Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“And with my new stepbrother.”
“Oh shit, there’s a stepbrother too?”
“August. I’ve never met him either.”
“What’s his deal?”
I shrug. “I just know his name.”
We talk the whole drive up to my new stepfather Brandon’s cottage. It’s a beautiful secluded wooded area, I’ll give Brandon that. We chat as we drive along the long winding roads with the massive cottages spread far apart—each one sitting on the large stunning lake.
It’s snowing lightly—those big fat flakes of snow that take forever to come down—dusting the trees and bushes with white powdery snow. It’s gorgeous. I didn’t realize how much I missed the seasons while living in Australia until now.
By the time we arrive at 15 Swell Lake Road, Makayla knows pretty much everything about me and is very invested in knowing how things will turn out.
“Text me tonight,” she says when we’re parked in front of Brandon’s massive log cabin. It’s sitting on a hill surrounded by forest and overlooking a spectacular ice-covered lake.
“But I don’t need a ride,” I say as she scribbles her phone number on a scrap of paper and shoves it into my purse.
“Not for a ride,” she says as she looks out the windshield at the cabin. “I want to know how it goes.”
I can’t help but laugh even though my stomach is in knots. “Okay…”
“What’s your number?” Makayla asks. “In case you forget.”
I sigh as I give it to her. She puts it into her phone.
“Oh shit, is that your mom?” she asks, suddenly looking up. “She looks younger than I thought she would.”
“Yeah, they had me when they were young,” I say when I see her standing on the porch. She has a big wool sweater wrapped around her with her hands tucked into the large pockets. Her face is tight. Nervous. She looks like she’s dreading this as much as I am.
I take a deep breath and turn to Makayla. “Thanks for the ride,” I say with a nervous smile. “And for the free therapy session.”
“Don’t forget to text me,” she says as she watches my mom. “I have to know what happens.”
I step out of the car, wave awkwardly at my mom, and then grab my bags from the trunk. My heart is pounding as I drag them up the snowy driveway.
Makayla doesn’t leave. She’s just sitting there watching the show.
I turn and frown at her. “Bye,” I mouth with a firm wave.
She reluctantly starts the car and slowly drives away. I can see her watching us in the rearview mirror the entire way.
It’s time to get this over with.
I turn back to my mother and walk up to her with my chest feeling tight.
“Hello, Harmony,” she says in a strained voice. Her arms are crossed over her chest either because she’s cold or because she’s trying to keep up a shield between us. Probably a bit of both.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Before you say anything,” she says, lifting her hand up. “I just want to explain to you, what I wanted to explain to you before you left, was that there was no overlap between Brandon and your father. I didn’t break any marriage vows while I was married.”
I look at the snowy ground as she goes on.
“I know this has been very hard for you,” she continues, “just like it’s been hard for your father and for me.”
“For you?” I ask, snapping my eyes onto hers. “It’s been hard for you?”
“Yes!” she snaps. “Of course, it’s been hard! Do you think I wanted to break up my family and get divorced? Do you think I wanted my daughter to be absent at my wedding? Your father and I… We got married so young. I got pregnant at twenty. Twenty! My parents kicked me out of the house. I hadn’t had a job that paid more than minimum wage. I barely had a high school education. I was scared and feeling helpless. Your father proposed and I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice. We made a nice life together, Harmony, but we were never meant to be. We were never soulmates.”
“Soulmates,” I say with a scoff. “There’s no such thing as soulmates.”
She shakes her head, looking at me sadly. “Oh, Harmony,” she says like she’s all-knowing and wise, “I hope you find the guy who will prove to you how wrong you are.”
“And this Brandon guy,” I say, crossing my arms. “He’s your soulmate?”
She gets a big smile on her face as she nods. “Yeah. He is.”
My mother is in love with her soulmate and I don’t even know what he looks like.
“Your boss?”
She shrugs with a warm smile on her face. “We can’t choose who the universe picks for us.”
Yeah, right.
“I’m sorry I left,” I say before I get cold feet and can’t say it. “I shouldn’t have escaped to Australia. I shouldn’t have missed your wedding. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I should have stayed and worked it out with you and Dad. And Brandon.”