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“Wanna go to the beach for a little bit and then we’ll stop by your mom’s?” Cass asked.
“Yeah, that works,” I said. I was excited about the beach, at least.
“Good. Jase and some of the boys are going to meet us down at the Bluff,” Cass said.
Cass wrapped me in his arms and flew us to the beachfront. It was a view unlike anything I had ever seen before, taking in the white sand and the blue water with whitecaps from above. We landed in the middle of a group of guys singing at the top of their lungs. Cass joined in the minute his feet touched the ground.
“The baddest man in the whole damn town,” he bellowed, setting me down and only stopping his singing for a moment to kiss me on the top of my head before starting back up.
He jumped into the air for a frisbee. There were cries of cheating.
“I don’t need my wings to punk your sorry asses,” Cass japed, tossing the disc to our friend, Jase.
“Mandy, heads up,” Jase called out seconds before throwing the disc my way.
It was like I had never left. It had been a long time since I had even thought about Jase or Wes or any of the guys I used to hang out with before leaving for the High Court—except for Cass. But they treated me just like before, like one of the guys. Wes tossed me a beer.
“I’m three deep already. Catch up, Mandy,” he challenged.
I opened the beer as a smile creeped onto my face. I looked out into the ocean, its waves peaking then crashing against the coast. I took a sip of the beer, closing my eyes, and turning my face up toward the sun, then inhaled the salty sea air.
“Told you people missed you here,” Cass said, moving behind me and wrapping his arm around my waist.
He swayed in tune with the song playing in the background. Wes was bellowing the lyrics out purposefully loud and out of tune, and everyone was laughing. I turned my face up to Cass’s, seeing his smile touch his eyes. I saw love in his eyes, and in that moment, it felt like falling in love might be an easy thing to do. He leaned his head down to mine, planting a soft kiss on my lips.
* * * *
With sun-kissed skin and the beach still in our hair, we made our way to my mother’s new house. Cass’s dad gave us directions. The house was a significant upgrade from the tiny home I had grown up in. It even had a second floor. Cass threw his arm around me and rapped his knuckles on the front door.
“Hello!” an overly cheerful man answered the door.
“Uh…” I stammered, confused, wondering if we were at the right place.
But then I heard my mother’s voice from the other room.
“Jim, tell them I’ll be right there. Just pulling the rolls out of the oven,” I heard my mother call.
“Come on in, Cass, Mandy,” the man, apparently named Jim, said.
Cass and I exchanged bemused expressions as we moved into the house. My mom walked up to us, smiling.
“Cass, looking handsome as ever.” She greeted him in the way a proud mother would. Then she folded me into a hug. “Welcome home, Mandy.”
I was lost for words.My mother was dating? And smiling? And hugging?
“Ms. Armand, nice house you have here!” Cass jumped in before my lack of words got too awkward.
“Thanks, Cass. We just moved in a couple of months ago. Jim and I—This is Jim,” she offered for the first time.
It was a little late for introductions, but I shook Jim’s hand and offered him a friendly smile.
“Too bad I didn’t have my magic helper in the kitchen with me when I was baking the bread,” my mother said.
My mother had always said her food came out better when I was in the kitchen helping. I was under no illusion. It was clearly an attempt to get me to take an interest in cooking, something I had never shown any interest or aptitude in.
The entire night felt surreal. I wanted to be happy for my mother, who seemed to be happier than I had ever seen her. But it was hard.Was I such a burden to raise? Was my mother happy I was gone?I had always known my mother loved me. But it would have been nice to have grown up with whoever this woman was.
I wandered out to the backyard after dinner. My mother followed me out.
