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5
ROSEMARY
The smell of coffee brewing wakes me up the following morning. I was up late searching the internet for information about Scott’s campaign. I told myself that I wanted to know more about my father, but I couldn’t help scouring every picture for a familiar face in the background. Sadly, no pictures of Alex and I couldn’t find his last name on the Davenport for Washington campaign website.
I stretch my body and moan as my muscles scream from not moving all night. Hazel’s bed was like sleeping on a cloud. I don’t know what it’s made of, but I’d give my left boob to have one of those at home.
Hazel has her own private bathroom, so I don’t have to tip toe around the apartment looking for a place to get ready. I shower quickly and get ready for the day. I pull out of my suitcase a crème colored lace dress, a red cardigan, black tights, and red cowgirl boots. I’m not sure what the day has planned for me, but I feel presentable even for the Davenports.
I walk out and find the family sitting at the kitchen table. There is a breakfast spread that would rival something Mama would make, but I have a feeling that Cynthia didn’t put this together.
“Good morning,” I say from the kitchen entryway.
All the eyes in the room swing over to me and I suddenly feel uneasy about what I’m wearing. Luca scoffs and returns his attention back to his phone. Roman gives me a polite smile. I guess I’m out of whatever dog house he put me in last night. Scott folds up his paper and Cynthia stands up to greet me.
“We weren’t sure how late you wanted to sleep in,” she says.
I point over my shoulder. “I forgot to plug in my phone last night to charge so I didn’t have my alarm.”
“Well, I hope you are hungry.” Scott points at the table. “We have plenty of food.”
I sit down at one of the two empty chairs, and by the sudden tension in the air, I can only guess that I’ve picked Hazel’s seat. Determined not to let this awkwardness keep me from eating—I ended up having only a banana and yogurt for dinner—I reach for an oat muffin. My hand freezes before I pick it up.
“This doesn’t have peanuts, does it?” I ask.
Luca looks up from his phone with a sudden interest in me I haven’t seen before. “Are you allergic too?”
“Yes.” I nod. “I swell up. Throat closes. It’s a whole ordeal.”
“Me too,” he says, with a softer smile than he’s ever given me. “Grant too.”
Conversation at the table starts to flow amongst the family members. It’s like mine and Luca’s shared allergy has opened the door for all of us to get to know one another.
Roman tells me about how he works as an attorney at Scott’s law firm downtown. When he walked away last night, I didn’t realize that he’d only come in to grab some files from Scott’s office before heading back to his own place. And Luca is an app designer, which explains his nose practically pressed to his phone every time I see him. He’s about to launch a new game and he’s working on fixing any glitches in the code.
I’m starting to see that they weren’t ignoring me, they were just busy with their lives. I was the one who invited herself here. Could I really expect them to drop everything just for me? They were all making an effort to be here for breakfast, so we could all eat together. I need to appreciate what they are doing and not force my expectations on them.
“Rosemary,” Cynthia says as she pours herself another cup of coffee. “Scott and I were talking and there’s a fundraising event tonight at the Fulton Grand for his campaign. I thought that maybe we could go shopping and pick you out a dress.”
Alex pops into my mind and the butterflies in my stomach flip just thinking about the possibility of seeing him tonight. I swallow my mouthful of banana pancake.
“Sure, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” She smiles. “Hazel and I—”
Everyone at the table gets quiet. I’m not sure if it’s because they think I don’t want to hear about her or they miss having her home?
“Hazel told me about how you two loved to shop together.” I smile brightly, wanting everyone to know that they don’t need to worry about me. “I’d love to go with you and see for myself.”
I don’t feel any ill will towards Hazel. I never have—besides my little freakout in the beginning. We haven’t talked a lot but when we made plans for this switch she told me some stories about her parents. Like how she loved to go shopping with her mom to get some one-on-one time with her or how her dad wasn’t happy about her interest in environmental law.
She’s pretty amazing, and it was Chasen who pointed out the reason I felt a near instant connection with her. She came from Mama and Daddy, she’s the biological sister to Liz and Sophie, all people I love with every part of me. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to me to realize that I would connect with Hazel.
The tension that filled the room so quickly a moment ago, dissipates just as quickly. Cynthia smiles at Scott, and he flashes one back at her.
“We can leave after breakfast.”
ALEX
