Page 76 of Take It Till You Make It
“Was it at your house?”
I nod.
“You hosted a party as you grieved your loss?”
Sally’s indignation, though misplaced, means a lot to me. Like she’d fight for me if need be. “We didn’t do anything. Family and neighbors did all the work.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
I look around at the somber set. “I think it was better than this, though. People reminisced about Dad, sharing their favorite stories. There was a lot of laughter. It was appropriate because Dad was always smiling. Something like this would have dragged him down. He would have hated it.”
Sally steps forward and throws her arms around me, completely startling me.
“You are so strong, Ari. You should have played the big sister.”
I pat her back awkwardly and speak into her hair. “You could never have pulled off the slapstick character of Stella.”
Letting go of me, she laughs. “You’re not wrong.”
“Hey, only I can hug my girlfriend.” Crispin steps up beside us with a grin, looking dapper in a dark suit.
“Then hug away, Casanova,” Sally says.
I’m about to correct her that he meant her–as in movie girlfriend–when he pulls me against him and I find my face smashed into his suit coat. Wait? Girlfriend?
He lets go of me, and I stare up at him like he’s an alien. “Did you have a near-death experience this weekend?”
He cocks his head and frowns, but also considers my question. “No, can’t say as I did. Why?”
“Crispin, you just called me your girlfriend. Right?” I look to Sally for confirmation. She’s got an amused look on her face as she nods. “I wasn’t even aware we were dating. Like dating, dating. We’ve been on one date.”
“I’ve been on two dates with you guys, so it’s definitely more than one,” Sally says, being so not helpful.
“Those weren’t dates.”
Crispin and Sally both look like they’re feeling sorry for me, which makes my stomach drop into my chunky heels.
“They were dates?”
Crispin, looking dashing with his slicked back hair, suit, hands in pockets, purses his lips, which, let’s be honest, doesn’t slow my pulse. “What did you think they were?”
I look at Sally and grimace. “At first, I thought you liked Sally. So, I thought I was a chaperone, but then River came and I remembered she actually had a boyfriend, so I guess I just thought it was you being friendly and showing your co-workers around town.”
He narrows his eyes. “At no point did you wonder if there was more to it?”
I nod, but I’m not anxious to admit I didn’t believe it.
But knowing looks dawn in both of their eyes.
Crispin chuckles a humorless laugh. “So, me showing up today, admitting I missed you and hugging you…that was all out of the blue for you? Even after dinner the other night.”
“I…” I hear Glory in my head telling me I’m afraid to move on without my dad. “You…” I hear Remi telling me I don’t see myself clearly. I let out a long sigh. “I’m working on it.”
The corner of Crispin’s mouth turns up. “You’ll catch up eventually, right?”
“Maybe…” I shake my head and look away. It’s embarrassing to understand the full scope of my denial.
Crispin wraps his arms around me again, holding me against him like it’s his favorite thing to do. “Oh, you’ll catch up, alright. I won’t have it any other way. But I’m willing to be patient while you work through it.”
