“West Coast,” Miller says. “Training camp.”
Logan snorts. “Also avoiding questions about that article.”
Bree shoots him a look. “Logan.”
“What? He is.”
Aria leans closer to me and whispers, “He is.”
I look down at her. “You’re enjoying that a little too much.”
Her smile gets bigger. “I’m not.”
I point at her. “You are.”
She shrugs. “Maybe a little. I’ve never seen your brother like that.”
I smile and squeeze her hand.
Lindsey turns and sees the cake. “Oh, you brought Blaze cinnamon cake.”
“For Aria,” I say.
Aria points at me. “He’s learning.”
Bree grins. “Good.”
Logan looks at me. “Did you actually leave work on time?”
“I did.” The room goes quiet for half a second.
Then Miller sets the knife down and gives me a look. “Seriously?”
I pop my shoulders. “Yes.”
Bree’s eyes move to Aria, then back to me. “Wow.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”
“Too late,” Logan says.
Aria laughs, and I love the sound. It feels like it’s been way too long since I’ve heard it.
Eli comes running through the back door a few minutes later out of breath and carrying the bat.
“Uncle Penn!”
I crouch just in time for him to launch himself at me. I catch him and make a show of groaning like he knocked the wind out of me. “Man, you’re getting heavy.”
He grins and then runs around to his spot at the table just as Lindsey reminds him to wash his hands.
Dinner is loud. It always is with this family. Everyone talks over each other, passes food, laughs, argues about who gets the last roll, and somehow manages to make a simple meal feel like an event.
Aria sits beside me, close enough that her knee presses against mine under the table. Every so often, she looks at me like she’s checking to make sure I’m still here.
We talk about Grace through most of dinner. How tiny she is. How Zach is already losing his mind. How Skyler sent a picture of him asleep in the chair with Grace on his chest and one hand still holding the baby monitor even though they were in the same room.
And the whole time, both Aria and I are smiling and laughing because even though we have some tough decisions ahead, we both feel lighter. I slide my hand under the table and rest it on her thigh, and she covers it with hers.
