Page 86 of Not For Keeps
“Yours is beautiful,” I whisper.
There’s still so much healing to do—for both of us. But this moment feels like a start.
Nathan leans over from the other end of the table and shows me his board. “Mine’s a weird mix of fitness, travel, and finally remodeling the damn kitchen I keep pretending I don’t have time for.”
I grin. “You forgot ‘intimidating us with your maturity.’”
He chuckles, low and easy. “Please. I’m just old enough to have made most of the dumb decisions already.”
“And now you just make adult ones? Like buying a second air fryer?”
“I’ll have you know, the second air fryer is for hosting. Don’t knock the setup until you’ve had my honey garlic wings.”
Andres stares at him from across the table. “You cook? Like,cookcook?”
Nathan raises a brow. “I meal plan, Andres. Iseason.”
Anna fans herself dramatically. “The bar is so low it’s underground, but somehow Nathan is just…up there. Floating in the clouds with his spice rack and his emotional stability.”
Nathan winks. “What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”
Seb groans. “I suddenly hate him.”
Mari pats Seb’s arm. “It’s okay, baby. You can still learn.”
Maya’s finished board has sparkles in every corner. “Mine says I’m gonna be a ninja-clown-vet-scientist,” she announces proudly.
“Well then,” Mateo says. “Dr. Ninja Clown Maya, I believe in you.”
She curtsies. “Thank you, kind sir.”
Seb groans. “I can’t believe this is how I’m spending my Friday night.”
“You love it,” Mari says, tossing a pillow at him.
“I love any second that I get to spend with you, mi tesoro,” he admits.
Nathan leans back in his chair, sipping cocoa. “Honestly? This is better than most parties I’ve ever been to.”
“See?” I say, beaming. “I told you manifestation night was the move.”
We clean up with music playing and cocoa mugs in hand. Anna and Andres dance around the kitchen like idiots while Mateo carries Maya on his back, both of them giggling. Nathan helps Mari gather the scraps and sticky glue sticks, his sleeves rolled up, a smear of glitter on his cheek.
As the night winds down and everyone prepares to leave, I glance around the room. The boards are drying. The house smells like chocolate and cinnamon. The people I love most are here, warm and full and laughing.
My gaze drifts back to Mateo’s board. Between the pictures of fire trucks and family dinners, one small square catches my eye—our initials drawn inside a crooked little heart. My breath hitches. It’s simple, almost hidden, but I know. That one’s about us.
Mateo comes up behind me, sliding his arms around my waist again. “This was perfect.”
“Really?”
He nods, pressing a kiss just behind my ear. “Vision boards, glitter bombs, chaotic energy. All of it. I’d do this every night if it meant I got to see you like this.”
“Like what?
He tilts his head. “Happy.”
I lean back into him, content and full in a way I didn’t know I could be. “I am,” I whisper.
