Page 59 of Love Hollow at Last
“Hi, lovebirds,” he said.“I may not be a married man quite yet, but I can tell you a good toast fixes a lot.Noah, maybe take whatever you were going to use for the wedding and get it all out now, huh?”
Aya glared.“You shouldn’t be defending him.Your family needed him, and he’s never around.”
Nobu shrugged.“We’re getting by, Aya.We always thought Noah would end up back here eventually, and here he is, eh?”
Aya took the glass from Nobu, but she didn’t drink.
Noah refused to take a glass.“Dude, in case you haven’t noticed, you don’t live here either.”
“Yes, but he’s been here,” Aya shot back.“Do you have any idea how hard things have been for Nami?Everyone in your family was rallying around her.Hell, my own mom took food over every week.”
Noah didn’t say anything.Hana had a funny little book collection full of babyish biographies of famous feminists and board books about impressionist paintings.His mother had said they came “from theHansonhome,” which seemed to mean they were gifts from Aya.She hadn’t taken credit for it, though.Did she pick out all those beautiful books because Nami was suffering?
“She has a lot of help,” said Noah weakly.
Aya sucked in a breath.
“So postpartum depression is fine as long as you havehelp.That’s good to know.”
Nobu shook his head, taking a large swig from the wineglass.“Fuck, this is good.Aya, don’t listen to him.He’s not in the loop.Mom and Dad thought we had to shield him from the worst of it, as things have been so rough with his record company this past year.”
“Things have… Where are you getting that from?”Noah asked.
Nobu gave him a tight-lipped smile.“Oh, my dear boy.I read the papers, too, you know.”
Aya stood like a statue in her peach dress.She looked beautiful with the wineglass in her hand, the gentle light of the late-day sun splashing across her features.But she looked miserable too.
“I’m sorry, Noah,” she said.“I can’t give up everything in my life just to be your temporary side piece.”
“That’s n-not what I’m asking,” Noah said.
“What are you asking again?”asked Nobu, seeming confused.
“Nothing!I’m not asking for anything, dammit.”
Aya nodded.She took a sip of her wine before handing it back to Nobu.“It’s good, but I have to drive myself back home.”
A long silence followed as she walked down to her car.As she drove away, Nobu looked over at Noah.
“You want to walk to the creek or something?I don’t have the shoes for it, but I’ll indulge you if you shine these for me afterward.”
Noah gave a tremulous laugh.“Don’t you need to get back in there?”
Nobu shrugged.“I got out the better shiraz.Have you tried it?It’s really very good.I’d say I’ve done my part for the moment.”
Shoving a glass at his brother, he started up the path.And Noah decided to follow.
50
“Do you remember Joseph Park?”asked Nobu.
He was ambling along, and Noah struggled not to run.He was so angry that he felt like he should go for a jog to get all the emotions out of his system.
“Sure.The only other Asian kid in your grade.Unlike me, you and Aya always had people to hang out with.”
Nobu laughed a little without really smiling.“You, too, Noah?I didn’t hang out with Joseph because he was the only other Asian kid.I hung around him because I thought he was hot.”
Noah wrinkled his nose.“JosephPark?”
