2
Faith
* * *
The next day, I still haven’t decided whether to take the stranger up on his offer. Instead, I head over to my dad’s place for coffee with my friend Bella. Looking around their living room, I note the new paintings and the vase of flowers on the mantel. It’s nice, but strange. I grew up in this house, but it feels oddly different now.
My friend senses my thoughts and immediately apologizes.
“I know this is your home, Faith, and we changed some things, but we kept a lot of things the way you like them too. Your room is still upstairs.” Meanwhile, my little brother, Howie, coos as Bella bounces him on her lap.
“No, no, it’s fine,” I say. “I really like what you’ve done with the house and this is your home now. You should do it up the way you like.”
She smiles at me gratefully.
“I’m glad. I was worried you’d be upset…”
I shake my head. “Not at all. It’s so much brighter in here now, and more modern too. You know my dad’s taste: so long as it’s comfortable, he’s good with it even if it doesn’t match at all.”
Bella giggles a bit, still bouncing Howie.
“I know, but I promise, I didn’t touch your old bedroom one whit. The walls are still that light yellow color that reminds me of buttercream frosting.”
I let out a laugh then.
“You can change it if you want because honestly, buttercream doesn’t sound too good for a wall color. It’s not like I’ll be moving back any time soon, anyways.”
Bella gets a pensive look on her face.
“I know you’re struggling financially, Faith,” she says in a quiet voice. “You should always feel that you have a place here, no matter what. This is still your home.”
I laugh. “No, I’m fine! Seriously. Besides, it’s a bit different now that you’re married to my dad. This is your love nest, and I don’t want to intrude!”
Bella makes a funny face.
“Well, when you have a newborn, it doesn’t really feel like a love nest. Howie gets into everything, and I mean everything.”
I chuck my little half-brother under the chin, making him chortle.
“And that’s the way it should be, shouldn’t it, Howie? This is your kingdom.”
We all laugh together then. I guess some people were weirded out when my best friend married my dad, but it doesn’t bother me. In fact, it makes perfect sense because they’re the two most important people in my life. Why shouldn’t they fall in love and be happy? I turn to my bestie with a smile.
“When’s my dad’s next overnight trip? We can have a slumber party then, what do you say? Just you, me and Howie?”
Bella beams. “Definitely! That’d be so great. But no Howie. I’ll get my parents to take him for the night. They’d love it, and we’ll get to have some quality time just like in the old days with the two of us.”
“Perfect. I do miss you, Bells.”
She smiles knowingly.
“I miss you, too. Marcus has a two-day trip next week, so do you want to come over Tuesday or Wednesday night maybe?”
I think for a moment.
“Tuesday’s out because I’m working, but Wednesday should be fine.”
Bella pumps her fists happily.
“Great. I’ll talk to my parents, but I’m sure they’ll be fine with it. You know how excited Jonathan and Zara are to be grandparents.”
I nod. My friend’s parents are the nicest people in the world, and they’re probably spoiling the heck out of my little brother. I tickle his cheek and Howie looks up at me, eyes wide, before we both burst into giggles.
“I see a lot of you in him,” my friend sighs happily. “Especially when we compare your baby pictures. You and Howie have the same chin and the same eyes.”
I groan. “Oh, God, please burn those pictures! Ugh. I will never live down the triangular perm I had back then.”
My friend laughs.
“It wasn’t so bad, girlfriend. I had the same one, remember? Everyone did because they were all the rage back then. Besides, even with the weird hair, you were adorable!”
I make a face.
“Not according to my mother. She had me on a diet even as a baby. I swear, that woman should get a job at Weight Watchers because she’s totally obsessed about not just her weight, but also other peoples’ weights too. She’d be a perfect fit.”
Bella frowns because we don’t talk about my mother much. Sure, my friend knows the basics, but hearing about Samantha always makes her edgy. I guess as a second wife, it’s hard not to have insecurities, even though we’ve reassured her a million times that she’s way better for my dad than Samantha ever was. In fact, I’m happier, too. Bells doesn’t tell me to lose weight or to fix my hair. She’s my best friend, and in a strange way, very maternal too, even though we’re the same age.