Page 10 of Swooning for the Summer Manny

Neither of us say anything as we start walking again. As we step out of the house, the thick humid air hits me all at once.

It’s the heat, I tell myself, desperate for a reason to explain my behavior. That’s all it is. It made us do something we wouldn’t have normally done.

But even as I tell myself that, I know it isn’t true.

5

KARIN

ONE WEEK LATER

When the alarm on my phone goes off, I’m already awake, staring out my bedroom window while I lie in bed. My mornings have all been like this since Ryan and I kissed. I keep waking up too early with a knot in my chest that refuses to go away.

I hear the squeak of my bedroom door, followed by the quiet pad of Amelia’s footsteps as she sneaks over to my bed. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep.

“Mom?” she whispers.

I let out a faux snore.

Amelia giggles. “I know you’re awake.”

I reach out and grab her, making her squeal with laughter as I pull her up onto the bed. “What do you want for breakfast, ladybug?”

“Jammy eggs.”

“Sounds delicious. Are you going to make them for us?”

Amelia scoffs. “I can’t make them myself!”

“I thought you were Chef Amelia now.”

“I’m not really a chef, Mom,” she says. “That’s just what Ryan calls me.”

I laugh. “I know. I’m only teasing you.”

“Are we going to do something fun for his birthday?”

“His birthday?” I ask.

“Yes. His birthday.” Amelia gives me a meaningful look. “It’s tomorrow.”

“It is? How do you know that?”

“Because I asked him when it was.”

“Ah. Right. Well, I’m sure he would appreciate it if you made him a card.”

“Can we throw him a party, too?”

“No, I don’t think…”

“I don’t mean a big party,” she says, interrupting me. “It can just be the three of us. You know, with cake. And music. And hats. Definitely hats.”

“It’s sweet of you to want to celebrate his birthday, honey. But I don’t know about throwing him a party.”

“Why not? It would be so much fun.”

I hesitate. I’m not sure what to tell her. The truth is that I need to be careful around Ryan. I already let myself get too swept up in him once. I can’t let it happen again.

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