Page 84 of For Fox Sake

Mindy makes a gagging sound. “What, no? Are you kidding?”

Bursts of laughter echo around the room, while Piper tries to defend herself. “It’s not my fault, I have baby brain.”

The amusement abruptly cuts off, like a door slammed shut on the hilarity.

“Did you say... baby brain?”

Suddenly, everyone is in motion while talking over each other and squealing all at the same time, almost dogpiling on top of me to get to Piper. I think Taylor kicks me in the shin.

“I can’t believe it.”

“I’m so freaking happy for you!”

“I get to be an aunty!”

“Is Oliver pissing his pants?”

“How far along?”

I wait until they stop hugging her to get my own embrace in. They keep talking and I half listen, my mind spinning around Piper’s news, around Aria’s bedroom, about what I shared with Finley.

It’s kind of funny how we were all impacted by Aria’s death.

Piper disappeared into her art. She never came home when Dad was sick. She couldn’t handle being home at all.

Mindy became one with her career, losing herself in finding musicians and turning them into rock stars.

Taylor decided to roam around and party at musical festivals like the weirdo hippie she is.

Finley couldn’t leave. She threw herself into the business, attempting to save our family property like that would somehow bring Aria back.

And that leaves me. I wanted to forget. I focused on Dad, and then after he passed, I focused on numbing myself, but there were no answers at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

“Hey.” Finley leans toward me, her voice low. “You okay?”

I glance at our sisters still talking avidly. It’s strange, Piper is bringing in a new life while we’re in here, a place memorialized since Aria’s death.

“I don’t know. But I think I will be.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Ryan

I press my toes into the hardwood underneath me, pushing off and rocking the porch swing back and forth, gazing out into the night.

Archer brought over the Velveteen Rabbit over an hour ago. I immediately took it to Ari in her bunk bed, who clutched it to her chest and fell asleep almost instantly. The toy was old and worn, the fabric softened and gray with time. Was it Aria’s old toy? Was that hard for Jake, to find and hand it over? I hope he’s okay.

Fireflies flicker to life, appearing and disappearing near the tree line. The cobblestone street winding through the cabins and trees glows in the moonlight.

This place is pure magic.

It’s partially the landscaping, the cabins, and twinkling lights. The whole layout is like stepping into an enchanted fairyland. The other magic is Jake’s family.

I only had Mia growing up. Ari is the only family I have left.

Earlier today, when we were on the paintball course, Finley and I kept watch from the fence surrounding the course.

Archer had climbed up in a tree to implement a surprise attack on Jake, tagging him square in the back when he passed by underneath.

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