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“Where’s Weston?” she asks.
“He’s still at work and couldn’t leave.”
She sighs. “I’m sorry. That sucks because Mom and Dad really wanted to meet him. They were talking about it at breakfast this morning.”
“I know.” It’s all I can say because no one is more disappointed by it than I am. Maddie changes the subject and talks about a ballet number she’s learning at the moment. Though she loves jazz, toe, and lyrical, she’s amazing at pointe too. I think about her life and how beautiful it is that she’s living her dream. It’s hard not to feel a tinge of envy by how innocent she is. I want her to stay this way forever, but I know that’s not possible.
Eventually, we arrive at the park, and Maddie wraps her arm around me as we walk in. She makes me feel young and free again, regardless that I’m five years older than her with a stack of responsibilities on my shoulders. As soon as we enter the Mother Goose concert area and say hello to everyone, an announcement is made to keep quiet because Lennon’s arrived.
Excitement ripples through everyone, and Maddie tries to hold in her squeals by covering her mouth. When Lennon walks on stage, blindfolded, I nearly begin to cry because I’m so damn happy for her and Hunter. My musician friends begin playing, and soon, Hunter is down on one knee asking her to marry him. I get choked up and so does Maddie because they’ve waited so long for this and deserve a lifetime of happiness. A love like theirs is special, and they’re both so damn lucky. I think about Weston and know we’ll eventually get there, or at least, I hope. The thought of him not being here with me, experiencing this special moment, stings.
After the proposal, we eagerly wait for Lennon and Hunter to join us. From the corner of my eye, I see Mason and Liam. I freeze and try to focus on Lennon, pretending I don’t see them. To this day, Mason still causes a thunderstorm of emotions inside me. He’s like lightning, and I’ve been waiting for him to strike again. If only he hadn’t been so damn stubborn.
Trying to keep my attention on the happy couple and Allie, I suggest they take more pictures together. This moment needs to be documented and remembered forever. Maddie grabs Lennon’s phone and gets to work posing them. If dance doesn’t work out for her, she should totally become a photographer. I stand back and watch in awe. Once they’re done, Hunter looks at me with his head tilted.
“Where’s your boyfriend?”
Heat hits my cheeks. I should’ve been more prepared for this question. “Oh, he couldn’t make it. Got caught up at work.” I shoot him a smile because it’s the truth. Lennon glares at me, and I know she wants to know if something else happened. My eyes meet hers, and I try to silently tell her everything is fine, but I’m not sure she’s buying it.
“Right,” I hear Mason say.
I turn around and glare at him, rolling my eyes, but it doesn’t seem to faze him in the least. Maddie looks back and lights up with a fire in her eyes when she sees Liam. Her reaction to him causes me to hold back my laughter. As soon as Lennon and Hunter are pulled away, Mason pulls me off to the side. It’s the first time we’ve been alone together since the intense conversation we had on the patio New Year’s Eve. I’ve avoided him like a flesh-eating bacteria ever since.
“What the hell is going on with you, Sophie? Something isn’t right.” He has that same look in his eyes as Lennon did earlier as he studies my face.
I grit my teeth. “You’re out of line, Mason. Worry about yourself. It’s what you’re good at.”
“You’re acting like the boogeyman is gonna pop up at any moment. Like something’s wrong. I know the signs. I’ve seen them before. You’ve not been yourself, and no number of lies will change that.”
I glare at him, pissed that he can see straight through me and angry because he never gave me a chance. Now that I’ve moved on, he wants to play the hero.
“Where’s Weston really at? Funny how he always has something come up when there’s a group of people involved. Please tell me you aren’t that dense, Soph. I’m worried about you.” His voice is hushed.
“You haven’t earned the right to worry about me, Mason. For years, you’ve done nothing but ignore me, pretend I don’t exist, and pretend we never happened as if you wish it hadn’t. And you know what? I wish it hadn’t either.”
I look at Mason one last time before I push away from him and walk toward Maddie. He looks as if I just slapped him, his jaw tight and his body tense. Perhaps that was a mean thing to say, but he pushed me too far this time questioning my decisions when he’s been absent from my life for months.
