Page 99 of The Gathered Fragments of Us
"Long! But we had snacks and movies and Lucas threw up in Georgia."
"I did not!" Lucas called from across the room while following Macy toward the kitchen. "I just felt sick!"
"You threw up McDonald's nuggets all over me," Zoe announced matter-of-factly. How she even explained this without throwing up herself was beyond me.
I looked at Maliyah, mortified on her behalf. She grimaced, clearly remembering her experience. "That was a fun stop. Nothing like cleaning vomit off a four-year-old in a gas station bathroom at midnight."
"Oh honey," Sandy said, immediately switching into grandma mode. "You poor thing. Come here, let me get you something to settle your stomach."
"I'm fine now!" Lucas protested. "Macy, what's spit? Is it gross? I like gross games!"
"It's a card game," Macy explained patiently. "Really fast and fun."
I watched Lucas's face light up like Christmas morning. His crush on Macy was adorable and so very obvious—the way he hung on her every word, tried to copy whatever she was doing. Macy handled it like a champ, treating him almost like a little brother.
"May," I said, still trying to wrap my head around this surprise. "I can't believe you just packed up and drove here. With work, and the kids' schedules, and—"
"Felicity." She stopped unpacking random kid items from her bag and looked at me. "You're my sister. With all that's happened recently, I just can't—." She leaned back, looking like she was searching for the words. She looked me in the eyes and said, "you were there for me with everything. I wouldn't be anywhere else than right here with you. I just can't imagine not paying it forward." She smirked then and continued, "besides, you know you're my favorite sister."
"I'm your only sister Maliyah."
"Semantics."
Zoe patted my cheek. "Mommy said Aunt Fliss was sad and needed hugs."
"Did she now?" Zoe nodded before I continued, "well, I feel like you've got a lot of work to do. I counted only like ten or so hugs so far. A trip from Florida feels like it's supposed to come with closer to like seven or eight hundred!"
"Eight hundred! Auntie Fliss, I'll have to hug you like forever!"
"Better start now!" At that, Zoe threw her arms around me and started counting every squeeze.
Once she hit the thirties, Caden rounded the corner. It looks like he finished his call with Morrison. "What's going on over here?!"
"Uncle Caden!!!!" Zoe started to push me away and climb down from my arms, all memory of hugs forgotten. Caden has a swing and toss that Zoe loves and, let's face it, I don't compete.
Caden swooped her up into his arms, hugging her and then throwing her over his shoulder. He leaned forward and gave Maliyah a kiss on the cheek. "Maliyah, it's great to see you. Not sure about what made you think to come, but I'm fairly certain your sister is over the moon to see you right now."
He looked between us and continued, "why don't I steal this munchkin away!" As he said the word 'munchkin' he pretended to nibble on Zoe's side sending her into screams of delight. Looking back over to me he said, "go spend some time with your sister. Mom, Macy, and I will handle things with the kiddos for a bit. I'm sure Maliyah could use a break too."
He turned away, tickling Zoe's side and through the giggles I heard her squeal and yell out, "I have to pee!!" Caden switched course, dropped her to her feet and sent her off yelling out to her, "okay kiddo, you do that, and Uncle Caden will go make you a snack."
"Okay!" Zoe yelled back.
With all the sounds of chaos and happiness we could hear from every corner of the downstairs, Maliyah and I took ourselves upstairs to help her get settled, laughing the whole way up the steps.
Zoe and Maliyah will take one room. Lucas will get the other guest room. Macy has a twin daybed and a trundle, and while I'm guessing Zoe will want to start the night off staying with her, the last time we tried that, she ended up scared in the night and called out for her mom before ultimately settling in with Maliyah.
"This is exactly what I needed," I said, opening the door to the larger guest room. "I didn't even know I needed it until you showed up."
Maliyah dropped her duffle on the bed and turned to face me. "Okay, now that we're alone—how are you really doing? And don't give me the 'fine' answer. I want the real story."
I sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling the weight of everything that had happened. "It's been... a lot. But also, good? Does that make sense?"
"Not really. Start from the beginning."
So I did. I retold her some of the stuff with Caden from before my trip to Miami, and some of the highlights she already knew about everything with Jessica and Macy. I showed her the text I'd received from Caden from earlier when he was downstairs and me upstairs. I shared what we knew so far about Jessica, even talking through the custody of Macy. We talked about Macy starting therapy and Caden and me doing so too—essentially unloading weeks'—years' worth of craziness in what felt like no time at all.
But then I told her about the garden and all the work Caden had been doing. I told her about how it wasn't just doing things, it was about how he was acting too—talking with me, sharing, going back to the days when we were truly partners. I mentioned Macy's therapy and the permanent custody situation. About the garden and the locket and the slow, careful work of rebuilding trust.
