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“Welcome home,” she says her voice muffled by my shirt. She steps back and studies me, as only Rachel would. “You’ve become thinner.”
I grin. “Comes with the job.”
“Rach,” Park says. “Say hello to Ace’s friend. Her name is Lexi, and this is her niece Luna.”
In a totally Rachel way, she pulls Lexi into her arms for a tight hug, never mind that they’re strangers. Lexi grins at me over Rachel’s shoulder.
Park is lucky to have her. They are the only couple I know who have a near-perfect marriage. Either that says something about relationships these days or about the people I know.
After she’s done with Lexi, she squats and takes Luna’s hands. Then she looks up. “Ace?”
“No, no,” Park says quickly. “She’s not. I thought the same.”
“Really?” she says. “How about I take you to the bouncy castle? Kacy will be so happy to have a friend near her age.”
“I’d like to meet Kacy,” I tell Rachel.
“Come on and meet her,” Rachel says.
Park restrains me by holding my arm. “We’ll follow shortly,” he tells his wife and she heads across the yard with Lexi and Luna in tow. “It’s good to see you,” he says. “How are you doing?”
The last time we were together I was in a bad place. My fiancée had just dumped me for my brother and my parents had more or less told me to grow up. Thinking about it now, I must have looked how I felt. Like a bomb about to explode.
“Pretty darn good,” I tell him and dip my hands into my pockets. “The military was good for me, in a way.” Though I’m still resentful at Declan and my parents, the deep anger I felt at the time is gone.
“What about Stacy?” Park says.
I shrug. “I feel like I dodged a bomb there.”
“That’s good,” Park says. “Because she’s here. I know Rachel is very sorry. She couldn’t have known you would have a date and Stacy begged her for an invitation.”
I stare at Park and then sweep my gaze at the guests seated at the table. A woman turns to look at us. I recognize Stacy immediately. As if sensing that we’re talking about her, she stands up and walks toward us. I wait to feel something. Anger?
Nothing. By the time she reaches us, I even manage a smile. I feel like a man who has escaped jail. I’ve escaped the pain and jealousy that held me captive every time I thought about Stacy and Declan.
“Ace!” she says, stretching her arms out.
I might not hate her anymore but that doesn’t mean that we can be friends. She drops her arms to her sides when she realizes that no hug is forthcoming.
“Stacy,” I say.
Park excuses himself.
“I’m glad to see you,” she says. “I’ve been waiting and hoping that one day I’d get the chance to apologize for what I did,” she says, and her eyes fill up.
I’m not touched. “Where’s Declan?”
“I wouldn’t know. We broke up after you left.”
It’s my turn to be shocked. After causing so much pain and upheaval, they broke up? I always imagined that they were still together, even married.
“What do you want me to say? Sorry?” I snap.
“No of course not,” she says. “It’s me who should apologize. I was wrong to leave you like that. Declan and I were a mistake.”
“Who dumped who?”
She shuts her eyes and when she opens them again, they are full of tears. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me,” I say.
“Declan dumped me,” she says misery coating her voice. It becomes clear. She’s not apologizing because she genuinely regrets her actions. She’s hoping there might be another chance with me.
“Look, you’ve said your piece, now let me say mine. Me and you are done. We can’t be anything to each other, not even friends. Got it?” I know am being brutal, but I need her to get the message. I don’t want to run into her again. She’s part of my past and I want her to remain there. In the past.
“Don’t be nasty, Ace,” she says. “You were never like that.”
I don’t bother responding. I walk off toward the bouncy castle. To Lexi and Luna. I kiss Lexi on the mouth. Her eyes widen in surprise and then she smiles.
“I told Rachel I’d watch these two,” she says, gesturing at Luna and a sweet girl about her size who is a miniature version of Rachel.
“Hi, Kacy,” I tell her, and she bounces her way to me.
“Hi,” she says in a little singsong voice.
“Acy,” Luna calls and attempts to stand and then topples over. Her laughter rings out, making me smile.
I watch the two girls for a few minutes and then say, “I’ll go get us some drinks. What do you want?”
“Lemonade, if there is any,” Lexi says.
Rachel waylays me when I’m serving lemonade from the drinks table. She holds my arm. “I don’t care what you say, Ace. That kid is yours.”
