“Angus and Aileen are your grandparents?” he finishes.
“Aye, they are.” I can see where this is going.
“So, does that make them my great-grandparents?” he asks with a smile—it’s small but it’s there.
“It does.”
His grin widens and I match it with one of my own. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before, that his toothy grin is exactly like mine was at his age.
I might have no idea what I’m going to do or what happens next, but I do know that this is a moment I’ll never forget.
“Lennox,” Avi says tentatively from the door, drawing our attention. Her eyes are cautious when they meet mine, but they soften as she takes us in—both of us smiling. “Can you come in and help Aileen gather your things from about the inn? Don’t want you to forget anything.”
“Okay.” His tone cools significantly from the excitement over his new great-grandparents and I see Avi register the change as well, her features pinching.
“Hey, Nox,” I call after him as he reaches the door. Avi’s hand finds his shoulder and he shrugs it off. The crestfallen look on her face is like a dagger to the heart. “Try not to get into any more fights, aye?”
He smirks and, with a nod, walks inside, leaving me and Avi in a tense silence.
She closes the door behind her and takes a few steps over to the swing but doesn’t sit. “You two talked?” She bites down on her lip and fiddles with the hem of her open flannel shirt.
“We did. I hope that’s okay,” I say, still not clear on what my place is here.
She nods and laces her hands in front of her. “Of course it’s okay. I just—” She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. “Is he really mad?”
I cock my head and watch her. “I don’t think so. Not really.”
She arches an eyebrow.
“Okay, yeah, he’s mad… but I think it’s more that he doesn’t know how to feel.”
“Are you?” she whispers, and lifts her head to look at me “Mad?”
“I don’t think so. Not really,” I repeat, surprised to feel my lips tip up a little. And with that, there’s a small shift in her features. Relief maybe. “It’s a lot. I don’t really know how to feel right now either.”
“That’s understandable. For you both.” She puffs out a breath. “I’m getting ready to take Lennox back to my parents. I think he and I could use a little more time to talk about things. He wasn’t super receptive to hearing me out last night and he’s been pretty quiet this morning.” Her fingers continue to fiddle with her shirt and her words get more frantic and clipped. “But I know you and I have a lot to talk about too. I’m sorry that I’m leaving with things still so—”
“It’s okay, Avi, this is how it should be. He needs you. We can talk when you get back. I’ll be here.”
Those three little words seem to calm her, lift the edge of panic that was pressing down on her.
“I’m only staying tonight, so I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. I’ve missed too much work already. Your grandad should probably fire me—or just give Hamish the job. He’s a lot less trouble.”
And the panic is back, the concern for her job creating an undercurrent of anxiety beneath everything else.
“Avi,” I say, moving forward on my seat but not moving to reach for her. “Hamish is used to taking over, he did it with Grandad too. And he’d never fire you for needing to be there for Lennox. Things will calm down once he’s up here full-time.”
She exhales and her shoulders sag, relaxing away from her ears. “Aye, you’re right. I don’t know how we ended up with youcomforting me, but I just—thank you, Jamie.” She shifts toward me—the pull between us too much to stay apart—and on instinct I stand and pull her into a hug.
I don’t know if she needed it or if I did, or if it’s just the natural way of things between us. Everything feels less daunting with her in my arms. I turn my head just enough to bury my nose in her glowing blonde waves and inhale the floral scent that has always been hers. Just Avi.
I may have no idea what happens now, but I do know that this has always felt right.
With one last tightening of her arms, she releases me and steps back, a glimmer of a tear on her cheek that she swipes away with the back of her hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
“Tomorrow,” I say with a nod.
After she leaves, the scent of her lingers around me like a memory.
