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“Hey,” Jude said, wrapping me in a quick hug. “Where’s Trask?”
I pointed to him. Trask was busy being swarmed by a crowd of old men and ladies from the historical society. “Ever the crowd pleaser,” I laughed. I knew he hated this stuff. He had an ink stain on the palm of his hand and I felt like I should tell him, but I kept it to myself. I liked seeing his hands covered in ink.
“He looks so happy,” Jude said, pride in his voice.
“He is,” I said. “He’s worked hard for this.”
“Son.” Randy nodded to Jude as he walked up to us. Trask’s dad nodded at Lennon and I but didn’t say anything else. Faye was already crying and clinging to Jude, blubbering about how they could stay with them.
I excused myself, leaving poor Jude to deal with his mother’s theatrics. Eventually things settled, and we all took our seats, listening to the historical society talk about how big of a deal this project was. Trask spoke about how he was honored to take charge of this restoration and even more honored that it garnered so much local and national attention. Then we popped champagne and drank it in the new schoolhouse/church, exploring and admiring Trask’s hand in all of the renovations.
Faye and Randy didn’t say much. Each wore a tight-lipped expression, but they still hovered near their sons, like they thought being near them would count as a connection.
Rosalie and Drake were slightly late (they’d gotten lost on the way) but were more than happy to shake Trask’s hand and offer him congratulations. I was thankful for their friendship. Rosalie clutched her fiancé’s hand the whole time, smiling at him like the girl in love that she was. Hard to believe that just a few years ago she was holding my hair back as I barfed in the toilet after a rough night out. Funny how things changed.
“Eliza.” Faye’s voice pulled me from my reverie. My head whipped around, looking for her. “Darling, I wanted to say that I am so proud of you for sticking with school.”
“Thank you?” I said. I had published another collection and was currently working on a novel. I’d pitched the idea to my publisher, and they snatched it up. I hadn’t told her about this yet though.
“Randy and I were so afraid that once you and Trask got more serious that you’d…well, you know.”
“Sink my claws into him and leech off of him forever?”
“Why must you be so crass?”
I shrugged. “I guess I just have a way with words. They pay the bills after all.”
Jude snorted from somewhere nearby. I liked that about him. He was truly like the older brother I never had. He was hovering close, waiting to jump in if his mother got out of line, but he still let me fight my own battles.
“I just want to see you make something of yourself,” Faye said.
“I have.” I tried not to sound defensive.
Randy slid into the conversation. “We want what’s best for our son. But we are proud of both of you.”
Trask’s voice cut in. “You have a funny way of showing it.” He walked through the crowd and joined our little circle.
My mood was instantly better. I felt like I was sinking in quicksand and my rescuer just pulled me out.
“Trask, we just—”
“Save it. Thank you for being here. But I told Eliza that every time you wiped the smile off her face I would do all I could to relieve her stress.”
I shivered. I knewexactlywhat he was referring to.
“That’s three times you’ve made her frown, and that’s just in the last two minutes.”
“Trask, we are here for you. Drop this, baby,” Faye said. She tried wiping the ink from his hand. “So proud of you. Eliza too.”
Randy was not so easily pacified. “We just want to be part of your life. We used to be close.”
Trask groaned. “We can be close again, someday. What will it take for you to realize we have our own life together and you can be part of it, not dictate it? You have to make some adjustments.”
“You’re that serious about this endeavor?” Randy’s eyes flicked from me to Trask and back to me.
“You made her frown again,” Trask said.
“Do you want to be ostracized like Jude and Lennon?” Faye asked. “They are like strangers to us and theychosethat path.”
