Page 85 of Plain Sight

“How?” Nate breathes.

“You’re a Hill now.” Gabriel points at a line on the paper. “I know how you felt about your name. If this isn’t good⁠—”

“This is so fucking perfect,” Nate says, and then he bursts into tears.

There’s food and cake and a fire in the stone firepit my dad insisted on building and sparklers and more food. August and Julien show up and August photographs the party, then takes a new family portrait in front of the red door.

“Jameson,” Julien says for him as we’re all trying to stand still. “Stop crying.”

“Did he say Jameson or Jamie?” I call back.

August signs.

“Jameson,” says Julien.

“I shortened it. It’s Jamie now.”

August gives me an incredibly aggrieved fingerspelling of my name.

“Jamie. Better?” Julien asks.

I give them both a thumbs up.

Later, August goes around to the backyard to take photos of Charlotte and Robin. Lily and Elise are out there, too, and I have a feeling it’s going to turn into a group photo session any second. Nate and Lydia supervise.

I can’t remember why we all came into the kitchen, but we’re here.

Just the four of us.

“This is a good day,” Mason says. “Thanks for having a birthday, Gabriel.”

“Any time,” Gabriel sings.

Remy puts her arms around my waist. “Do you like your new house?”

“I fucking love my new house. But I’ll miss you. Promise you’ll visit.”

“Obviously.” She rolls her eyes, grinning.

Snowball hops up in his cage and tweets. Pay attention. Pay attention!

“To what?”

He tweets some more, bobbing his head.

I turn around to see what he’s looking at.

“Snowball, it’s just a cabinet. You don’t have to freak out.” There’s a single cabinet above the fridge in just enough of an awkward spot that I’m not sure what you’d keep in there. “It’s empty. See?”

I flip the cabinet open and point.

Remy gasps.

Mason and Gabriel stare.

I turn around slow, because I have no fucking idea what could have startled them like this.

In the middle of the otherwise empty cabinet is one of my mom’s teacups, perfectly shiny, perfectly whole.