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"Have you thought about what you want to do with the walls? A simple accent wall would look fantastic here and really pop with the light from that window," Riley adds, sounding just as excited as her sister just did.
"Wow, who are you two? America's answer to a teenage Gok Wan." I add with a giggle.
"Well, don't let Riley's somber exterior fool you. She's an amazing artist who regularly transforms old, worn-out items destined for the trash into unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. We'd both be more than happy to help you. Our parents are tired of both of us reinventing our bedroom every few months."
"That's why they gave us the basement in the end," Riley interrupts.
"So, it'll be nice for both of us to have a blank canvas to work with," Harper offers. "That’s if you even WANT our help at all, of course," she adds, a little more hesitantly.
"Want your help? I NEED your help, girls," I admit. "Let me just double-check with my Nana first. She's usually pretty cool about things, though."
***
We all go back to the party and have a great evening. We talk, laugh, and eat far too much. Nana has clearly spent all morning in the kitchen. She apparently missed the memo that she wasn't feeding the whole street because everywhere I look, there are plates of food and very full looking family members preparing to leave.
"Bye, Izzy, it was so nice to see you again," my aunt Shelly says, hugging me goodbye before turning towards my mother, who is further down the path talking to my father.
"Who’d have thought you’d have grown up so much, bug." My cousin Toby laughs.
"Bug?" his fiancée Emma questions.
"Yes, bug, because she used to be so disgusting," my other cousin Michael quips, appearing from nowhere and throwing his arm around my shoulder.
"Glad to see some things don't change. You're still an immature idiot, I see," I quip back.
Toby sees the uncomfortable look on his fiancée Emma's face, so he quickly interjects. "No," he chuckles, "Bug because she used to be tiny, and was always hiding in small spaces."
"I think mine sounded better," Michael says, crossing his arms defiantly.
"That's because you're a dick," I whisper, blushing at my brazenness. Thankfully, only Michael seems to hear, and just smirks in response.
As they leave, I walk over to join my parents, who are standing near their car, waving goodbye to the last of my family.
"So it's time for us to leave, Izzy. Your father wants to get to the apartment before it gets too dark," my mother informs me.I should have known this family reunion wouldn't last long. It's barely been four hours, and already my father intends to leave. Typical.
"No, please don't go yet!" I beg. "It's our first night back home. I thought we could spend it all as a family with Nana and Pops."
"We have to go. I'm not driving in the dark," my father snaps from behind me, and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes or snap back.
"Please Mom, one night, that's all I'm asking for, please. I just want one night as a family. This could be the last time we all sleep under one roof for a while," I whine, hearing and hating how needy and desperate I sound.
"Well, you were the one who chose to move here," my father reminds me.
"Well, I didn't have much choice, did I?" I snap, spinning around to look at my father. When I see the angry look in his eyes, I instantly regretted my outburst.
"Isabella!" he shouts.
"Sorry, Sir," I reply, looking down at the floor.
"That's what I thought," he answers.
"Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea, darling. It's almost 8 p.m.; it’ll be too dark to drive soon. Perhaps we should stay, and then we can drive first thing in the morning, miss the traffic?" my mother says, doing her best to coax and calm my father.
He sits pondering for a few seconds. "Fine, but we have to leave first thing in the morning."
"Thank you, Daddy,' I say through the open passenger side door, before hugging my mom and whispering, "Thank you" in her ear.
I rush ahead to help make up the spare room, taking the stairs two steps at a time. Unable to believe that, despite the fact my dad didn't want to stay, he did it for me. For the first time in years, my dad actually put me first. Maybe this move really will be the fresh start we all desperately need.
