Page 91 of Her Alien Neighbor

“Ah, good call,” she says. “Thank you so much for helping, but shouldn’t you be sitting down? Taking it easy?”

“I’m pregnant, not made of tissue paper,” I tell her. Though sitting does sound nice. I’ve been chasing after kids for the last half hour.

“Oh my god, I’m so excited to be an aunt!” Willa says, clapping her hands together. Then she puts her hands on my belly and I almost slap her. Almost.

“Hey, I’m only a month along. That’s still just me down there. Hands off the goods.” My eyes drift to the emerald necklace Willa’s wearing. “What’s that?”

She looks down and her eyes brighten. “Oh! I found it in the box with Aunt Franny’s hats. Isn’t it pretty? I’ve been wearing it every day.”

“It really is,” I reply. I don’t tell Willa it’s the necklace Mom has been asking about. The one she was certain Aunt Franny stole from her because Willa deserves it more anyway. It suits her, and clearly Aunt Franny wanted her to have it.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I pull it out, I find a text from Tia about an upcoming casting call.

Tia: This sounds perfect for you! Sorry, I know you’re all settled and happy in NH, but I had to send it along. Miss you!

I smile as I type my response.

Me:Miss you too! Thank you for this, but I’m going to pass. Lots of stuff keeping me busy around here. I’ll text you when I’m in L.A. next month! Gotta pack up the apartment and haul my stuff back here.

She sends back several emojis, most of which don’t make sense to me, but at least three smiley faces with heart eyes, so I take it as a good sign.

Willa and I run through the rehearsal plan for the rest of the week, and just as we’re finishing up, Axil and Mylo enter the auditorium. Axil’s wearing a gray T-shirt with a red flannel over it, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and he’s carrying a bouquet of flowers.

“My love,” he greets me, kissing the tip of my nose.

“Hi, dear,” I say, wrapping my arms around his middle and pressing my head against his chest. Then I turn to his brother. “Hi, Mylo.”

“Vanessa, you are glowing,” he says with that lopsided, boyish grin that I’m sure melts all the hearts at the library.

“Mylo, I’m not very far along, so that’s probably just sweat,” I explain. “But thank you anyway.”

Axil looks down at me. “You ready?” he asks, handing me the flowers.

Inhaling deeply, I moan at the warm floral scent. It’s not the same as buying myself flowers, but it’ll certainly do.

I nod, then turn to Willa. “Do you mind finishing up here?”

“Not at all,” she says brightly. “I got this.” Then she pats Axil on the arm. “Pregnant ladies like foot rubs, just FYI, future brother-in-law.”

“Thank you for the tip,” Axil says, chuckling.

We haven’t set a date yet, and I’m not in a rush to do so. He proposed again the day after we dug up Aunt Franny’s treasure chest, and I said yes, of course, but he already feels like my husband. It’s probably the wholematething. In Axil’s eyes, we’re already mated, and therefore, share an eternal, unbreakable bond. So why go through the fuss of planning a wedding?

Willa really wants to be a bridesmaid, and I certainly don’t want to disappoint her, but Axil and I have talked briefly about eloping. Or having a simple ceremony at the county courthouse. For now, I like just being his mate.

We stop on the way home to get gas, and Mylo and I hop out of the truck while Axil fills the tank. It’s finally spring in Sudbury, which means the snow has melted completely, and the jackets are light. There’s rain, and lots of it, but after not having any rain in L.A., I’m desperate for it.

It’s not raining now, though, which means it’s just a calm spring day.

That is, until a cop car pulls into the gas station next to us.

Officer Burton groans as he gets out of the driver’s seat, and his face sours the moment he sees us.

“Ah, nice day, isn’t it?” he says, his tone the opposite of friendly.

“Very nice,” I reply, eager to keep this interaction short.

The three of us stand there, saying nothing, silently urging the pump to go faster so we can get the hell out of here.

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