Page 101 of Play Fake
Yeah. It is.
Caroline reaches over and rests her hand lightly over mine, giving it a slight squeeze. “How was she?”
“She was okay,” I say quietly. “But that shifted pretty quickly. Seemed like she wasn’t having a great day, so we didn’t stay long.”
Neither of them tries to fill the silence with empty comfort. That’s one of the reasons I’m grateful for them—they know when to talk, and when to just…be there.
Across the yard, Alyssa giggles as Sophie dramatically voices one of the dolls. The sound drifts through the warm night air, softening something in my chest I didn’t realize had gone rigid after talking about my mom.
Dad and Caroline don’t press after that. They just nod, and the conversation drifts into easy territory again—Caroline mentioning something about Joey’s school project, Dad cracking a joke about Alyssa’s newfound obsession with pink glitter that somehow ended up all over the carpet in her bedroom.
It’s late enough now that the kids are starting to fade; Joey’s got that wild, overtired look in his eyes, and Alyssa is now curled up on the porch swing beside Sophie, still clutching one of her dolls but starting to lose the battle with sleep.
Sophie notices the time on her phone and rises slowly. “I hate to say it, but we should probably get going,” she says, brushing her hands against her jeans.
Caroline stands immediately and pulls her into another hug. “Thank you for coming, sweetheart,” she says warmly. “You’re welcome here anytime.”
“Thank you for having me,” Sophie replies with a soft smile.
Dad is finishing wiping down the grill, but he turns and points his scrubber in my direction. “Don’t let him talk you into country music on the way back,” he says.
I groan. “Dad?—”
Sophie laughs, shaking her head. “I’ll make sure to take control of the playlist.”
Joey trudges over, yawning mid-wave. “Bye, Sophie,” he mumbles before disappearing inside at Caroline’s gentle herding.
Alyssa lingers. She toddles up to Sophie, holding her doll tight in one arm, and stares up at her like she’s working up to something big.
“Will you come back and play again?” she asks in a tiny, serious voice.
Sophie crouches down so they’re eye level. “I’d love to,” she says. “But only if you promise to show me the rest of your dolls next time.”
Alyssa’s whole face lights up. She sticks out her pinky without hesitation. Sophie hooks hers with it, solemn as if they’ve just struck the most important deal in the world.
“Promise,” Alyssa whispers.
“Promise,” Sophie echoes.
Caroline catches my eye over their heads. She doesn’t say a word, just gives me this quiet, knowing smile that settles somewhere deep in my chest.
I clear my throat. “Ready?”
Sophie nods, and we make our way toward the truck. Caroline calls after us, “Drive safe!” Alyssa waves from the porch, still holding her doll.
We wave one last time before heading down the walkway. The night air is warm but not sticky, the noise of cicadas buzzing in the distance. Sophie walks a little closer than she did on the way in, our shoulders brushing every few steps.
“That was…” she starts, glancing up at me with a small smile.
“Chaotic?” I offer.
She laughs. “Yeah. But in the best way. Your family’s great, Beck.”
I shove my hands into my pockets, looking ahead. “They’re…a lot,” I say, echoing what I told her earlier. But there’s no edge in my voice now. Just quiet affection. “Caroline’s the glue. My dad would be the guy grilling in a thunderstorm just to prove a point. Joey never stops talking, and Alyssa—” I shake my head with a half smile. “She’s got everyone wrapped around her finger.”
Sophie bumps her shoulder lightly against mine. “I can see why.”
We reach the truck, and I move ahead to pull the passenger door open for her. She pauses before climbing in, looking up at me under the warm glow of the porch light spilling from the house.
