Page 48 of One Pucking Destiny

Freshly showered, wearing the uniform of the week—a bikini and a cover-up—I pour creamer into my coffee.

“What’d you do last night? I barely saw you,” my mom asks, filling a plate with berries.

I sprinkle some cinnamon on my coffee. “I started a Marvel movie marathon with Bash.”

“What?” Jaden shrieks, padding through the kitchen in his bare feet in only his swim trunks. “You guys were marathoning and didn’t tell the rest of us?” He has visible purplish bags under his eyes.

I look him up and down. “Why are you up so early?”

He brings his hand up and rubs the back of his neck. “I actually haven’t been to bed yet.”

“Really?” I giggle. “Must’ve been quite the night.”

Max, Eddy, Logan, and four women in string bikinis that I’ve never seen before come barreling into the kitchen, entirely too loud for this hour.

“Oh, hey,” one of the girls says with a wave.

Jaden looks over his shoulder. “We met some friends last night.”

I nod, my eyes wide. “I see that. Good for you.”

Max throws one of the girls over his shoulder and runs toward the stairs. The others follow.

“Where’d you meet your friends?” I ask Jaden.

“We went out to this local bar and came back here for an after-party. Anyway, I should…” He hitches his thumb toward the staircase.

“Have fun.” I wave him away.

I put the creamer back in the refrigerator, then dish some berries and quiche onto a plate and follow my mom to a table outside.

“I guess you missed all the fun last night.” She shakes her head.

“Yeah, I guess so. You missed it, too?”

She nods. “We were in bed by nine. I don’t know if it’s this pregnancy or what, but I’m exhausted.”

“I’m sure it’s the pregnancy, Ma. You are growing a human.”

“True. So tell me about this marathon.”

I plop a blackberry in my mouth. “Well, I mentioned to Bash that I’d never seen any of the Marvel movies, so he insisted I do. I came down here to get movie snacks and drinks, but I didn’t see you.”

“Yeah, I don’t know where I was.” Mom looks at her plate, and if I’m not mistaken, there is a flush to her cheeks, making it very clear I don’t want to know what she was doing.

“Well, anyway, we started withCaptain America, and thenDoctor Strange, and thenIron Man. But I must’ve fallen asleep right afterIron Manstarted because I don’t remember any of it.”

She smiles. “I’m glad you have Bash to hang out with. He’s a nice friend to have.” She points her fork toward me. “You know, he has a sister around your age at Michigan State, too.”

“Yeah, that’s what he says. He said I’d like her.”

“Oh, I’m sure. I think his whole family is super sweet from what Beckett tells me.”

I move around the pieces of egg that have fallen from my quiche on my plate. “Honestly, everyone here is so nice. I can see why you love your job.”

She nods and releases a sigh. “Yeah, I got really lucky. It’s crazy how life turns out sometimes. Whoknew this was where I’d be a year ago? Somedays, it’s hard to believe it’s real.” She looks down at her plate. A sadness crosses her face, and my heart hurts for her.

I can’t imagine what it felt like to struggle every day for twenty-two years as my mom did. She had to fight hard for this life.

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