Page 68 of Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends

When she first moved in, she kept to herself. She never left any of her belongings lying around, but now her things have blended in everywhere. Things like a colorful vase on the dining room table with some type of greenery arrangement, no flowers. Her coffee mugs have found a home next to mine. There are candles, shoes, kitchen towels, and even new throw pillows on the couch. While it’s still my house, it’s slowly transforming to ours, and I’m not mad about it. I want her to feel comfortable. Deep down in my gut, I know I want her to stay. Indefinitely.

Not wanting to be alone tonight, I make my way over to Jonah’s to crash for dinner. There was a time not too long ago when I ate with him and Vivi almost every night. And then once he and Sophie got together, I ate with her too. It’s been a while, and I find I’m looking forward to it.

When Jonah lived by himself, I would just walk in, but since Sophie is here now, I do the respectable thing and knock first before I open the door. Molly barks as she always does, and Vivi’s face lights up from the living room when she sees me.

“Well, well, look at what the cat dragged in,” Jonah calls out, smirking as I close the door, toe off my shoes, and make my way over to Vivi to give her some love.

“I figured I was past due for family dinner, so I invited myself over. What are we having?” I tease. Jonah is a really good cook. He went out of his way to learn how to be when Vivi moved in with him, and I have reaped the benefits.

“Shepherd’s pie, salad, and dinner rolls,” he says, wiping his hands on a towel on the counter.

“You had time to come home and make that after practice?” I look at him curiously and then at Sophie. She’s sitting at the island across from him, drinking a glass of wine, and she grins as she raises the glass in a half toast to me. Sometimes Sophie cooks, but in this house, it is definitely Jonah, and his two girls who reap the rewards of it.

“Of course not. I premade a couple of things yesterday to eat throughout the week. Don’t you prep food too?” He snickers, already knowing the answer.

“Not usually. Lily likes to cook, or I contribute to whatever she has planned by grilling when I get home.” I wander into the living room where Vivi is coloring. Molly is racing around my feet, but I’m on a mission to get to my squirt.

“Last night, we had chicken and dumplings,” Vivi announces as she stands, then jumps into my arms.

“Is that so?” I ask her, giving her a growly bear hug. She giggles.

“Yes. Uncle Jonah let me roll out the dumplings and cut them myself,” she says, smiling at me. She’s missing one of her canines, and she looks darn cute with that hole in her mouth.

“You didn’t invite me over for chicken and dumplings,” I tease, in which she just rolls her eyes.

“When have we ever invited you?” she says, sarcastically.

Jonah and Sophie both laugh.

“Listen here, little smarty-pants, you love it when I come over, so cut the sass.” With that, I set her down and then ruffle her hair. She squeals and scowls at me. “That’s what you get. And just think, I wasn’t going to do that tonight and then you ran your mouth.”

“But it’s true!”

“My invitation is open,” I declare, then make my way to the kitchen. Jonah has pulled a light beer from the refrigerator, and he slides it across the island to me. The kitchen smells delicious, not like ground beef, thank God, but more like spices with meat, vegetables, and potatoes.

“Where is Lily tonight?” Sophie asks as I take a seat next to her.

“Her friend Morgan is in town, and they went to the beach for a few days.”

She nods. “Morgan is who helps her with her social media, right?”

“Yes. She works for her, but they’ve been friends for a long time. Outside of Lance and Casey, I don’t think she really has any other longtime friends, so I’m glad she has her.”

“Morgan has done a great job. Lily’s branding is spot-on,” Sophie says, talking like I should know these things.

“I don’t really know what that means, but if you say so.”

“Think colors, aesthetics, fonts, the filter—it’s all cohesive, and if a new graphic or reel pops up, it’s usually easy to tell it’s hers before even looking at the name.”

She grabs her phone and pulls up Lily’s Instagram account. The colors are bright, and while the content is all different, each has some sort of blue, teal, or orange coloring to it. Fits her perfectly. There’s a new reel, but it’s of the two of them standing at the water’s edge, and the water is rolling in and out over their feet. The caption says, “When there’s work to do, posts to plan, and a release to get ready for . . . but the beach is calling.” Over a thousand people have liked it, and there are eighty comments from people wanting to know where she is, who she’s with, or they’re telling her they are excited for her new book.

I point at the first one and tell her, “They are working on some new stuff while she’s here.”

“I’m so excited for her book to go live on October sixth. I just know it’s going to be amazing.”

Pride surges through me. She’s worked hard, and it’s exciting to hear that people love her stories and anticipate the new release.

“It sounds like it will be from all the buzz she’s hearing around it. I’m happy for her. She worked really hard on it.”