Page 46 of Pine Creek Lodge
Fresh tears spilled down Sofia's cheeks, but her breathing had steadied. "I've spent my whole life building walls," she admitted. "Creating the perfect image. Being exactly who I thought I needed to be." She looked around the table, taking in each face. "But here... I don't need any of that, do I?"
"Nope," Zoe chimed in, popping the 'p' sound in her characteristic way. "We're already weird enough. You can just be yourself."
A surprised laugh bubbled up through Sofia's tears, and Nat felt some of the tension release from her shoulders. She reached up to brush a tear from Sofia's cheek, letting her hand linger there.
"We’re here for you, honey," Martha said firmly, hugging Sofia tighter. "And you're stuck with us whether you like it or not."
“Thank you,” Sofia said, leaning into Nat as she looked around the table. “This means everything to me.”
Their mother finally released Sofia and stood up. "Well, this calls for celebration. Robert, will you check if the Champagne is cold? And I have fresh apple pie warming in the oven."
"Champagne?” Nat stared at her mother. “But you don’t even like Champagne. You and Dad literally only drink it on New Year’s Eve because it’s tradition."
"New Year’s and special occasions,” her mother corrected her with a smile. “And tonight, it seems, we have a double celebration.” She winked at Zoe, who suddenly became very interested in arranging her napkin.
Nat turned to her sister, momentarily distracted from her own news. "Zoe? What's going on?"
Zoe's cheeks flushed pink as she reached for her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she unlocked it. "Well... I wasn't going to say anything yet because this is your moment, but..." She held up her phone, displaying an email. "I got into Tisch!"
"NYU?" Sofia gasped. "That's incredible! Their drama program is one of the best in the country."
"I know!" Zoe practically bounced in her seat, her earlier attempt at nonchalance forgotten. "I got the email this morning, and I've been dying to tell everyone, but then Sofia showed up with the hotel news, and I didn't want to steal your thunder..."
Nat jumped up and rushed around the table to hug her sister. "Are you kidding? This is amazing! Tell us everything."
Their father returned with the champagne, already working on the cork. "My baby girl's leaving us," he said, popping the cork before wiping at his eyes. “We’re so proud of you, sweetheart but we’re going to miss you so, so much.”
"Dad, please don't cry again," Zoe said, shooting him an endearing smile. "Though I have to admit, I cried when I got the email. I was in the bathroom at school, and everyone must have thought I was having some kind of breakdown."
Sofia seemed visibly relieved at the shift in attention, dabbing at her eyes one final time before tucking the tissue away. Her earlier vulnerability had given way to genuine curiosity as she leaned forward. "What did you have to do for the audition?" she asked.
"Oh God, it was terrifying," Zoe said, launching into the story. "First, I had to submit this video monologue, right? And I chose this really intense scene from 'Glass Menagerie' - you know, where Laura talks about her high school crush?"
"That's ambitious," Sofia noted.
"Yeah, well, I figured go big or go home. But then they invited me for a video interview and I had to improvise on the spot." Zoe paused as Martha served the pie, then continued. "So there I was, sitting in my room with terrible lighting and Dad's old desk lamp propped up behind my laptop to make me look somewhat professional. And then this professor comes on screen and tells me I have to do an impromptu performance. Right there, over Zoom!"
"What did they make you do?" Sofia asked.
"They showed me this random photograph - it was of an empty swing set in the rain - and told me I had three minutes to create and perform a monologue inspired by it." Zoe took a bite of pie and grinned. "So naturally, I decided to be a grandmother telling her grandkids about the day she met their grandfather at that very playground. Complete with terrible weather and a borrowed umbrella with holes in it. I even made myself cry a little bit, which was totally unplanned but must have worked."
"I'd say so," Sofia said, squeezing Nat's hand under the table. "This is fantastic news, Zoe. And now you'll be in New York too. I’ll take you out for lunch and show you around town."
"Really?" Zoe's eyes lit up.
"Really," Sofia said. "You're going to need someone to help you navigate the city—and make sure you don't accidentally geton an express train when you meant to go local." She winked, and Zoe laughed, the sound bright and unrestrained, a reflection of the joy coursing through the room.
Nat looked around the table, taking in the scene: her father pouring champagne with a misty-eyed smile, her mother beaming with pride, and Zoe animatedly talking about her future in New York. She squeezed Sofia's hand once more, feeling a rush of gratitude for moments like this—imperfect, messy, but so beautifully real.
As they toasted, Nat’s heart swelled. Having Sofia here, embraced by the people who mattered most, made everything feel whole—like her life had finally come together.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Nat stood at the edge of the narrow staircase leading from the apartment above the bakery, breathing in the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked goods. The smell wrapped around her like a warm blanket, a nostalgic reminder of early mornings spent kneading dough beside her mother, sneaking tastes of cinnamon sugar before her father could catch her. She glanced over at Sofia, who was buttoning up her jacket with sleepy eyes that couldn’t quite hide their amusement.
"Five minutes to seven," Sofia said, stifling a yawn as she checked her watch. "I know your parents are eager, but couldn’t they have at least waited for the sun to come up fully? It feels like a conspiracy to torture me with the scent of bread and then make me wait."
Nat rolled her eyes playfully, the anticipation in her chest building. "You’re just upset because I didn’t let you raid the bakery an hour ago like you wanted to."
