Page 23 of Your Second Chance
“Yes. I used to live in Chicago, but recently moved here. Well, nothere.” She chuckled and gestured around the house. “But you know, to the UK.”
“We work together. She does the team’s social media.”
Mum’s face lit up, and before I could stop her, she pushed past me and grabbed Nova’s hands. “You’re the one who made the video of Ollie?”
Nova blushed, her cheeks turning pink as she glanced at me nervously. I instinctively stepped closer, ready to shield her from whatever Mum had in store.
“Yes,” she said sheepishly.
“Oh my god.” Mum didn’t hesitate, wrapping Nova up in a hug.
Her wiry brown hair, piled into a messy bun held by chopsticks, bobbed as she squeezed Nova tightly. She was wearing one of her usual long dresses and a chunky sweater, her excitement almost childlike.
“Thank you,” she gushed, pulling back to look at Nova. “You’ve made me the talk of the town. That’s all the ladies at the hairdresser’s can talk about! I finally saw the video yesterday and laughed so hard.”
Nova instantly looked relieved. “Thank you.” Her shoulders relaxed.
“No, thankyou.” Mum grinned. “He looks like a proper hunk in it.”
I caught Nova glancing at me before quickly looking down, her lips twitching like she was trying to suppress a smile—or something else. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if this wastoo much for her. She’d lost her mum. Was being around a family like this... overwhelming?
“Okay, Mum.” I interjected, just as Dad walked into the room, scratching the back of his head.
“Why are we yell—” He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes landing on Nova. His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “A girl,” he declared, his voice booming. “Ollie brought home a girl.”
Nova looked at me and burst out laughing, the sound light and genuine. “Hi, Mr. Stone.” She extended her hand with a grin. “I’m just a friend of Ollie’s.”
Dad looked between us, clearly not buying it, and Nova’s amusement only deepened.
“I hate you,” I muttered under my breath, but the corner of my mouth twitched in a smile.
She poked me in the chest, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You brought me here.”
Mum pulled up a chair at the table, adding a few more glasses of water and ushering Nova to sit. Dad followed, setting down a bottle of whiskey and a couple of tumblers. He poured himself a generous glass and offered Nova one, but she declined politely.
“So, Nova,” Mum began, sitting down and clasping her hands together like she was about to start an interview. “What brought you to the UK?”
Nova smiled politely, settling into the chair. “Work. I’ve always wanted to try living somewhere new, and when the opportunity came up, it felt... right.”
“Do you like it so far?” Dad asked, leaning back in his chair and swirling the whiskey in his glass.
“It’s been lovely.” She glanced at me briefly before continuing. “A bit overwhelming at first, but I’m getting used to it.”
Mum raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. “What do you do exactly? Aside from making Ollie look like a hunk on the internet, of course.”
Nova laughed, and for the first time, her smile lit up her face. It caught me off guard—bright and genuine. It was beautiful, and the fact that it was so rare made it feel even more precious.
“I manage social media for the team. It’s a lot of content creation, strategy, and... well, trying to keep things interesting.”
“You’re very good at it.” Mum nodded approvingly. “Everyone in town’s been talking about that video. It’s the first time they’ve cared about rugby in years.”
Nova blushed slightly, but her smile didn’t waver.
Dad chimed in. “What’s Ollie like to work with?”
His tone was casual, but I could see the twinkle in his eye. He was having too much fun with this.
Nova glanced at me, clearly debating her answer, before grinning. “Stubborn.”
