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A gasp from the doorway interrupted her.
Mom and Dad stood behind Niko and Hope. Dad wore khakis and a pale blue rumpled shirt, and Mom wore loose yoga pants with a flowing beige top over them. It was the weirdest sight. They were supposed to be on a cruise ship on the other side of the world. Mom and Dad. Here.
Chapter 27
How much had they heard of her nonsense? Mia shut her eyes and her mouth made an ‘o’ shape. How were they here and not off the coast of Singapore? They weren’t due to return for another month. They’re home. A rush of love and an ending of homesickness she hadn’t known she had been feeling came over her. Mia hurried toward them, arms out for a hug.
She got the hug, but she also got frowns. “You’re pregnant?” Mom and Dad asked almost in unison.
Okay, they heard enough. Mia quickly shook her head. “No, no, I’m not. Of course not. I was messing with Niko and Hope.” She hugged them again. “What are you doing here? Welcome home.” She patted Dad’s arm, a little weirded out that he wasn’t wearing one of his usual heavy starched shirts. “Missing Preseley’s Dry Cleaners, aren’t you?”
Dad nodded.
Mom stepped back and looked her over, frowning, not distracted. She shook her head.
“I’m not pregnant.” Did it really have to be said again?
Hope looked at Mia in relief. Panic left her eyes and she patted her arm.
Had Hope truly believed her nonsense? Mia gave her a look.
“I knew it,” Niko said.
He so didn’t.
“Then why did she say it?” Dad appeared pale and tired, not rested from his trip, and again, the rumpled look, so weird.
“Why are you over here so early?” Mom asked. “Why aren’t you at Hope’s? Why are you in your pajamas?” Mom’s yoga pants weren’t exactly formal. Mia wished she’d slept in her yoga pants. Mom examined Alexi with narrowed eyes. “Who are you exactly?” Mom was not letting this go.
She had to save Alexi. “Hope’s living with Niko. That’s why we’re here.”
Hope gasped.
Mia mouthed, “Sorry.” She’d needed the distraction.
Hope searched for an escape, but her parents blocked the doorway.
“Hope?” Mom looked toward her.
Hope looked away and bit her lip.
“Hope,” Mom said. “Is this more of Mia’s being silly?”
Dad turned an accusing glare at Niko. “We returned home early to spend Thanksgiving with our daughters, and they’re not home. We had to text to find them.”
A blush rested high on Niko’s cheekbones. “Hope and I are already engaged.”
Mom’s head jerked at that. “Excuse me?”
“Engaged is not married.” Dad cut him off by raising Hope’s left hand in the air and looking at her empty ring finger. He arched his eyebrows. “Is he telling a story now?”
Mom held up her palms. “We’re leaving. We’ll sort this out at home. Our home. Not whatever communal living facility you have going on here.”
Communal. Mom loved that word. She wouldn’t use the communal restrooms at the mall or the communal robes at hotels…
Dad dropped Hope’s hand and grabbed Mia’s arm to pull her toward the door. She wanted to protest that she was in her PJs, but bringing that up again would not be good.
Alexi grabbed her other arm and stopped them.
