Page 38 of When Stars Fall

The nickname takes me back. Isaac called me “Short Stuff” sometimes whenever he got impatient with me. His voice echoes in my head.

Haven circles the couch and plops beside Wyatt. “What’re you watching?” She eyes the remote. Her afterschool routine does not involve television. In general, her access to electronics is limited.

“You don’t get many stations. I was just flipping.” Wyatt slouches beside her. “What do you normally do after school?”

She hesitates. “Here? I usually play outside in the pool, swim in the ocean, or read. Uh, Ellie doesn’t like the TV on too much.”

“Would explain the lack of good TV.” Wyatt holds up the remote.

“Yeah, it’s almost never on. What are you cooking?” Haven perks up as the smell wafts into the living room.

“I figured most kids like pasta, right?” He’s probably wondering why I’m frozen to the spot outside the kitchen instead of joining them. “I made a version of this pasta bake I’ve done many times before. Your aunt didn’t have much to work with in the house.”

“Yeah, Aunt Ellie’s not much of a cook.” She gives me a conspiratorial smirk and then focuses on Wyatt again. “Is that a bathing suit? Do you want to come swim with me?”

“You coming too?” Wyatt peers at me over the back of the couch.

“Sure.” I shove my hands in my pockets. “What about the oven?”

“I programmed it to send me an alert when it’s almost done.” He holds up his phone.

“You what?”

He laughs, a deep, full sound that I haven’t heard in a long time. “It’s a smart oven—you can do all kinds of things with the app enabled.” He comes toward me with his phone outstretched. “You had no idea?”

“I sent Freddie to buy it—said I wanted the best. That’s what he came back with.” I shrug. “My other one conked out on me when I was actually attempting to cook.” I shift my feet and meet his eyes. “You and Isaac were the techies. I rode on your coattails.”

“I actually can’t believe how good it is to talk about him again.”

“You don’t see Tanvi anymore? Or Anna?”

“Ah, no, I see Tanvi a lot, actually. But she never knew Isaac the way we did.”

Haven’s disappeared to put on her bathing suit, and the two of us are standing far too close. Neither of us makes a move to put distance between us.

“I haven’t talked about him in a long time either. I’ve thought about him a lot. So many times. I didn’t know him as long as you did, so I imagine it’s even harder for you.”

Haven comes bouncing into the room clad in her bathing suit, with a towel clutched in her hand. “Are you guys ready?”

“You bet,” he says, and he takes a reluctant step back from me. “I need a towel. If you tell me where they are, I can grab one.”

“No.” He can’t go down that hall. “That’s okay. I’ll grab them and be out in a minute.”

He doesn’t argue and follows Haven into the backyard, where the pool has an edgeless design, making it seem like someone could walk off the cliff and right into the ocean. When Haven was little, the design made me nervous, but we both adapted. Now I love the vastness of the view. I also like the short, narrow, rocky walk down the cliff to the private beach.

The spacious hall is full of family photos. From the linen closet, I take out two towels. I often host people in the living room and kitchen for functions, fundraisers, and the occasional interview. Those spaces are devoid of anything personal. Beyond that, the walls become a shrine to the people who matter to me most. Front and center is always Haven.

When I open the sliding door to the deck, she’s showing off her swimming skills, and he’s watching in awe. “She’s incredible, Ellie.” He smiles as she surfaces. “She said you taught her?”

“It was a family effort, I think. But yeah, we spend a lot of time together in this pool.”

“She says she can kayak, canoe, snorkel, and she’s been diving?” His expression turns skeptical. “Is this kid really sixteen or something?”

“She understands physical things quickly.” I try to ignore the hollow pit in my stomach. “She’s very sporty.” Wyatt picked up many skills on movie sets. He has always been a quick study too.

He nods, and his brow creases in thought.

“Watch this.” Haven pushes off the far side of the pool.

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