Page 76 of When Our Stars Aligned

“Of course I’m here for Aly,” I snap and then realize how I sound. “I’m sorry, Michelle. I’m just a little nervous right now. Is Aly around?” I look over her shoulder but don’t see anyone else in the condo.

Michelle lightly bounces from foot to foot and bites down on her bottom lip, suddenly seeming nervous.

“Does she not want to see me?” I frown and my heart sinks, thinking that maybe what we had can’t be repaired.

“Umm…no, that’s not it,” she says, still bouncing from foot to foot. “Well, I mean, I’m not sure how she feels. She’s not here.”

“She’s…what?” I swear my heart stops for a second.

“I don’t know how much she would want you to know right now, you know, considering everything.”

“Where is she?” I thought this whole time she was sleeping in the condo across from me. Has she bailed on me completely? Left her roommates? Her job?

“I don’t know much.” Michelle’s eyes dart everywhere and I know she isn’t being fully honest with me. “The other night, Aly received a call from Jacob. He told her that Jess had some sort of accident and is in the hospital. Aly took an Uber to the airport and was able to get a last-minute flight out.”

“So, you’re saying she’s in… Maine?” I wipe my hand over my face. Jess is her best friend in the entire world, her support through everything. It makes total sense for Aly to drop everything and be with her, especially with Jess being pregnant.

“Do you know when she will be back?” I ask.

Michelle shakes her head. “She doesn’t have a return flight booked yet, but her next semester doesn’t start until mid-January, so I guess it will be sometime before then.”

I blow out a breath. At least I know she is planning on coming back—hopefully.

Feeling defeated, I go back to my place and wonder if I should contact Aly or give her some space. Unsure of my next move, I flop on my bed and let out an audible sigh. The box Gram left me still sits on my nightstand. I pick it up and place it in my lap. I guess there’s no time like the present to open it.

The smell of Gram’s old floral perfume hits me as soon as I lift the lid. For a moment, I feel as if she’s sitting right beside me. Man, I wish she were. What I wouldn’t do to have just one moreconversation with her. I wonder what advice she would give me. I smile thinking how much she would love Aly.

Thinking of Aly sends a ping of guilt right to my gut. Travis was right; I was too emotional to think rationally and I probably overreacted. Still, I need answers. I just hope I didn’t scare her off.

Looking through the contents of the box transports me back to a simpler time in my life. I pick up something that looks like a blue rock but realize it’s a clay elephant I made for her in kindergarten. I remember Gram was so excited to receive that hideous thing. I flip through a stack of old photographs and pause at one of Gram holding me on my first birthday. I had blue icing all over my face and was smiling from ear to ear. I continue to dig through the memories, which are mostly photos and some homemade birthday cards I made her.

Below the cards, I spot a small velvet pouch stuffed in an envelope. In the envelope is a picture of my cousins. They had to have been teenagers when the picture was taken. I don’t know why Gram would want me to have a picture of my cousins, but she was becoming more confused and forgetful towards the end. Perhaps it was meant to go in someone else’s box. I turn the photo over; “Mia’s and Lyndsey’s 14thBirthday” is written on the back. I guess I’ll give it to Claire the next time I see her.

I put the picture off to the side to give to Claire at a later date, but as my hand goes to release the photo, I notice something. There are five girls in the picture, not four. All five girls are dressed alike in denim shorts and various colored tank tops. The girls are sitting on a bench with their arms around each other with bright smiles. My cousins look extremely similar to each other with their black hair and olive skin color. The girl sitting between Sophia and Mia has lighter features and I’d know those light blue eyes anywhere. It’s Aly.

The room begins to swirl around me as a million questions hit me at once. Why is Aly in a picture with my cousins? How does she know them? Why would Gram put this picture in my box? Unless…no…it can’t be possible.

I grab my phone out of my pocket and hit the icon for Uncle Chris. He answers immediately.

“Jaxon? Is everything okay?” The worry in his voice is palpable. I realize it’s the first time I’ve ever called him. I rarely call anyone—they call me.

“Yes, everything’s okay, but there’s a girl and I think you know her. And a picture too and I need to know how you know her. Or maybe you don’t know her, but you would have to know her because she’s in the picture and Gram knew her and—”

“Jaxon!” Uncle Chris’s voice is firm. “What is going on?”

I take a deep breath and try again. “Gram left me a box and in it was a picture of Mia’s and Lyndsey’s birthday. The girls are all sitting on a bench, and you know what? I’ll just take a picture of it and send it to you.” Why didn’t I think to do that ahead of time?

“Stop!” Uncle Chris says before I can snap the picture. “All the girls have different colored tank tops on and there’s a blond girl sitting between Sophia and Mia. Is that the picture you’re talking about?”

“How did you know?”

“Because I’m the one who took that picture and I’m looking right at it. We have it framed in our living room.”

Yeah, I would know that if I ever visited my aunt and uncle. They’ve invited me to their place in Washington, and while it’s not too far away, I’ve never taken them up on the invite.

“Why do you want to know about the girl in the picture?” Suddenly, my uncle sounds like an overprotective dad questioning his daughter’s date.

“Well, you’re not going to believe this…”

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