Page 58 of Destiny

“Mackenzie!”

“What? Am I wrong?”

“No, but the whole world doesn’t need to know that.”

“It’s fine. But I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

She takes her balled-up fist and hits my shoulder. “You’re going to do amazing. You always used to kill it.”

“But that was years ago.”

“So? That talent is still right inside of you.”

“I hope so.”

“What song are you going to sing?” she asks after draping over the counter a bit and pulling a string of gum out of her mouth.

I look at the ground and then back up again. “It’s a surprise.”

“The coffee cart is here,” my mom suddenly announces while rolling it into the store.

Given everything that happened with Caroline, we were never able to meet up with Marco to learn how to make all of the drinks, but Mom obviously owed Ernestine a favor because she agreed to do it for below minimum wage.

“Bea is signing up tonight,” Micky rats on me.

My mom’s face drops. “You’re kidding me.”

“No, I am.”

I get a big maternal hug. “Honey, I think that’s awesome. But how? Why?”

“Marco convinced me to do it.”

From behind her back, Micky takes her hand, makes it into a circle, and then jams her pointer finger in and out of it.

I wave for her to stop it.

My mother clutches her heart. “Oh, that, Marco. He’s just so good for you.”

“That he is.”

Moments later, my dad walks in with a buddy, and they’re carrying the stage.

“Right over there, honey,” my mother directs.

“Here?”

“Yep.”

They carefully set it down and then step back to admire it.

“Beatrice is singing tonight!” Mom says.

“That’s really nice,” my father responds in his typical neutral tone of voice.

“Thanks, Dad.”

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