Page 67 of Family Like This

“Oh yeah. Ever since I was little, I’ve been environmentally focused. I was the five-year-old who’d get so upset about finding litter on the ground. My dad encouraged me to use my voice, and I got involved in Environmental Club in middle school. It grew from there. My biggest focus is on sustainable energy and renewable resources. I’m especially fascinated with ways third world countries are utilizing those things to bring clean water, electricity, or internet access to outlying communities. There’s so much to learn and ways to grow our knowledge, which is really cool. When my dad encouraged me to use my voice, I don’t think he was expecting it to lead me here.”

“Is he not supportive of you?” Amelia asks.

“No, both my parents are very supportive. I mean, it was hard for them. I’m a liberal activist who is also a lesbian, and my parents are—or were—pretty conservative. But one of my younger siblings is trans, so they had to get on board pretty fast or risk losing us, and my parents are not the type to let their kids go.”

My eyes dart to Mackie, who is looking down. I know she’s thinking about Hyla and probably what could have been if Hyla’s parents had chosen her over money and status. Based on the way Mari casually said all that, I’m assuming she doesn’t know much about Hyla’s situation. Then again, if I had an ex-girlfriend, I wouldn’t be jumping to explain all the dirty details of their life to Amelia.

“That’s wonderful,” Amelia says, reading the situation, but before she can change the subject, Mari smiles warmly.

“It is.” She looks over Amelia’s shoulder at the clock. “Oh my gosh. Speaking of the things I’m passionate about, I need to get going. I have to meet with my advisor and a couple of other people about a project we’re working on.” She stands, and we all quickly do the same. “Thank you so much for having me.”

“Of course,” I say. “It’s good to get to know you better.”

“You guys as well. Have a good night.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Mackie says.

Mari kisses her cheek. “Walk me to the door. You should spend some time with your friends.”

“Hey,” Amelia says, wrapping her hand around my arm.

“What’s up, baby?”

“I just got a text from work about some kind of emergency.” She rolls her eyes. “I doubt it is. It’s probably someone who waited until the last minute and thinks that means I need to work overtime for them. I’m going to go check and see.”

“Sure thing.” I pop a kiss on her cheek, and she pinches my butt before she walks away. The second trimester agrees with my girl. She’s got more energy, she’s sick less often, she’s ravenously hungry, and she’s horny all the damn time. I know this is probably the peak of how good she’ll feel during pregnancy, so I’m taking advantage of it, but mostly, it’s good to see her feeling better.

I grab two beers from the fridge, then head for the living room, watching as Mackie and Mari share a very PDA-filled kiss. Not that I mind. I like seeing her happy, even if I’m wondering how happy she is. Mari talked openly about a lot of things tonight, but I could see times when Mackie held back. If anything came up remotely related to Hyla or their relationship, I could see the conflict in Mackie’s eyes. I like Mari, and I’ve never been one to “ship” certain relationships for my friends. At least not until it was obvious they’d be together. Still, a part of me wonders if Mari is someone to pass the time with.

Mackie walks over, looking happy if a bit wistful. I hold out the beer I got for her and she happily takes it and opens it, sitting down in the opposite corner of the couch.

“How are things going with Mari?” I ask.

“Good,” Mackie says, taking a long swig of her beer.

“Just good?” I ask.

She smirks at me. “Looking for drama?”

I chuckle. “Believe me, I amneverlooking for drama. I was just curious. You two have been together a while now. I’m wondering how it’s all going. You haven’t told me much since the beginning.”

She shrugs. “It’s good. I’m happy. It’s an easy relationship, so I feel like there’s not much to tell.”

“But…”

She sighs.“Butsometimes I’m not sure exactly how she feels about me. She’s hard to read. Plus, she’s so easygoing about most things. I sometimes wonder if it’s because she doesn’t care enough.”

“She seems passionate about her job.”

“She is. Which is cool. And she’s very supportive of me trying different things and finding my passion.”

“Are you in love with her?”

She shrugs. “I love her, but I’m notinlove with her. Not yet. I’m getting there. I think.”

“Wow. Convincing.”

She reaches over and smacks my stomach. “Shut up. Honestly, I like that we’re taking things slow. There’s less pressure. Falling hard can be fun. Until you hit the ground.” She scrunches up her face. “Sorry.”

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