Page 100 of Play Fake
Beck groans. “Hi to you too, Joey.”
Alyssa trails behind, clutching the hem of Beck’s hoodie. He scoops her up without missing a beat, settling her on his hip like he’s done it a thousand times. She hides her face in his shoulder for a second before peeking shyly at me.
“This is Sophie,” Beck says, glancing between all of them. “Sophie, this is Alyssa, that’s my dad, Mark, his wife, Caroline, and Joey.”
“Nice to meet you, Sophie,” Mark says, before turning back to the grill and flipping a burger. “So, are you guys friends or?”
Beck sighs, already rubbing a hand over his face like he’s been ambushed. “Here we go.”
Caroline laughs, herding us toward the table. “Take a seat, both of you. Food’s almost ready. Joey, go wash your hands. Alyssa, shoes on the deck, honey.”
They scatter, Joey sprinting inside, and Alyssa hopping toward the steps, and suddenly it’s just the delicious smell of the burgers and the easy rhythm of a family that knows each other’s beats by heart. Beck sinks into the chair beside me, still holding the water bottle he grabbed from the cooler, and for the first time since this morning, his shoulders aren’t tense and he looks relaxed. Content.
I glance around the yard—Mark humming along with the music, Caroline setting out plates like it’s second nature, making sure Beck knows which buns are safe for him to have, little sneakers abandoned on the porch—and a quiet truth settles in my chest. I’ve only been here for a few minutes, but I already know.
This is what a real, loving family should look like.
34
BECK
Alyssa is sitting cross-legged on the patio bench, her doll collection spread out in front of her and Sophie’s perched beside her, chin propped in her hand, listening intently as Alyssa explains which doll is the “teacher” and which one has “magical ice powers.”
It shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s just Alyssa and her dolls. But watching Sophie let a five-year-old that she just met, braid her hair while nodding seriously about doll storylines like it’s the most important conversation in the world…
It does something to me. It puts a warmth in my chest that I’ve never experienced, even with Angela. Something about seeing her with my family just feels…right.
The soft backyard lights catch in her hair, turning it gold around the edges, and Alyssa keeps leaning closer like she’s known Sophie forever. Joey’s at the other end of the table, dunking French fries into ketchup like it’s a competitive sport, and Dad is halfway through a second burger, humming along with whatever classic rock song is playing through the speaker.
She’s great with kids, that’s for sure. It’s evident that she’s someone who truly loves being around them, and I’m sure thatcarries through when she’s volunteering every week at the foster center too.
And me? I’m just sitting here, trying not to make it too obvious that I’m staring.
Caroline slides into the chair next to me and follows my line of sight for all of two seconds before her mouth tilts into a knowing smile.
“You’re looking at her the way your dad looks at the nacho cheese at Taco Bell,” she murmurs.
I huff out a laugh, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “Subtle.”
She bumps her shoulder lightly against mine. “I’m just saying…she seems like a lovely girl.”
“She is,” I say before I can think better of it. The words come out low, almost like I’m admitting a secret to myself.
Caroline doesn’t push. She just gives me that soft, maternal look she’s perfected over the years. The one that says she sees right through me, but she’s not going to make me squirm. “I’m glad you brought her,” she says gently. “It’s good to see you…letting someone in again.”
My throat goes a little tight. I take a sip of water just to give my hands something to do.
Dad joins us a minute later, sliding into the chair on my other side. “Kids are wired,” he says, watching Joey try to teach Alyssa how to throw a football. “Must’ve been all that ice cream for dessert.”
Caroline smirks. “That’s on you.”
I let them banter for a moment, but the weight of what happened earlier in the day has been sitting in the back of my mind since we got here. I clear my throat. “We…uh, went and saw my mom today.”
Caroline’s expression softens immediately, but it’s my dad who looks at me first, brow furrowing slightly. “And you took Sophie?”
I nod.
He lets out a slow breath, nodding once like the answer means more than it sounds. “That’s big, son.”
