Page 76 of Strelitzias in Spring

I don’t know how to feel about what I’ve seen tonight, but I do know that Ava throwing up on me will not help matters.

“Please don’t, Aves.”

“God, where is Greyson? He went to the bathroom thirty minutes ago.”

“Ava.” I turn to look at my friend, taking in the lines of worry on her face. “Why are you freaking out right now?”

She stops her frantic search for her boyfriend and turns to look at me, her eyes pleading but somehow embarrassed at the same time. “Wolf’s like an annoying big cousin, you know? I’ve only come to one other fight, but it was bloody and ended dangerously. I don’t love violence like C, and I hate the thought of someone I care about getting hurt, especially this close to retirement.”

Swallowing back my nerves, I offer Ava a small smile. “I don’t think C loves violence, but she is pretty good at it, isn’t she?” A laugh bubbles out of Ava’s throat, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. “It’s going to be okay, Aves.” Pausing, I point to the doorway. “Look, there’s Greyson, Dante, Lincoln, and Celeste. Who’s that with them?” Trailing behind Celeste is a middle-aged couple that wasn’t part of the Downing or Ink and Needle clans I met earlier tonight. Aubrey painstakingly introduced me to everyone from the tattoo shop, though I already knew Trent and Sloan from my previous appointments.

“Is that Wolf’s mom with CeCe, Ava?” Ava doesn’t have a chance to answer as Greyson scoops her into his arms, pulling her tight to his chest and giving her a hard kiss. I look over at Dante, who tries to pull Celeste into the same passionate embrace, but she gives him a hard look that promises pain if he even attempts it. I don’t need to be a lip-reader to know that Dante responded with, “Don’t tempt me with a good time, Red,” since he yelled it loud enough for the entire section to hear. Celeste’s answering hit is not a surprise.

“Celeste Lauren Downing,” the woman next to her, presumably Wolf’s mother, chastises her. “Stop hitting your boyfriend.”

“Aunt Glynnie,” Celeste whines, sounding like a petulant child who just got caught stealing a cookie.

“No, now introduce me to your friends, you insolent little beauty.” The way she says it, it sounds like she’s putting on a performance, one intent on displaying the maximum amount of emotions to her audience.

“Fine. You know Ava”—she gestures toward Ava and Greyson—“and that’s her boyfriend, Grey. Next to her is Serena, our friend from school.”

“Hi, Mrs. McCleery, Mr. McCleery.” Ava greets her and her husband with a wide smile, wrapping Mrs. McCleery in a hug before falling back into Greyson’s embrace. Greyson offers a hand to both of Wolf’s parents before returning it to Ava’s waist.

Clearing my throat, I step forward, offering my hand in the same manner Greyson did. “Oh no, young lady. You give me a hug; I’m too young to be so formal.”

“Oh,” I squeak as Wolf’s mom throws her arms around my shoulders and pulls me in for a tight hug. I feel like my organs are about to burst from the pressure when she finally releases me, stepping back but keeping a hold on my shoulders. I’m not sure what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t a pint-sized tyrant with death-gripping hugs.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Serena. I’m so happy you’re here. This is my husband, Lachlan. Lock, say hi,” she commands, nudging her husband forward. Mr. McCleery offers a hand and smiles, greeting me in a silent hello that is the polar opposite of his wife’s display. “He doesn’t say much.”

“Aye, because ye speak enough for the both of us, woman,” Mr. McCleery teases in a light Scottish accent, glancing at his wife with affection. “It’s lovely to meet ye, Serena. Wolf’s told us much about ye.”

“He did?” CeCe and I ask in unison, though my voice sounds confused, and hers sounds excited. Cutting my gaze to her, I narrow my eyes at her outburst, but she just tucks her lower lip beneath her top lip and acts like she can’t see my questioning glare.

“Yes, sweetheart. I am so excited to get to know you. I’m sure we’ll become great friends,” Mrs. McCleery responds.

I smile at her, sure that it looks more like a wince than anything resembling enthusiasm. “Great. Sounds good.”

“Wolf and CeCe have always been the closest of the bunch, you know,” Mrs. McCleery says beside me. “And I’ve always viewed her like my daughter, especially since my little sister has all the emotional output of a broom. Celeste doesn’t let many people in, so the fact that you have befriended her and Ava in such a short time tells me all I need to know.”

“They’ve become my best friends,” I answer truthfully. “I don’t know what I would have done without them the last few months.”

The hands holding my shoulders pull me back in for another tight hug before releasing me. “That’s good, honey. Now, tell me about yourself.”

“Oh, there’s not much to tell. I’m a junior at Marymount in the English program.”

“‘That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.’”

I pause for a moment, reflecting on her words and where I’ve heard them before. “Fitzgerald?”

Mrs. McCleery smiles, pleasure lighting up her face. “Good girl. Are you a Gatsby fan?”

Shaking my head, I wince. “Not really. If I’m reading anything from that period, it’s Wharton or Eliot, maybe Hurston. But I’m not a huge fan of Fitzgerald. Daisy annoyed me.”

“Well, we can’t all be perfect, can we, my dear?” she says with a wink. She opens her mouth to add something else to the conversation when a high-pitched voice calls out to her.

“Oh my goodness, Glynnie. How are you?” Slender arms wrap around Mrs. McCleery’s neck and pull her in. From my viewpoint, it looks like this new pink-haired woman is trying to suffocate her with her embrace.

“Kelly, how lovely,” Mrs. McCleery responds, sounding like the words tasted like sawdust on her tongue. I look past her to see Mr. McCleery scowling at the woman who just joined us.

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