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I nodded. "So are we. Vacations are great for that. Forced proximity. Problem-solving opportunities. Maybe even a torrent confession over a bonfire."
She laughed a little. "You're not selling this."
"It's going to be great," I promised as I pulled into a parking space close to the boardwalk.
"I hope so." She removed her helmet and helped me with mine. "I thought being without them was easy, but after seeing how things could change in our family if we all worked together, I don't know. Walking away now, after they know how I feel, is harder somehow."
"You love them." I squeezed her shoulder. "And you see the potential because they love you and they're trying to be better for you."
Sage's family had taken huge steps in supporting themselves. They didn't call her for every issue, and she did her best not to insert herself, even though the desire was a pull I had to help hold her back from. While I kept her from old haunts, she helped me stand up to mine. My parents were doing what they could, too, including trying not to overanalyze everything I did. Liana was a different story, and she'd always be. There would always be a sinkhole between us, something impossible to cross alone. We might never cross it, but at least our parents were a bridge. She had them, and I had them. That'd have to be enough for now.
"Have you heard from your dad?" I dared to ask.
"In Saint Pete," she said. "With my grandma. He needed some time and space to escape."
I frowned. "Sorry, Sage."
"It's a good thing. He's doing better, actually sticking to routines," she said "Plus, with him gone, my brothers aren't poisoned with hopes and nonsensical dreams of becoming millionaires overnight. The guys stepped up. Interviews and suits. Consistent paychecks now."
My fingers entwined with hers. "Good."
"Very," she agreed with a small smile.
I didn't give Sage her hand back as she packed our helmets away. She let me lead her down the boardwalk, and we slipped out of our shoes to feel the cool sand between our toes. She laughed when I started running toward the ocean.
"Come on," I called from the edge of the shore.
"It's freezing." She shook her head. "I'm more of a 'look at the water from a distance' person, as you know."
"It's not that…" I gasped when the ice-cold water kissed my feet. "That bad."
"You're already shaking," she noted with an amused smile.
"Am not." I hid my hands in my pockets. "Even if I was, it'd be from anticipation for our vacation."
"Come back here so I can warm you up." Sage opened her arms to me.
"I'm fine."
"Well, I'm not, and I have something else to tell you," she said. "Something good."
I perked up at that and willingly abandoned the ocean for her warm embrace.
"Better?" she whispered in my ear.
"A little." I smiled as she added kisses to her warming technique. "Was the good news a trick?"
"Nope, just a lovely excuse." She pulled her phone out and opened her email. "Woke up to this."
I grabbed the phone to get a closer look, and the email's sender caught my eye immediately as I laughed in disbelief.
"This is real?" I looked up at her before continuing.
"I cross-checked the email." She nodded, barely able to contain her smile, the light in her eyes bright and proud. I didn’t know how she kept this in for so long. "And asked him to message me using his social media to be sure."
"Sage," I said, shaking her shoulder.
"I know, I know." She laughed.
