“Have you read any of it?”
“No. I found it and then you called.”
“Well, crack it open,” Kai says with excitement. “I wanna know what it says.”
I slide off the bed and creep toward the dusty old book. I crouch, reaching for it, and then pull back. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t?”
“I haven’t seen my mom in ten years. I can’t just crack open her diary.”
“I can read it for you and tell you what it says.” I can tell by his tone he’d have already snatched it if he were here.
“I just need some time to psych myself up.”
There’s a knock at my door. “Jamie?”
“Ugh. Aunt Maddy’s at the door,” I say to Kai. “I gotta go.”
“Don’t give in,” Kai blurts.
“I won’t. See ya tomorrow.”
“Yep. See ya.”
I hang up from Kai and march toward my door. I swing it open and then cross my arms and pout. “Yes?”
Aunt Maddy sighs, hunching. “Can we talk? I hate how we left things.”
I give her my brattiest look as I pop a hip. “You mean when you called me petty and jealous?”
“Can we please just rewind and talk about this? I hate fighting with you.”
I trudge back to my bed and plonk down. “It was just a shock that someone could whisk you away from me.”
“It was a shock for me too,” Aunt Maddy says, sitting beside me. “I had no idea David would ask me to go away with him. I’ve been in Logan’s Point and Victoria Falls my whole life. Sure, I’d love a vacation, but Hawaii was never on my radar. Come on, you have to admit, it’s a bit of a fairytale moment.”
I give in, nodding. “Yeah, it is. Feels like you’re being sucked into your own rom-com.”
Aunt Maddy nudges me. “Admit it, you are jealous.”
I give her an indignant look.
“Not of David or anything,” Maddy clarifies, “but the whole rom-com thing. You want your own romance, don’t you?”
I slouch and rest my head on her shoulder. “You know I do.”
“Don’t take it out on David. He’s a nice man. A good man. He cares about me and also cares about you.”
I take my head off her shoulder. “He tolerates me to keep in your good books.”
“Can you blame him? You’re not exactly the nicest to him. I have to commend him for his patience with you. He’ll make a good father.”
I recoil. “Eww. You’re thinking about having kids with this guy?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t date someone who’ll waste my time. I want an endgame.”
“I’m never calling him Uncle David.”
