I pause, my throat becoming tight. Cooking still reminds me so much of her and our time together, but slowly, the pain is beginning to recede, and I’m learning to rejoice and treasure these memories rather than hide them. “I love you, Mom.”
We spend the day at the ocean, walking long stretches and gathering seashells and talking about our plans for the summer. This is the first year I won’t be returning home to Texas. Instead, I’m going to New Jersey with Arlo for a week over the Fourth of July, and while I’m nervous, my excitement can hardly be bridled.
We stop at Arlo’s house on the way home so he can pick up some clothes. We haven’t talked about moving in together—it really isn’t something on either of our radars at this time. We spend most nights at Rose and mine’s apartment, and liberally apply labels to our relationship, and for now, that’s what we both want and need. We’ll see what the future brings.
“Friday, we have dinner with my dad and Whitney,” I tell Arlo as he gets into the car. “It’s Colton’s birthday.”
“Should I get him a signed poster of myself?” Arlo asks, tossing his bag into the back seat.
“Shirtless,” I add.
“Was there any doubt?”
I laugh as I send Whitney a response. Whitney has taken a bigger role in my life over the past couple of months. We talk about things like boys and books and school and have started spending time together outside of work and family dinners. And Dad and I have been making a mutual effort to be present while together.
Colton and Ross are still heathens.
“I have dinner plans for us tonight,” Arlo says as he grips the back of my seat and turns to look behind him as we back out of their driveway.
“Day plans and dinner plans? Did something happen? You didn’t find another cat, did you?”
Arlo smirks but doesn’t say anything, only steals a kiss.
“How was the beach?” Rose asks as she closes a textbook from her seat on the couch when we arrive back at the apartment.
“It was actually pretty nice,” I admit. “Cold, but nice.”
Rose laughs. “I am heading out for the night so that you love birds have the apartment to yourselves.”
“You don’t have to,” Arlo says. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re a third wheel or can’t stick around.”
Rose smiles. “And that’s why I don’t try and talk Olivia out of dating you.”
I try to stifle my laughter, but it comes out as a choke and then a cough, and then Rose is laughing, and so is Arlo, and I’m laughing so hard my stomach begins to ache.
Rose slides on her coat. “Well, I’m actually meeting someone.”
“For a date?” I ask, my laughter coming to an abrupt stop.
“For coffee. Only coffee.”
“With Ian?”
She shakes her head. “No.” Something flickers in her gaze, but she steels herself with a quick glance at Arlo and smiles slyly. “But we can talk about it later. Tonight, Arlo’s outdone himself.” She presses a kiss to my cheek. “Am I allowed to kiss a guy on the first date?”
“You can do whatever you want,” I tell her.
She bestows a final grin before eyeing Juliet and securing her in her bedroom with some toys and treats before winking at Arlo and giving us a final wave good-bye.
“What did you plan?” I ask, turning to Arlo. “Did you guys conspire against me?”
He smiles. “Only daily. Are you ready?”
I grab my purse. “I think so.”
Arlo shakes his head. “You don’t need your purse.”
“I don’t?”
He shakes his head again, and reaches for my hand, guiding me the few steps into the living room. “What are we doing?” I ask, chuckling as he reaches for the patio door and unlocks it. “Okay, close your eyes,” he instructs.
“What?”
“Close your eyes. Cover them.”
“What are you doing?”
He spins me around and covers my eyes with his fingers, forcing me to close them.
“Is this a trust exercise?” I ask. “We aren’t going to break into the apartment pool, are we? Because that thing is going to be freezing…”
He drops his hand and turns me back around. Hundreds of twinkling lights dance over our heads. An air bed is on the patio, piled high with blankets and pillows from the living room, and in the near distance is a large white screen has the movie Friday Night Lights cued to play. “I know you still miss Texas, so I thought today we could experience a little of both. We went and