Page 79 of It Should Have Been Us

“You know sign language?”

I turn my attention to Rose, who seems genuinely surprised at the prospect. I shrug nonchalantly. “Know would be a stretch, at best. I just started learning it recently.” I look back at Kyle and sign, “Want a cupcake?”

Those big eyes shine brighter at the prospect as he looks toward Rose pleadingly, his little hands flying as he signs.

She lets out a sigh but nods her head. “Fine, but just one.”

Kyle claps his hands excitedly.

Damn, he’s cute.

Grabbing the tongs, I take one chocolate cupcake and show it to him, slowly mouthing, ‘Good?’ I didn’t think it was possible, but his eyes turn even bigger as he nods his head, moving closer to the counter, his little palms wrapping around it the moment I place the cupcake on the counter.

Before either of us can react, he lifts it to his face and takes one big bite, all of the chocolate coating over his face.

My mouth falls open, but Savannah just laughs as he looks up, the chocolate smeared all over his nose and cheeks as he flashes us a big grin.

“Slow down, little man,” Savannah chuckles.

Rose lifts her hand and runs it over her face. “I swear he usually behaves better than this.”

“Oh, please, he’s just a kid. Let him enjoy it.”

Our eyes meet, and a smile slowly spreads over her mouth as a silent understanding passes between us, a genuine smile. It’s been ages since Rose Hathaway and I shared anything authentic.

We used to be friends when we were kids. We would hang out all the time, having playdates either at her house or mine, but then, over time, things slowly changed.

My dad died in a car accident when I was nine, and life as I knew it fell around my family like a house of cards. We were all devastated by the loss, and it was around that time that I gravitated more toward the boys. They became my rocks, my protectors. They would come to my house at random times of the day and pull me out to play. All I had wanted was to cry in my room. But they didn’t let me. And somehow, we became inseparable—the three musketeers, as people around town affectionally referred to us. And it was around that time that Rose started to throw snarky comments our way, and that division that appeared only grew exponentially. Maybe I should have tried harder, but we were kids, and I was hurt, so I gave back as good as I got.

“You want something?”

“Oh, no. That’s it. How much do I owe you?”

I wave her off. “It’s on the house.”

Rose’s eyes widen. “What? No, you can’t do that, it’s…”

“It’s fine, really. Don’t stress about it. You guys are here for the readinggroup?”

“I… Yeah.” Rose nods, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Mom mentioned there was one happening here today, so I figured I’d bring Kyle so he could meet some new friends.”

“That’s amazing. We love to meet new readers.” Savannah winks at Kyle, who’s happily munching on the last of his cupcake. Rose pulls out some wet wipes from her bag and hands them to the boy to clean himself. Once he’s done, Savannah asks, “How about we go and you help me pick out the story we’ll read today?”

Kyle glances from Savannah to Rose, his little brows furrowed in confusion. Rose repeats the question in sign language, and Kyle nods enthusiastically.

Savannah jumps from the chair, and together, they go off toward the back, Rose’s eyes following the two of them.

“Savannah is the one who leads the group,” I explain, drawing her attention. “But I give them space in the back. Recently, the library got more books, but that meant losing the reading space for kids. Not that anybody wanted to lead it. Mrs. Parker retired a few years ago, which left Mrs. Kenny all alone in the library, and she just doesn’t have enough time.”

“I see that you’ve got your hands full.”

“Not as much as you, I’d imagine. Kyle seems like a really nice kid.”

Rose’s mouth falls open, clearly shocked by my statement. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The last time we were together was back during high school, and we were constantly at each other’s throats. But we grew up since then, and those girls were gone.

“Thank you.” The corner of Rose’s mouth lifts, and I can see all the love she has for her son. “He really is amazing.”

I grab Savannah’s mug from the counter and place it into the dishwasher. “You guys here for a visit?”

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