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ImeetPaula’seyes,and then watch them flit down to my hand connected with Piper’s.
“We weren’t, uh -” she stammers, but Paula just shakes her head, waving a hand and then gesturing for Piper to come sit next to her on the bench. She meets my gaze for a second, before moving to sit next to Paula, smoothing her skirt under her thighs.
I watch her move - her legs crossing at the ankles, hands folding in her lap. It’s ladylike and poised, which isn’t always Piper’s forte, but I’ve noticed the way she changes around authority figures, especially people she wants to like her. It’s probably the little remaining piece of what she points out is making herself small for others. Taming her into something less than what she is.
The observation makes my chest a little tight. The fact that she felt she had to make herself small around my family hurt. The fact that it’s taken me this long to notice those things about her hurts more.
“I wanted to make sure both of you were alright,” Paula starts, leaning forward and putting a hand affectionately over Piper’s. She looks up at me. “Chris is wound so tight right now, and…” She trails off, an apologetic smile on her face.
“I don’t think that’s an excuse for what he just did.” I lean against the wall next to the bathroom door, looking down at her.
“No. It’s not.” Paula’s sigh is deep as she recrosses her legs, her body language telling me all I need to know. She’s uncomfortable, probably not as uncomfortable as Piper, but enough that I can read it all over her. “It’s not an excuse, but your father is an investor in that company we were talking about at my birthday. VistaTech?” Piper's eyebrows shoot up, and she glances between us. “Their merger with that London company is this week, and it’s apparently not going well from a PR point of view.”
“That’s what happens when you lay off thousands of people.” My tone is flat, but I can see the way Piper’s reacting, and quirk an eyebrow at her.
“Penny and Brett work at VistaTech,” she says quietly, and then when Paula looks confused, she adds, “My sister and her husband.” Paula nods, patting Piper’s hand.
“It doesn’t sound like it’s affecting anyone here, just at the London company they bought.” I see Piper’s shoulders sag, just slightly. “But I think Chris is holding his breath until it’s over.” I open my mouth to argue, but she holds up her other hand. “It’s not an excuse, I know, I’ve already said that.” She swallows audibly, bringing both hands to smooth down the sides of her hair. “I think he’s also feeling a little bit of Deja Vu right now.”
“Deja Vu?” Piper says what we’re both thinking, and Paula nods, sighing.
“You two…God, it’s like stepping in a time machine.” Piper and I share a confused look, but Paula holds her hand out to me. “Will, give me your wallet.” I raise a brow at her. “I’m not going to steal your credit cards, just let me see your wallet for a second.” I’m thoroughly confused, but dig my wallet out of my jacket pocket, handing it over to her. She flips open the worn brown leather, sifting in the pockets until she finds what I’d half expected her to.
With a look of triumph, she sets my wallet in her lap, lifting up a tattered photo. I haven’t looked at it in years, but it’s always been there, since I was old enough to carry a wallet. And when she hands it over to Piper, I know that she’s thinking the same thing I am.
Because unconsciously, I’d found a woman that looks strikingly like my mother, in the best ways. I know that Paula is pointing out Mom’s tan skin, the dark, curly hair, the way her nose wrinkles when she’s laughing, which you can just barely see under the strain of the sun in the picture of her in front of the Eiffel Tower.
“This is Fitz’s mother, Tessa.” Piper looks up at me, and then back down to the picture Paula is pointing at. “She was also my best friend.” Both of our attention snap to Paula, who laughs. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you we love your mom, Will. I wasn’t making that up.”
“I know that.” I feel a lump in my throat. “But best friends?” Sure, I’d known they were all close - that Paula had been there when my dad was falling apart, and that’s how their relationship began. But I’d never pressed for details, never wanted them, never needed them.
“When Tessa died,” Paula starts, and her eyes begin to shine with tears pooling at the corners. “Your father was doing everything he could to keep her alive. Every treatment, every procedure possible. But in the end, she was hurting so much.” A tear slips, and she swipes at it. The lump in my throat gets bigger. “We’d all been friends since high school, and if he wasn’t there with her, I was. But, Will…” She purses her lips, dabbing at her eyes. “Losing your mother nearly killed him. Nearly killed both of us. We weren’t the people we’d been before she got sick. Didn’t know how to be those people again.” Paula lets out a watery laugh, looking between us. “And truthfully, I don’t know that we could have. Because your father was a broken man, missing half his heart, and I was hurting in a very different way. But we both loved - love - your mother fiercely.”
“And that’s what brought you together?” Piper asks quietly, handing Paula the picture. She takes it, settling it in her lap, not letting it go. Her fingers absently trace the edges, which are worn and creased.
“In some ways, yes.” She nods. “Will, I’m not blind. I know I’m never going to replace your mother, but-"
“I don’t want you to.” It’s out of my mouth before I can stop it, and she rears back a bit. Piper gives me a wide eyed stare, and I try to course correct. “I mean, what I mean, is, uh - I wouldn’t want you to replace her.”
“Especially not if she meant that much to you,” Piper finishes for me, and I try to give her a grateful smile. “To both of you.” she reaches out, taking Paula’s hand. “And of course, it makes sense that Chris would be protective of Fitz. Not just after Olivia, but after knowing what it’s like to lose someone, like I have, like you both have.” She glances up at me. “Like you all have.”
“It’s not an excuse,” I repeat, and Paula nods, her other hand settling over Piper’s, the picture still between her fingers.
“It’s not, and trust me when I say we’ll be discussing that when we get home.” The look of determination on her face is the one I saw too many times as a kid, usually reserved for court prep or cleaning a stubborn grass stain out of Fred’s soccer uniform. “But please, Piper.” She squeezes Piper’s fingers. “Don’t think that this has anything to do with you, personally. I’ve been hearing your mother rave about you for as long as I can remember.” Paula looks at me, then. “And I think you’re good for each other.”
And while I keep the thought to myself, letting Piper and Paula hug it out in the hallway before following them back to the table, where no one speaks of Dad’s outburst and we continue through a family style lunch, she’s right. I think we are good for each other. And I’m starting to think Piper Delmonico might be the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me.
Piper
“Ok, so let me make sure I’m following,” I start, pointing the neck of my bottle of root beer at the group spread across Frannie’s living room. I gesture to the man sitting next to Seer, whose hair is blonde like hers, curling around his ears in a messy mop. “You’re her brother.” I point back to Seer, and Liam nods. “And you’re married to her brother.” I point the bottle at Jesse next to Liam, who also nods, leaning back on the couch and tracking his husband’s moves with icy gray-blue eyes, a stark contrast to his deep, smooth skin. I swear I’ve seen this man before, or at least someone that looks like him, but I can’t put my finger on it.
I move to point at Mateo and Andrea, who are in a corner with Andrea’s husband, Caesar. Their kids are running around upstairs, presumably working off some of the cake Mateo brought with him to celebrate Freddy’s graduation. “Your dad is married to his mom.” I point back to Jesse, and everyone nods.
Liam is Seer's brother. Jesse is Jose's stepson, and is married to Liam. Andrea and Mateo are Jose's kids.
This feels like a middle school standardized testing word problem.
“Alright, I think I’ve got it.” My voice does not sound confident at all.
