But something had to go up here. It wouldn’t be cool to expect him to sleep on the floor. He was younger than her but only by four years.
She needed something that didn’t scream “move in,” but still said “you’re loved.” Something that wouldn’t break her backcarrying it up the steps. Something he couldn’tpossiblymistake for a long-term invitation.
She climbed back down and grabbed her laptop from the counter, scrolling through options on Amazon. A futon? Too college and she’d have to put it together. An air mattress? Robbie would pop that in a heartbeat. Then she found a full-size mattress in a box. One of those latex things that expanded after it was opened.
It would turn the loft into actual guest space and still be usable after he left. “Hmm,” she murmured. “Just comfortable enough. Just temporary enough. Perfect.”
She clicked Buy It Now and sighed in relief. It would arrive overnight and give her time to set it up first thing.Thank you, Amazon.
What about Robbie’s stuff? He’d have to store it up here. She was not filling her place with his belongings. She wasn’t budging on that.
“Lord help us,” she whispered, rubbing her forehead. “Two Harrigans in one tiny house. This place may never recover.”
But beneath the worry and the logistical chaos was something warm. Robbie needed her. And despite their history and all the teasing and the occasional tension, she was still glad he was coming. Even if it meant reconfiguring her entire life for a while. It would be good to reconnect. Good to help him out for a bit.
A brief bit.
She folded her arms, sighing as she took in the tiny space she was about to share. “It’s fine,” she told herself. “I’ve survived worse.”
Though as she glanced back at the loft, she whispered, “Probably.”
She put her laptop aside and wondered if she should go grocery shopping, so she didn’t run out of food the dayhe arrived. He ate a lot more than she did, something she remembered her mother commenting on when they’d been kids.
That made her wonder if her parents knew what was going on with Robbie. Maude stared at her phone for a full thirty seconds before finally waking the screen up. Calling her parents was easy. Calling her parentswithout accidentally spilling secretswas significantly harder.
She tapped her mother’s contact and paced the length of her living room twice while it rang.
“Maude!” her mother answered brightly. “Well, isn’t this a treat?”
“Hi, Mom.” Maude smiled despite herself. “How are things down in the Keys?”
“Well, your father’s in the backyard trying to convince the iguanas that the herb garden is off-limits. So far, the iguanas are winning.”
Maude laughed. “Dad Versus The Iguanassounds like a reality show I’d watch. But he may have met his match.”
“That’s for sure. So, what’s new with you, honey?”
Maude hesitated. She should have figured out what she was going to say before she called. Instead, she went with a breezy tone that immediately felt too forced.
“Oh, not much. Just…you know. Website stuff, gaming, the usual.” She swallowed. “Speaking of, uh, family things. Have you talked to Robbie lately?”
There. That sounded casual and totally normal, right? Not suspicious at all.
Her mother hmmed thoughtfully. “Come to think of it, we haven’t heard much from him lately. Your father saw something he posted about working too many hours, but you know how your brother is. He gets busy and disappears.”
Maude wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. “Right. Busy.”
“Why? Did he call you?” her mother asked, curiosity sharpening.
Maude forced her voice to remain light. “Oh, he checks in from time to time.”Please, please, please don’t let me sound like I’m hiding anything.
Her mother chuckled. “That boy. Always on his own timeline. Sometimes I swear he inherited his sense of direction from a broken compass.”
“No argument there,” Maude said.
“But he sounded okay?” her mother asked. “You’d tell us if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”
Maude paused long enough to choose her words carefully. “He sounded…like Robbie,” she said. “You know how he gets when he’s between things.”
