Page 140 of That First Flight

“Oops. I didn’t mean to curse.” She looks at me with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, Ollie.”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, no,” I stutter in complete shock before my hands fall to my knees and I’m laughing so hard that my sides physically hurt.

“That’s”—I’m actually crying I’m laughing so hard—“that’s the truest shit I’ve ever heard, Kenzie. I think I’m more impressed at your reading skills and the fact you know it's about their trip to Italy at eight-years-old.”

“I’m a whole grade and a half ahead of my class in reading, Ollie. I’ve read books that are harder than this mess before the recipe. Just tell me how many cups of jarred sauce I need.”

I give her a questioning glare. “Your mom would lose it if she found out we used jarred sauce.”

“Shh. It’s out of love.” Mackenzie swats my words away with her hands.

Both of us can’t stop laughing, and it makes me realize just how much I love this girl. I can’t tell if it’s from laughing so hard, or how my feelings for both Macey and Mackenzie have taken over my heart, but I feel my chest tighten in a feeling I can’t explain.

I love them both more than I’ve ever loved anyone in this world and I truly can’t picture a life without them.

“I won’t tell my mom you cursed if you don’t tell herIcursed,” Mackenzie breaks through my thoughts.

“Deal. Now let's get back to that recipe you found.”

An hour later, the kitchen is a complete disaster.

Dishes are piled in the sink, there’s red sauce splattered everywhere, but we truly had the best time ever making dinner. I look over to Mackenzie as she stirs the pot of spaghetti. I pulled out a stool for her so she could get a better angle since the pot was so big.

“What’s got you smiling over there?” I ask her, noting the huge grin on her face.

“I was thinking about the wish I made on New Year’s when the ball dropped.”

“A wish?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yes. You're supposed to make a wish. I don’t make the rules.”

I hold my hands up in defense. “Whatever you say. Did it come true?”

“It did.” Mackenzie nods. “Do you want to know what it was?”

“Sure.”

“I wished for someone to make my mom really, really happy.” She turns her head to look at me.

My chest feels tight as she keeps her stare locked on me. From the look in her eyes, I know she means me. I want to say more. I want to tell her how happy her mom has made me.

I want to tell Mackenzie how happyshehas made me.

I change the subject before I can say anything more before Macey is home. “Your mom should be home any minute.”

“Yes!”

“I think the fact that we didn’t burn down the kitchen calls for a celebration, don’t you?”

She nods enthusiastically.

“Alexa, play “Wonderland” by Taylor Swift,” I say to the system in the kitchen.

“My favorite,” she practically screams at the top of her lungs as the music starts.

I swear the entire city can hear her excitement.

We both bounce around the kitchen as the song belts over the speakers. Mackenzie sings every single word as if she’s already had this song on repeat for months. We each grab a spoon and pretend it’s a microphone when the greatest bridge of all time comes on.

---