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Alexis wrapped her into a tight hug as Elena soaked in the feeling. Even though she and Alexis weren’t friends when they were younger, it was still nice to be greeted as if they had been. She was a few years younger than Elena and Skylar, and Elena wondered when she and Skylar reconnected.

“It’s so great to finally meet you. Skylar’s told us a lot about you, and of course, I’ve listened to all your music.”

“Well,” Elena uncomfortably laughed, “I just hope Skylar told the good stories.”

“Obviously.” Skylar winked at her.

“Come on in.” Alexis motioned them to follow her into the house. “Blake and the kids are out back.”

As they walked through the house, Elena admired how homey the place felt. It was truly a home, not a place where people just lived. Elena was keenly aware that was the vibe her own house gave out. But after seeing Alexis and Blake’s house, Elena wasn’t sure how she could go back to her impersonal Santa Barbara mansion.

“Your house is gorgeous, Alexis.”

“Thanks. We love it. I miss the old apartment a little, but there’s no way we could have lived there with the babies.”

Stepping out through the sliding glass door, Alexis led them onto a patio. Blake and the kids were at the swing set, and Elena soaked in the sight. Harper was swinging by herself while Blake alternated, pushing each of the babies in their little swings.

“Blake, Harper, look who’s here.”

Harper perked up when she saw Skylar and made a beeline for her. Skylar wrapped her in a hug, picked her up, and spun her around while Harper giggled.

“Skylar, guess what?”

“What?” Skylar matched her enthusiasm perfectly.

“I learned a new song on the guitar.”

“You did?” Sitting Harper back down, Skylar gave her a high five. “You rock, kid! I’m so proud of you.”

“Do you wanna hear it?”

“Absolutely!”

As Harper and Skylar headed back into the house, Elena smiled nervously at Alexis. Small talk wasn’t her forte, especially with people she didn’t know. All Elena knew about the Hollands was from social media and Skylar. Even though Blake had been an actress a few years ago, she and Elena never ran in the same circles.

“Come on. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the family since Harper is clearly preoccupied.”

“She’s adorable.”

“She’s been so excited to show Skylar her new song for weeks. When I told her you all were stopping by tonight, she practiced all day.”

“All day,” Blake emphasized. She had one baby on her hip while Alexis picked up the other one. “It’s nice to meet you, Elena.”

“You, too. I’ve heard a lot about you two from Skylar. And I might have stalked your Instagram pictures. Your family is adorable.”

“Thank you. We’re lucky, that’s for sure.” Blake looped an arm around Alexis’s shoulder and pulled her close. She placed a casual kiss on her head. “Isn’t that right, babe?”

“The luckiest.”

Elena felt jealousy starting to mingle with sadness, so she turned her attention to the babies. She tickled one of the babies’ stomachs. “This is Archer, right?”

“It is. I’m impressed. Some of our friends still can’t tell them apart.”

“So this must be Reese.” Elena took hold of the baby’s small hand as she wrapped her fingers around Elena’s. “It’s good to meet you, too. You’re much bigger in person.”

“They’re growing so fast.” There was a twinge of sadness in Blake’s voice. “It’s hard to believe they’ll be a year old next month.”

“I know. I felt like I was pregnant for ten years, and then this last year has just flown by.”