Page 56 of Set the Moment
Jace and I take that as a sign to look for what we want and make a bit of small talk until his phone rings, likely a call from his mom. He excuses himself in an instant, heading outside to talk.
“Hey, baby doll! What can I get for—” Saree’s warm greeting is interrupted byanotherphone ringing.
The two of us pause, looking around for the culprit until I feel it. My phone’s vibrating.That’s odd.When I pull out my phone from my pocket, my browsraise and I answer it quickly, hoping she doesn’t hang up before we're connected.
“Hello?! Mom, can you hear me?!” My words are hurried as I shove the phone to my ear. Saree’s eyes widen. She knows a bit of my history with my parents. I watch as Saree starts to fill up plates with snacks for Jace and I as my mother’s voice drones in.
“Sienna, darling. Is your hair still pink? It was so luscious and curly—” Her luxurious, posh voice is like glass shattering as my shoulders deflate.
Seriously? This…again?
When I’d dyed my hair, she’d had a fit over my “perfect curls” being ruined.Ithink that was just an analogy for her pristine image and daughter, being anything less than perfect.
But I digress.
“Is that what you wanted to talk—”
“No, darling. Your father has a surprise!” she exclaims into the phone.
I wait, chewing on my bottom lip for the ball to drop as Jace comes back into the bakery, frowning slightly.
“Your father and I are coming home for the holidays, Sienna!”
My eyes widen, jaw going slack as her words process. They’re coming home…for me?They’re coming home for my birthday!
I mean my birthday is a holiday, right?
“Are you ser—”
“Anyways, darling. Ta ta! Your father and I have a show tonight.”
And with that, she hangs up. Nogoodbye, noI love you. Nothing, just her news.
Jace furrows his brows, raising his arms, unsure of if we’re about to celebrate or if he’s going to spend the night keeping me from having a breakdown.
“My parents are coming home for my birthday!”
nineteen
Sienna
AfterJacedroppedmeoff mid-day yesterday, the reality of what I’d done over the course of the day sunk in.
It’s only been a few weeks we’ve started tackling things off of my list, but I already feel different. I feel safe, like I can be myself with him. I don’t know what that says about him or what we have going on, but I don’t want to fuck it up.
What I’mnothappy about is the amount of work that I’ve allowed to pile up.
Not schoolwork or anything like that, I get most of my homework done after classes end.
I’m behind on practicing for the Winter Showcase. Granted, I only missedonepractice, but I did leave another one early. Thoughts of failure and a horrible future plagues my mind as I get ready for today.
It’s Saturday, and I have nothing planned for the day.
Cleo’s home with that guy, Jake, studying for some project, and I’m pretty sure Georgia is on the other side of town, scouring different fabric shops for an internship she’s looking into for next summer.
That just leaves Oscar and I, alone with my studies. Midterms are coming up soon, so I should probably get in all the studying that I can right now before I become too stressed to retain any knowledge.
I’d never really studied as a kid, school just came easier to me. But now that I’m in college, I need all the time that I can get to study.
