Page 17 of Five Years
After the phone call came to an end, Leah sat in disbelief. Grace had a way of persuading her to do almost anything. It must’ve been Leah’s unfaltering trust in her—“no” very rarely appeared in her vocabulary where Grace was concerned.
Damn. Leah pressed her head in her hands.
If she wasn’t truly over Ariana, she had forty-eight hours to figure out how to pretend.
FOUR
Located slightly north of South Haven on Lake Michigan, the six-bedroom lakefront rental provided the perfect backdrop for a family vacation. Leah was no stranger to the property. In the two years she spent with Ariana—and the year prior to that as Grace’s plus-one—she had attended the Harrison pre-Thanksgiving extravaganza.
Leah found a last-minute flight to Michigan on Sunday evening, which gave her the option to travel with Grace; arriving solo simply wasn’t an option. There was no pushback from her father—as long as she could check emails and answer the occasional phone call, she could work from pretty much anywhere.
The car journey went without a hiccup. Ezra slept the whole way. Glimpses of sparkling water peeked through the trees, indicating their looming arrival. She missed Michigan. She missed being close to her mom and her friends. She missed the life she had, however briefly, in her late twenties. She missed the lakes, the forests, the scenic countryside she’d taken for granted for so many years, and an atmosphere that differed considerably from the urban landscape of New York. She felt peaceful in Michigan.
They rounded the corner onto a large concrete driveway, and any peace instantly evaporated. They were the last to arrive. A flurry of activity surrounded the property as members of the Harrison family unpacked their belongings from crammed vehicles.
There were two children on the trip, not counting Ezra. The other two—Grace and Ariana’s older brother’s children—were twin boys aged eleven. With a burst of energy Leah thought impossible, they shot off toward the water and the sandy beach.
Grace’s brother was an ex-football player turned engineering expert. A multitude of injuries prevented him from ever reaching the NFL. He was so often the centre of attention in any room—his 6’5” frame, thick moustache, and overbearing biceps could probably curl a family-sized vehicle. He tried to keep up with the twins, unloading food supplies, camping chairs, and bags at lightning speed, while his wife began her unwanted vlog of the trip.
Steven Harrison marched over to Grace and Leah, his body slightly hunched, a grimace on his face.
“Dad, are you okay?” Grace asked, concerned.
“Sure,” he waved her off. “Where’s my grandson?”
“He’s still sleeping.” Grace placed her hand against his back. “Dad, you’re standing like Quasimodo.”
“Gracey, I’m fine. I just pulled my back loading the car this morning—it’ll ease off,” Steven said.
He eyed Leah, slightly puzzled by her presence. “Hi, kid. I didn’t know you were coming.” He looked at Grace for an explanation.
“Dad, I told you in the group chat on Saturday that Johnathan couldn’t make it,” Grace challenged.
“I don’t think you did,” Steven laughed. “Anyway, it’s good to see you, Leah.” He reached out and enveloped her in a tight hug that felt reminiscent of her own father’s.
“Let me help you with some bags,” he offered.
Grace opened the group chat on her phone. “I swear I wrote it in here...”
Leah stood with her arms folded. Steven’s confusion concerned her. If he didn’t know about her arrival, neither did Ariana.
“Oh,” Grace gulped.
“What?”
“Erm...I accidentally forgot to press send,” she trailed off.
“Are you kidding? So nobody knows I’m coming?” Leah guessed.
“Well, my dad knows,” Grace scrunched her face.
“Now! He knows now! Christ, Grace, if this wasn’t going to be awkward enough, now Ariana and Hannah don’t even know I’m here.” Leah shook her head. “I actually can’t believe this.”
“I did wonder why nobody replied. I thought it was a bit odd, but I was busy packing and looking after a nine-month-old. I didn’t have time to question it—I’m sorry,” Grace sulked.
“Oh,” Grace’s head popped up from her phone again.
“What now?” Leah felt like she might hyperventilate.
