a long day. Let’s just get some sleep.”
“Carrots, if you really don’t want to ‘do anything,’ you shouldn’t get mad. That makes it so much harder for me to resist you.”
I can’t help but laugh. I kiss him softly on the lips. “Good night,” I tell him pointedly.
“Good night.” For all his talk, he’s asleep in minutes. My brain isn’t as easy to turn off.
I creep into the kitchen once everyone’s asleep, and the lights are all off. I’m startled to see Olivia sitting at the kitchen table, the shine from her phone screen lighting up her face as she scrolls. She has a spoon sticking out of her mouth and an open container of chocolate pudding in front of her.
“Hey,” I say quietly.
Her head snaps up. A flash of guilt crosses her face when she sees it’s me. “Hey,” she says.
We’re quiet as I rummage through the pantry and pull out a Pop-Tart. When I sit down across from her to eat, Olivia looks at me with a grimace.
“I’m sorry I overreacted,” she blurts. “Earlier.”
I smile at her gently. “I wasn’t going to bring it up, but sinceyoudid … are you okay?”
She sighs. “Yes. No. I don’t know. I’ve been feeling lost since I graduated. Probably before that, if I’m being honest.”
I take another bite of Pop-Tart and wait.
“It’s just another way you and Nicole have your lives together where I don’t,” she continues, waving the spoon to punctuate her words. “Nicole isn’t engaged yet, but let’s be real, she’ll be walking down the aisle sooner rather than later. You turn up married without telling anyone. You both have these successful careers. And what am I doing? Living with Mom and Dad. Earning pennies as a youth soccer coach. It’s not hard to feel left out, left behind.”
I put my hand over my sister’s. “First of all,” I start. “You’re a lot younger than either of us—”
“Yeah, but you both have always known what you want to do.” She shrugs. “I have no idea.”
“I really think that Nicole and I are in the minority on that. Most people are like you, still figuring it out after college.” I break off a piece of my pastry and pop it in my mouth.
“Fine, but you walking in with Jonathan, making your big announcement, it just hit me hard that both you and Nicole are all in love while I’m sitting here playing third wheel to our parents.” She makes a face, and I laugh.
“Annie’s not getting married,” I remind her.
“Annie has a boyfriend,” she says, raising her eyebrows.
“Ah. Well, again, you’re a lot younger than us. You’re twenty-two. You still have so much time to find the love of your life before we have to start calling you an old maid,” I tease.
