Page 11 of Somewhere Between Falling

Did she see him sitting with me? I was suddenly very uncomfortable. Nothing happened, of course, but I knew all too well how quickly rumors could escalate. Rather than attempting to squash whatever theory she was forming inside that petty little brain of hers, I left quickly and avoided making eye contact on my way out the door.

Luckily, the mall was only a couple of blocks from here. By the time I got there, though, she was not where we said we were meeting. It didn’t take me too long to figure out where she was—Alex was the kind of fortunate human who could eat whatever she wanted and never gain a pound, and boy could that girl eat. Her favorite? Anything that could be dipped in or smothered in nacho cheese. Of course, with all the running she had to do for track, I guess she needed all the fuel she could get.

Sure enough, I spotted her waiting in line for pretzel bites.

“You’re late,” she said, crossing her arms as soon as she saw me.

“Sorry, I was studying,” I apologized.

“Where should we look first?” she asked, dipping a pretzel bite into the cheese before popping it in her mouth. She was always quick to forgive.

“I don’t have any idea. What does she like?”

“Hmm, she’s kind of in a Boho phase at the moment.”

“Okay, I can work with that.” I linked my arm through hers and led her to a store called Romancing the Stone because it seemed a little Bohemian. There were red, gold, and black beads hanging from the entryway like a curtain, and I liked the way the beads clicked as we pushed our way through them. The store seemed to have a red glow, which I assumed was something sort of like mood lighting, and it smelled strongly of incense.

There was an eclectic collection of items from fringe-covered clothing to elephant-shaped candles to turquoise and leather jewelry to Buddha statues. Alex floated over to a rotating necklace stand and began carefully examining a sterling-silver-and-leather combination.

I wandered around the store not really sure where to begin, but I somehow ended up looking at an Aztec-print blanket. It wasn’t exactly the typical baby blanket—fuzzy, pastel, and covered in cute animals—but it was the kind of style I had a feeling Blair would like.

“What do you think about these earrings?” Alex asked, holding up a pair of sterling silver elephants. “Think Evie will like them?”

“Yeah, super cute,” I agreed, putting the blanket back on the shelf. Maybe I should check her baby registry first.

“Are you thinking maybe for Blair’s baby?” She nodded toward the blanket I just put back.

“Um, maybe. I don’t know.”

“It’s cute, but edgy. She’d probably love it,” Alex said with a shrug as she began to peruse the same section.

Alex and Evie were eleven years apart. Not quite the same as nineteen, but still a pretty big age gap. “Was it weird for you when your mom told you she was pregnant with Evie?”

“I mean, a little because it had been just me for so long and, oh gosh, those first few months were the worst. She never stopped crying, but once that stage was over, I don’t know. It was kinda fun. You know how when you learn the truth about Santa, Christmas doesn’t feel the same?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, when you have younger siblings, it brings back a little bit of the excitement. So that’s definitely a perk,” she said with a smile.

I doubted I would be spending many holidays with the baby, so I doubted it would be the same for me.Just thinking about my dad getting to experience all the first milestones of childhood again with a brand-new family made me sadder than I expected. And honestly, maybe even a little jealous.

“I have to tell you something,” I said, changing the subject before I could think any more about my dad’s new happily ever after. “I ran into Tobias again.”

“Bookstore Boy?” She stopped pawing through the stack of blankets and turned to face me.

“Yeah, I, um … maybe … kind of forgot to tell you … he’s Dr. Kiuchi’s TA,” I said, sheepishly.

“Shut up!” she exclaimed, effectively distracted. “And it took you this long to tell me?”

“I think maybe I’m still in shock.”

“Well, tell me everything you’ve been holding back!” She crossed her arms expectantly.

I filled her in on everything from the conversation after that first class to running into him earlier to my disappointment that despite how excited I was to see him again, nothing could come of it.

“I guess I don’t blame you for feeling like that, not after everything with your dad.”

“Exactly.”

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